The indigenous communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and plains have made four demands, including keeping government holidays in all educational institutions during their main social festivals, focusing on welcoming the New Year. These demands were made at a press conference organized by 12 indigenous student organizations at the Madhur Canteen of Dhaka University on Monday.
The president of Bangladesh Indigenous Students’ Struggle Parishad, Numong Pru Marma of BMSC Dhaka Metropolitan, read out a written statement at the press conference.
In his written statement, Ananta Tanchangya said that for the past time, indigenous people of 14 different languages - Pankhoya, Chak, Khumi, Lusai, Mro, Bam, Kheyang, Tanchangya, Tripura, Marma, Chakma, Ahamiya, Gurkha and Santal – have been living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Their traditions, culture, customs and traditions are separate and distinct from the Bengali nation. Just as the Bengalis have their New Year festival, the tribal people of the hills have also been celebrating the main social festival of Chaitra Sankranti and the New Year with colorful arrangements, traditionally under different names. The festival is celebrated by the Mroras as Changkran, the Chakras as Sangraing, the Marmaras as Sangrai, the Tripuras as Baisu, the Tanchangyas as Bishu, the Ahmias as Bihu, the Khumiras as Sangrai, the Chakmaras as Biju, and the Rakhines as Thanggren, the tribal people of the plains, in their own and traditional cultural arrangements.
In Bangladesh, no holiday has been arranged in government institutions and government and private educational institutions on the occasion of this main social festival of the Indigenous people demand tribal people. As a result, tribal students of various educational institutions, government, semi-government and private employees and factory workers have been deprived of the opportunity to celebrate the festival with their families for years. On the other hand, tribal children and students living in the cities are not getting the opportunity to get acquainted with their traditional culture. However, every year, government, private and educational institutions are given holidays to celebrate the Bengali New Year.
The written statement further said that for a long time, various political and social organizations in the hills have been demanding that a government holiday be declared on this festival day and that no public exams be held. Recently, a memorandum was submitted to various educational institutions including Dhaka University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University demanding holidays, but the authorities have not taken any action yet. In addition, the academic calendar has been kept open with class and exam routines.
After the press conference, several demands were made to the Chief Advisor through the Dhaka Deputy Commissioner. The demands are that all educational institutions in the country be declared a government holiday for a total of five days from April 12 to 16; that no public exams, including SSC and HSC, be held during Indigenous people demand the festival; During the festival, leave will be given to tribal officials and employees working in all government, private, autonomous, semi-autonomous institutions of the country and leave will be given to tribal workers working in various industries of the country during the festival.
PCP Central General Secretary Rumen Chakma, Hill Women’s Federation President Shanti Devi Tanchangya, Paya Mro of the Mro student family in Dhaka, Bangladesh Chak Students Association Assistant Information and Publicity Secretary Uthan Chak, TSF’s Karnajyoti Tripura, Bangladesh Tanchangya Students Welfare Forum member Snehlal Tanchangya, BOM student society member Lalling BOM, Bangladesh Khumi Students Council member Sangkheong Khumi and Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Union joint convener Rupaiya Shrestha Tanchangya were present at the press conference.
