"We (indigenous peoples) can only live in Bangladesh if we convert to Islam and become Bengalis through marriage,” says Subroto Chakma (pseudonym), a victim of the Langadu arson attack in Rangamati, standing in front of the ruins of his village.
Shoikot Chakma (pseudonym), another victim, questions how it is possible to return to their day-to-day lives when the people responsible for such devastation have received no punishment for their crime: “How can you co-exist with them after this? You can feel everyone watching you when you go to the marketplace. There is this constant tension. You feel out of place in your birthplace, in your homeland where your forefathers have lived for generations.”
400 families lost their homes in three villages—Tintilla, Baittapara and Manikjorchhora—after local Bengali political settlers burnt down at least 224 houses and shops following the death of a Bengali man, Nayan. It is unfortunate that the Chakma community of Langadu have been victims of such violence; but what is more unfortunate is the lack of government support following the incident which took place on June 2, 2017.
After July 12, the victims have received no relief from either the government or other sources. More than six months have passed, but the victims are still homeless.
Initially, about two-third of the affected families left Langadu; many of them expressed that they would not return. To them, returning to a pile of ashes did not seem like much of an option. The remaining victims took refuge in schools, temples and other people's houses in Langadu. Later on, the internally displaced families realised that they were not safe in any part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. So they have returned to the ashes where once their homesteads stood and are trying to find some means of survival.
Winter is here, but there are no walls to protect the families of Langadu from the wind and no roofs above their heads either. Some families have attempted to put something together by gathering scraps from the ruins with the two or three bundles of corrugated tin they received as aid.
The government has promised to rebuild their homes, but there is very little progress in that avenue. Recently, the government issued a tender for building houses at Langadu. But Moni Shankar Chakma of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) expresses concern over the designs approved for building the houses of Langadu victims. “They do not follow the traditional style of houses of the Chakma community,” he regrets.
Rebuilding Chakma houses in a non-traditional manner is a part of the state-supported mainstreaming process of the indigenous peoples of CHT. Policy makers do not include the chief of indigenous community circles, political representatives of the indigenous peoples or indigenous leaders, or specialists of the rights of indigenous peoples in the decision making processes.
The victims of Langadu are demanding that the government give financial compensation for the loss incurred in the arson attack instead of building them houses. Unfortunately, their voices are not being heard; the victims are being oppressed yet again by government paperwork and procedure.
Photos: Mrittika Kamal
In addition, the government is not taking into account the number of family members of each household, type of house, number of rooms or amount of loss faced by victims on a case-by-case basis. Hence, a family of 23 members that lost a four-room house is receiving the same compensation as a family with three members that lost a two-room house. People who were living in the houses as tenants lost all their personal belongings, but are not receiving any compensation whatsoever. Besides, no compensation has been provided for rebuilding the three institutions that were affected—the regional office of the PCJSS, the Multi-purpose Community Centre and Para Kendra, an educational institution.
The victims do not have proper shelter or warm clothing to face the winter either. Each family (often consisting of three generations) has received two quilts from the government and one from Chittagong University. This is how we, the civil society and mass people, along with the government, are supporting the victims of arson attack in Langadu.
When what is lost cannot be quantified in numbers
The people of Langadu have lost Guno Mala Chakma in the fire of Langadu. She was burned alive in the fire, repeating the history of bloodshed of her people. It may never be possible to rebuild the local indigenous peoples' trust in the Bengali settlers, security forces and the government. The damage done in the incident is beyond repair.
Adreeta Chakma (pseudonym) says, “The man who often had tea at your house, or whose boat you used to cross the river on everyday, or from whom you bought your groceries—the man who was your friend, your colleague, your associate a few days ago, is suddenly burning your house down. How can you trust anyone anymore?”
Nipa Chakma (pseudonym) expresses that they are feeling extremely insecure in the shelters they made from the ruins of Langadu. “If we hear any noise at night, we fear that we are going to be attacked at any moment,” she says.
It is difficult for most of us living outside the CHT region to understand the situation of the indigenous peoples, political Bengali settlers, security forces and the government. The history of internal conflict in the CHT region officially ended with the signing of the Peace Accord in 1996, but there has not been satisfactory progress in the implementation of the Peace Accord even after 20 years of its signing. In this context, incidents like Langadu are exceptionally dangerous as they tap into the core of the frustration and insecurity of the indigenous peoples in CHT.
According to Barrister Raja Devasish Roy, “If one-sided communal attacks like Langadu continue, it might lead to armed conflict in the long run. Communal attacks like Langadu are not new incidents, but the government and people have failed to take any lessons from these experiences.”
Barrister Roy adds that it is evident that the security forces could not maintain impartiality. The day before the incident took place, they assured the indigenous people that no violence would occur; yet there is proof of members of the security forces participating in a public meeting and procession concerning the death of Nayan, where the indigenous peoples were referred to as “pahari santrashi” or “terrorist hill people”. In fact, the local indigenous peoples have complained to Barrister Roy that men of the security forces were seen among the attackers in Tintilla and/or Baittapara villages. Also, when 40–50 Chakma youths gathered in Manikjorchhora for self-defence, at one point the security forces pointed their guns at the local Chakma people. However, at no point did the Chakma population of Langadu observe the security forces pointing their guns at the Bengali population or attempt to stop the arson. The Bengali settlers finally backed down when the local Chakma people united against the arsonists. Barrister Roy comments that if the Chakma youth did not take action that day, the attack could have spread to Langadu-Baradam and Mahajanpara.
Photos: Chisty Kanon
Ushaton Talukdar MP states, “After incidents like this, we repeatedly fail to identify why these attacks have happened and those behind these happenings. We should assess the failures of the state and the society in these matters and address those. The reality is, despite the attack at Langadu, the indigenous peoples and the Bengali settlers have to co-exist there. We have to find a way in which peaceful coexistence is possible. If the people of CHT can live in a congenial environment, putting their differences aside, then prosperity is possible in terms of production, employment and education.”
The victims of Langadu approached the local police station with four cases, but the police accepted only one. Kishore Chakma filed a case with 98 identified and 300-400 unidentified individuals. Among the accused, Md Juyel, Md Saiful Islam, Md Khalilur Rahman Khan, Md Faruk Ahammod, Md Rasel and Md Chan Miya (Chandu) are roaming free without bail. Md Saiful Islam and Md Khalilur Rahman Khan have absconded.
Dr Mesbah Kamal, Professor of the Department of History at University of Dhaka, “So far the findings of the investigations conducted on communal attacks in the CHT area have not been made public. Nor have the people responsible for the attacks been brought to justice. Human Rights Commission (HRC) has conducted an investigation on the Langadu incident, but we can see no visible action taken based on the report. The full report of the HRC investigation should be published as well.”
The indigenous peoples of CHT want to co-exist with the local Bengali people in peace, but incidents like Langadu make it difficult to do so. On May 4, 1989, Langadu was attacked in a similar fashion following the killing of the local Bengali chairperson; more than 30 people were victims of the mass murder. History repeated itself when Langadu burned once again last June, again followed by the death of a Bengali man. A procession of about 3,000–4,000 people carrying the dead body of Nayan turned into a communal attack. Whether the murder of Nayan was committed by a Chakma or not cannot determine the fate of hundreds of Chakma families. The death of Nayan or any individual cannot be an excuse for anyone to take part in the ethnic cleansing process of the CHT.
Those displaced by the arson incident returned to rebuild their lives on the forsaken land of Langadu. Their basic needs of shelter, food, clothing, education and health are not being met. The victims are surviving on potatoes. The children do not have proper educational materials. The government has provided them with books, but they do not have stationery, school bags or other necessities. The people of Langadu are now living amidst ruins in the cold winter, and with the constant reminder that they have been abandoned by the state and society.
http://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/human-rights/langadu-1514965
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