Return the Santals' land & safeguard their customary land tenure

[Banglar Bir]

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina: Return the Santals' land & safeguard their customary land tenure

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petitio...heir_customary_land_tenure&utm_term=dQlqlb+en

This petition is awaiting approval by the Avaaz Community

1,000
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8 signers. Let's reach 1,000
Why this is important
Santal culture is part of the complex tapestry and heritage of Bengal and must not be destroyed through insensitive repurposing of their land. Between November 6th and 7th of 2016, members of your ruling party, the Awami League, used their access to heavily armed police, their political status, and their influence on the larger Bengali community, to attack, loot, and burn down the homes of an indigenous community of 2,500 Santal in Gaibanda, Bangladesh. While three Santal men have been killed, about 1,200 are on the run. The remaining women and children are stranded under the open sky, without shelter, food, and clothing in Gaibandha where temperatures can fall to 10 degrees Celsius (or 50 degrees Fahrenheit) if not lower in these winter days. We expect the Awami League to protect the human rights of not just the majority but also the minority ‐ the biological and cultural diversity that enriches the pluralism of Bangladesh. We expect you, Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to stand by the platform of pluralism, under which you won your last election and respond urgently to the needs of the Santal community by: 1. Returning the total sum of their ancestral land, 2. Safeguarding their communal land tenure, 3. Providing compensation for damages to help them rebuild their homes. Furthermore, while it is appreciated that you are promising to build new homes over 10 acres for the displaced Santal in Gobindaganj’s Katabari area, it must be explained why you will not set a precedent to protect the ancestral land of indigenous people over the thuggery of ruling politicians in co‐operation with corporate greed?

With respect and good wishes,
The World in Support of the Santal,
The World in Support of Biological and Cultural Diversity

 

[Banglar Bir]

Nothing new

• Monswita Bulbuli
• Published at 12:01 AM November 21, 2016
• Last updated at 02:20 PM November 21, 2016

Is their oppression anything new?/MEHEDI HASAN
The Santals remain a group persecuted
The news of Santals refusing government relief has made headlines in almost all newspapers recently.

Many readers shared the news in social media sites, hailing their sense of self-respect, integrity, and spirit, as not only the young ones, but also how their children and old people are starving and spending nights without any warm clothes under the open sky, with their men on the run fearing police harassment.

Their bold and brave assertion, “we will not take any help from hands that are bloody,” reminds me of the song of Gano Sangeet exponent Hemanga Biswas:

Urrr tang tang/ Dhonukay jor dayray tan (draw the bow hard)

Tana baba tana, firangi (foreigners) dei hana (raid)

Madol shinga baja ray, jhopay jharay paharay (play the trumpet madly in bush and on hills)

Shidhu majhir kira comaniray ghira (Shidhu Majhi’s vow regarding the East India Company)

Kanu majhir kira company ray ghira

Shali boner dharay dharay hajaray hajaray (the vows reflect beside the Shal forest)

Bhoirab hakay Hool Hool, Zamidarer bukay shool (Bhoirab calls for rebellion, to stab shool — a sharp weapon — on the Zamindars’ chests)

Chad hakay Hool Hool, Zamidarer bukay shool

Rokto jhora katabonay footlo buno phool (wild flowers bloom in the bloody woods of thorn)

I first heard the song — written on the Santal rebellion in present Jharkhand of eastern India in 1855 known as the great Hool Bidroho — when I was a teenager and felt a tremor of rebellion myself. But at that time I could not realise the pain and the pathetic situation which caused the great Hool rebellion to happen.

They live maintaining the harmony of the eco-system. They do not think of themselves as superior to all other species on Earth. But paradoxically, the so-called underprivileged, uncivilised people have proven themselves superior to the educated

The Santals, led by Shidhu Majhi along with his three brothers Kanu, Chad, and Bhoirab, rebelled against the then East India Company, which had the authority of collecting taxes on behalf of British rulers, and the Zamindars.

The rebellion, which occurred in reaction to the oppression of the East India Company on Santals to accrue more and more taxes and evict them from their lands, was brutally quelled by the British rulers assisted by local Zamindars and the Nawab of Murshidabad.

On the contrary, we find in Charles Dickens’ Household Words:

“There seems also to be a sentiment of honour among them (Santals); for it is said that they use poisoned arrows in hunting, but never against their foes. If this be the case — and we hear nothing of the poisoned arrows in the recent conflicts — they are infinitely more respectable than our civilised enemy, the Russians, who would most likely consider such forbearance as foolish, and declare that is not war.”

Despite being an English man, Dickens admitted that the Santals, who were called uncivilised by most Western people, are infinitely more respectable than the so-called civilised people.

The sense of dignity in Santals is nothing new. They have borne their legacy of pride and honour, along with a history of oppression, for ages. And who have been oppressing Santals over all these years? Yes, the so-called “civilised people.” In the British era, they were the educated, technologically advanced, and the so-called progressive white men and the local Zamindars; and now, the native ruling class, the privileged group of the society.

Thus, the fate of the Santals remains unchanged, even though the imperialists have long been driven away from our lands. Interestingly, the nature of these civilised people have not changed either — the same brutality, the same greed over money, property, and power, the same cunningness, fraud, and so on, though the world has advanced in the field of science, technology, and education. It indicates that the existing institutionalised education system has failed to remove the darkness within our minds.

I recently observed that all the malice and vice in the world have been invented by the so-called civilised groups, who, in the name of “development,” have pushed our very planet to the brink of destruction. On the contrary, those who they still call “uncivilised” or “savage” have done no such harm to our mother earth.

They live maintaining the harmony of the eco-system. They do not think of themselves as superior to all other species on Earth. But, paradoxically, the so-called under-privileged, uncivilised people have proven themselves superior to the educated, civilised people in terms of morality, humanity, and many other qualities; qualities which are very much needed in today’s world to save us from extinction.

It is high time that we learn from their respect for nature, simple living, honesty, living on one’s own labour (not stealing other people’s labour), lack of any demands from life, and, most of all, their moral courage.

Monswita Bulbuli is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune.

 

[Banglar Bir]

সাঁওতালদের গরু-ছাগলসহ সর্বস্ব লুটপাট করেছে আ’লীগ এমপি!
নভেম্বর ২৩, ২০১৬


স্থানীয় সংসদ সদস্য আবুল কালাম আজাদ এবং সাপমারা ইউপি চেয়ারম্যান শাকিল আহমেদের ইন্ধন গোবিন্দগঞ্জের সাঁওতালদের গরু, ছাগল, হাঁস, মুরগি লুটপাট করা হয়েছে। চিনিকলের জমি দখল ও উচ্ছেদের পেছনে তাদের ইন্ধন রয়েছে বলে জানিয়েছেন সাঁওতাল নেতারা।

তাঁরা আরও বলেন, এই দুজনের ইন্ধনেই বসতবাড়িতে হামলা চালিয়ে গরু, ছাগল, হাঁস, মুরগি লুটপাট করা হয়েছে। তাঁদের ওপর হামলার বিচার চান সাঁওতালরা।

একাত্তরের ঘাতক দালাল নির্মূল কমিটি গতকাল সকালে সাঁওতাল অধ্যুষিত গ্রাম মাদারপুরে এই গণশুনানির আয়োজন করে।কমিটির ১৪ সদস্যের প্রতিনিধিদল প্রথমে মাদারপুর ও জয়পুর গ্রাম পরিদর্শন করে। ঘাতক দালাল নির্মূল কমিটির উপদেষ্টা বিচারপতি এ এইচ এম শামসুদ্দিন চৌধুরী এই দলের নেতৃত্ব দেন। পরিদর্শন শেষে নেতারা মাদারপুর গির্জার সামনে গণশুনানিতে বসেন। শুনানি চলাকালে ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত সাঁওতালদের মধ্যে বক্তব্য দেন বারনা মুরমু, রিনা মারডি, রাফায়েল সরেন, বারমা টুডু প্রমুখ।

সাঁওতালদের বক্তব্য শোনার পর নেতারা অভিযোগগুলো যাচাই-বাছাই করে সরকারকে জানাবেন বলে আশ্বাস দেন। এছাড়া নেতারা সাঁওতালদের কথা প্রতিবেদন আকারে প্রধানমন্ত্রীসহ বিভিন্ন দপ্তরে পাঠানোর কথাও জানান।

নির্মূল কমিটির ১৮ সদস্যের মধ্যে উপস্থিত ছিলেন নির্মূল কমিটির উপদেষ্টা বিচারপতি শামসুল হুদা, কেন্দ্রীয় নির্মূল কমিটির সাধারণ সম্পাদক কাজী মুকুল ও সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক বায়েজিদ আক্কাস, গাইবান্ধা জেলা শাখার আহ্বায়ক মাহমুদুল হক ও সদস্যসচিব আমিনুর জামান প্রমুখ।

গণশুনানি শেষে সাঁওতালরা চিনিকলের জমি তাঁদের ফেরত প্রদানের দাবি জানিয়ে স্লোগান দেন। পরে নেতারা ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত সাঁওতালদের মধ্যে ১ লাখ ৫০ হাজার টাকা ও ২০০ কম্বল বিতরণ করেন।

ধান কাটা অনিশ্চিত: গতকাল বেলা ১১টার দিকে গাইবান্ধার জেলা প্রশাসক মো. আবদুস সামাদ, পুলিশ সুপার মো. আশরাফুল ইসলাম, চিনিকলের ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক আবদুল আউয়াল ও গোবিন্দগঞ্জ উপজেলা নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা (ইউএনও) আবদুল হান্নান সাহেবগঞ্জ বাণিজ্যিক এলাকা পরিদর্শন করেন।

পরিদর্শন শেষে চিনিকলের ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক আবদুল আউয়াল বললেন, যাঁরা ধান চাষ করেছেন, তাঁরাই যাতে ধান কাটতে পারেন, সেজন্য উপজেলা নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা সাঁওতালদের ধান কাটার প্রস্তাব দেন। ধান কাটার খরচও দিতে চাওয়া হয়। কিন্তু সাঁওতালরা ধান কাটতে রাজি নন।

তিনি আরও বলেন, সাঁওতালদের সঙ্গে আলোচনা অব্যাহত রাখা হয়েছে। শেষপর্যন্ত সাঁওতালরা ধান না কাটলে হাইকোর্টের নির্দেশনা অনুযায়ী এবং আইনি প্রক্রিয়ায় তাঁদের ঘরে ধান তুলে দেওয়া হবে।
গতকাল দুপুরে ধান কাটার বিষয়ে সাহেবগঞ্জ-বাগদা ফার্ম ইক্ষু খামার ভূমি উদ্ধার সংহতি কমিটির সহসভাপতি ফিলিমন বাস্কে মুঠোফোনে বলেন, ‘ধান কাটার বিষয়টি নিয়ে আমাদের নিজেদের মধ্যে আলোচনা চলছে। আগামী বৃহস্পতিবার ধান কাটা হতে পারে।’

চলতি বছরের ১ জুলাই সাঁওতালরা সাহেবগঞ্জ বাণিজ্যিক খামারের জমি দখল করে বসবাস শুরু করে। ৬ নভেম্বর তাঁদের উচ্ছেদ করা হয়। সাঁওতালরা খামারের মোট ১ হাজার ৮৪২ একর জমির মধ্যে প্রায় ১৩৫ একর জমিতে ধান চাষ করেন।

সাঁওতালদের মামলায় গ্রেপ্তার ১: সাঁওতালদের ওপর হামলা, লুটপাট, অগ্নিসংযোগ ও হত্যার ঘটনায় দায়ের করা মামলায় গত সোমবার রাতে সন্দেহভাজন আরও একজনকে গ্রেপ্তার করে পুলিশ। গ্রেপ্তার ব্যক্তি হলেন গোবিন্দগঞ্জ উপজেলার মাদারপুর গ্রামের সোহেল রানা (২৮)।

গোবিন্দগঞ্জ থানার ভারপ্রাপ্ত কর্মকর্তা (ওসি) সুব্রত সরকার গ্রেপ্তারের কথা নিশ্চিত করে বলেন, আদালতের মাধ্যমে তাঁদের কারাগারে পাঠানো হয়েছে। পুলিশের গ্রেপ্তার অভিযান চলছে।

৬ নভেম্বর গোবিন্দগঞ্জ উপজেলায় রংপুর চিনিকলের জমিতে আখ কাটাকে কেন্দ্র করে পুলিশ ও চিনিকল শ্রমিক-কর্মচারীদের সঙ্গে সাঁওতালদের সংঘর্ষ হয়। এতে পুলিশসহ উভয় পক্ষের অন্তত ২০ জন আহত হন। আহত ব্যক্তিদের মধ্যে তিরবিদ্ধ হয়েছেন নয়জন। গুলিবিদ্ধ হন চারজন। এই সংঘর্ষের ঘটনায় তিনজন সাঁওতাল নিহত হন। ঘটনার ১১ দিন পর সাঁওতালদের মামলা নেয় পুলিশ। স্বপন মুরমু বাদী হয়ে প্রায় ৬০০ জনকে অজ্ঞাত আসামি দেখিয়ে এ মামলা করেন।

http://shompadak.com/2016/11/23/সাঁওতালদের-গরু-ছাগলসহ-সর/

 

[dray]

Since the Brahmanbaria incident 15-20 days ago, there have been regular, systematic attacks on non-Muslim religious and ethnic minorities of Bangladesh almost everyday, Bangladesh is on an overdrive for a religious and ethnic cleansing of its minorities.

 

[Banglar Bir]

Evicted Santals seek to sue Gaibandha MP, Gobindaganj UNO for murder
Gaibandha Correspondent, bdnews24.com

Published: 2016-11-26 21:49:27.0 BdST Updated: 2016-11-26 21:49:27.0 BdST

• 
  
  
  http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016...o-sue-gaibandha-mp-gobindaganj-uno-for-murder

The evicted Santals in Gaibandha have filed a petition with Gobindaganj police to bring murder charges against the local MP, Upazila Nirbahi Officer and managing director of Rangpur Sugar Mill along with 600 others.

Thomas Hemrom from Harinamari village, located inside the Sahebganj Sugarcane Farm, filed the petition at Gobindaganj Police Station on Saturday.

Three Santals were killed and scores others injured in police firing during the eviction of the tribesmen from the farmland acquired by the Rangur Sugar Mill.

Police said the law enforcers would seek instructions from the court before registering the complaint as a case.

A 10-member delegation of rights groups Ain O Salish Kendro, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Nijera Kori, and Association for Land Reforms and Development (ALRD) were present at the police station.

Gobindaganj Police Station OC Subrata Kumar Sarker said the complaint filed on Saturday was registered as a general diary (GD).

"As a case over the same incident was filed earlier, we will take the next step on court's instruction," he said.

In the GD, a total of 32 of the 600 accused were named.

They include Gaibandha-4 (Gobindaganj) MP Abul Kalam Azad, Gobindaganj UNO Md Abdul Hannan, Rangpur Sugar Mill MD Abdul Awal, Sapmara Union Parishad Chairperson Shakil Ahmed Bulbul, Katabarhi UP Chairperson Md Rezaul Karim Rafiq, sugarcane farm Manager Abdul Majid, and local Awami League leader Md Hossain.


Names of some current and former members of local union councils, local individuals, and employees and workers of the sugar mill are also included in the case.

Earlier, on Nov 16, 10 days after the eviction drive that saw three tribesmen killed in police firing, Swapan Murmu from Mualiparha village filed a case against 500 to 600 unnamed persons.

The OC said 20 persons have been arrested in the case filed by Swapan.

Santal leaders alleged Swapan was not a victim and the case was filed to save the real culprits.

‘Indigenous peoples need land rights’

http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2016/11/27/indigenous-people-need-land-rights/

• Afrose Jahan Chaity
• Published at 02:11 AM November 27, 2016
• Last updated at 11:19 AM November 27, 2016

The failure of the ILO’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention 1957, adopted by Bangladesh in 1972, is to blame for some of the problems being faced by the indigenous communities, the NHRC chief has said
Reazul Haque, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, has said that one of his long-term goals is to solve the land disputes that have plagued the indigenous groups.

He made the statement at a national seminar on the Rights of Indigenous Human Rights Defenders, organised by the Indigenous Peoples Development Service (IPDS). The seminar was held at the CBCB Centre in the capital.

The event was organised in order to increase awareness among the indigenous peoples, where National Coordinator of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Alexius Chicham gave a presentation informing the human rights defenders of their rights, duties and practices.

The United Nations declaration on Human Rights Defenders 1998, which outlines the protections and duties afforded to human rights defenders and organisations, took a central part of the discussions.

Rezaul claimed that the failure of the ILO’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention 1957, which was adopted by Bangladesh in 1972, was to blame for some of the problems being faced by the indigenous communities. “It was integrated, but never implemented, and that is why the indigenous peoples face violence in this country,” he said.

The NHRC chief also urged for decisive action against those responsible for attacks against minorities, as well as harsh punishment in order to discourage future atrocities.

The indigenous groups in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region have long been demanding land rights, but the CHT Land Commission formed in 1999 has failed to solve a single case. The government recently amended the law and issued a circular seeking complaints.

Dr Meghna Guhathakurta, a member of the NHRC, also spoke on the role and importance of the human rights defenders, emphasising on Chicham’s presentation.

President of IPDS Sanjeev Drong presided over the national seminar. More than 250 young indigenous human rights defenders were in attendance.

12:00 AM, November 27, 2016 .

LAND ACQUISITION
Protest continues

Char people form a human chain on boats in the Brahmaputra river at Char Jelkhana village in Mymensingh on Friday, demanding exclusion of their homesteads and farmlands from acquisition. Photo: Star

Char people in the district reiterated their demand to spare their homesteads and farmlands from acquisition.

The demand was made at a human chain formed on boats in the Brahmaputra river in Binpara area under Char Jelkhana village.

Inhabitants of Binpara organised the programme on Friday.

The speakers at the rally expressed deep concern at losing their ancestral homesteads and farmlands for development of Mymensingh division.

They also urged implementation of the first phase covering 1220 acres of land and start of divisional activities soon.

The local administration has made a list of 4,366 acres of land for infrastructure development of Mymensingh division.

The speakers urged the administration to use khas lands on both sides of the river on priority basis to avoid losses to thousands of poor villagers.


Char people have been continuing their protest against the proposed list of land acquisition for the last one month.

 

[dray]

There is a state-sponsored systematic persecution and forced exodus of religious and ethnic minorities going on in Bangladesh (and erstwhile East Pakistan) for the last seven decades, and there is no stopping until not a single minority left in Bangladesh.

 

[TopCat]

There is a state-sponsored systematic persecution and forced exodus of religious and ethnic minorities going on in Bangladesh (and erstwhile East Pakistan) for the last seven decades, and there is no stopping until not a single minority left in Bangladesh.

Santhal went on and taken over the land of a suger mill owned by government. The mill authority evicted them. Now they are trying to play minority cards.

Saying so, santhal are one of the most backward community in the country and are very poor. Govt should pay more attention to their well being, education and jobs. Seems like they had been neglected for too long for no reason.

 

[dray]

Santhal went on and taken over the land of a suger mill owned by government. The mill authority evicted them. Now they are trying to play minority cards.

Saying so, santhal are one of the most backward community in the country and are very poor. Govt should pay more attention to their well being, education and jobs. Seems like they had been neglected for too long for no reason.

It's always their fault.