Hill people still victim of land grabbing: Larma

The Daily Star, 01 November 2010

Hill people still victim of land grabbing: Larma

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

Chief of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma yesterday said Bangla speaking people from the plain land are still grabbing the lands of jummo (indigenous) people in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) under the shelter of a vested interest group.

Security personnel are maintaining dominance over the hilly areas in the name of peacekeeping while the people of CHT region are passing their days amidst insecurity, the PCJSS leader, who is popularly known as Santu Larma, said at 'freshers' reception' on the campus of Rangamati Government College.

He was addressing as chief guest at the event organised by the college unit of Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP), a student front of PCJSS, in the morning.

Referring to the government's decision to set up a university of science and technology and a medical college in Rangamati, Larma, also chairman of CHT Regional Council, said new problems will be created in CHT if those institutions are set up without considering whether CHT people want them.

"Many indigenous people were evicted due to the creation of Kaptai Dam. They lost their arable land and homesteads. The jummo people do not want to lose their lands any more," said the former guerrilla leader.

"During the 39 years of independence, we have failed to establish a progressive and democratic government in the country. And so, crime and corruption has grabbed the country and human right is being violated everywhere," he lamented.

Blaming the government for politicising all the three hill district councils in CHT, he said nowadays the poor people have hardly any scope to get help or assistance as the ruling party men are enjoying all the facilities from the organisations.

Suggesting the students to acquire knowledge from the outside environment alongside academic education to become worthy citizen, Larma called upon them to come forward for full implementation of the CHT deal.

Chaired by Dhiresh Chakma, a student and president of PCP Rangamati College unit, the function was also addressed, among others, by civil society leader Prakriti Ranjan Chakma, former PCP central president Udoyan Tripura, its central committee general secretary Sunirmol Dewan and district secretary Nitol Chakma.

Later, a band show programme was held at the college campus.

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courtesy: the daily star.