Bijhu Nijeni 2011 - MAADI
Bijhu Nijeni 2011 - MAADI Bijhu Nijeni 2011 - MAADI
from Mizoram government purse. A beautiful way to displace minority tribals with the tax payers’ money, indeed. In another case, the state government of Mizoram has quietly converted the entire Puankhai-Demagiri range (271 sq km) in Lunglei district into “Puankhai Reserved Forest”. It was done so secretly that not even the villagers knew about it until 25th January 2011 when the authorities told the Puankhai Chakma villagers that they had no land to engage in gardening or plantation under New Land Use Policy (NLUP), the flagship programme of the Mizoram government! III. Leadership vacuum: It is interesting to know that the 271 sq km “Puankhai Reserved Forest”, which was executed in total secrecy, falls under the Assembly Constituency represented by Nihar Kanti Chakma, who is a Minister in the present Lalthanhawla government. We still live in Dark Ages without basic amenities in our villages. I do not talk about the total absence of basic healthcare facilities as a prominent Chakma leader tried hard to make me understand that lack of healthcare is a problem in every part of Mizoram or the lack of safe drinking water, for the same reason. Mizoram is the second most literate state; so let me talk about literacy and educational facilities. Chakmas are only 45% literate against Mizos’ staggering 96% (2001 census). Recently, the state Education Minister has confirmed that Lawngtlai, Lunglei and Mamit districts which have significant presence of Chakmas are most illiterate districts of Mizoram. Till today, 72% of the Chakma villages do not have BB vIyUElt gIEsgIH 2011 BB Middle Schools and 96% Chakma villages are without High Schools. The condition of the Chakmas is no better in CADC which, to me, has become a plutocracy. Or like a capitalist society, where rich are getting richer and poor poorer day by day. In CADC we do not seem to be living in a welfare state. Corruption, nepotism and indifference towards the condition of the common people are rules of the day there. Recently, over 4,000 Chakmas of Parva I, Parva II, Parva III and Kamtuli villages under CADC starved for several weeks but the CADC authorities refused to extend any help. From the Village Council Presidents to the local Member of District Council up to the Chief Executive Member, everybody expressed helplessness to provide food to the starving villagers. What is the use of Chakma Autonomous District Council if the Chakmas living within it have to go to bed hungry? Somebody would have surely died had not the Mizoram Chakma Development Forum (MCDF), an NGO, come to their rescue. The MCDF took the case to the Commissioners of the Supreme Court, after Mizoram government too failed to act, and the Supreme Court Commissioners shot off a strong worded letter to the Chief Secretary of Mizoram to not only feed the starving Chakmas but also ensure their right to health, nutrition, wages under NREGS, old age pension, ICDS, Mid Day Meal and other livelihood schemes. After the Supreme Court Commissioners’ order of 5th January 2011 everything has been set in motion: ration began to flow, retailer was terminated, the incharge of the food godown has been suspended and disciplinary investigation has been launched against two food officials. Parva villages were visited thrice by the District 44 BB
Civil Supplies Officer and also by Deputy Commissioner of Lawngtlai, despite the fact that there is no road communication. This is an example how Chakma NGOs can make effective interventions to get access to basic facilities. Parva, which borders India- Myanmar, in CADC is a place so remote and so neglected that even a posting of government employees there is considered to be “punishment”. Parva is for CADC what Andaman & Nicober islands was for India during British Raj. The delivery of justice to the people of Parva by the MCDF, therefore, is a milestone in many ways. The problem with the Chakmas is that they have what my friend Victor Talukdar described as “reverse representation” in their political leaders. That is, Chakma political leaders do not represent the Chakmas to the government but rather represent the interests of the government to the Chakmas. Hence, in most cases, the Chakmas BB vIyUElt gIEsgIH 2011 BB end up being losers. As a result of years of discrimination and deprivation, the Chakmas feel estranged from the mainstream society. Yet, much of the blame also must be shifted to ourselves (the Chakmas) for our individual and collective failures. Clearly, as pointed out above, often it is the lack of political will and leadership to deliver the basic services to the people or to solve our problems that is hampering the development of the Chakmas today. In the end, we fail to boldly meet the challenges we face on daily basis. There is light at the end of the tunnel for every suppressed community. But for Chakmas of Mizoram, only the tunnel seems to be getting longer in length. (The writer is Editor of The Chakma Voice, a bi-monthly newsletter of Mizoram Chakma Development Forum published from New Delhi. He is a popular blogger from Mizoram and a Citizen Journalist for www.merinews.com) Radha Binod Jewellers & Loknath Sundaram Jewellers KDM Nqe¡l ¢eiÑlk¡NÉ fË¢aù¡e fQ¡lbm h¡S¡l, Ešl ¢œf¤l¡ Ph.- 9436479378 / 9436328871 45 BB
- Page 1 and 2: uUhOEhH aZA, ihJrJEh EqrJTJR qA cuf
- Page 3 and 4: `y‡iv‡i nvq, dviM‡i GMËi Av
- Page 5 and 6: Kv we `¨v OÕ iÕ eSi cwË weSz
- Page 7 and 8: aJvIo jOK vgH sZ sJEgC qxJN jVlH qI
- Page 9 and 10: DP& csKR PvKgv (weSz¸‡jvi cÌg b
- Page 11 and 12: Avgv wnj Pvw`MvO PvOgv AwRZ Kvwš
- Page 13 and 14: Kv‡Ëv‡bvi aywR ivq PvKgv Avw`
- Page 15 and 16: RvwM DZ Ry‡¤§vex D`q †R¨vwZ
- Page 17 and 18: avivRx gyB gvqvj PvOgv Acvi gv‡bB
- Page 19 and 20: 1, supra). It is hoped that the dra
- Page 21 and 22: and non-indigenous minorities group
- Page 23 and 24: The Constitution of Bangladesh need
- Page 25 and 26: kvK¨Dbi ¸‡ivDbi mvjvg †nB †
- Page 27 and 28: Rv` AvMb | ‡m‡° w`bZ Avmvg, w
- Page 29 and 30: decided to send some teachers for t
- Page 31 and 32: nav _ywe gvwi †d‡jB w`‡bB wm
- Page 33 and 34: In&eZ¨vq Awbj PvOgv `ygywi †h‡
- Page 35 and 36: mygy‡Ëv Zvivi wbR¯^ IK‡Lvi“
- Page 37 and 38: BB vIyUElt gIEsgIH 2011 BB 31 BB
- Page 39 and 40: BB vIyUElt gIEsgIH 2011 BB 33 BB
- Page 41 and 42: BB vIyUElt gIEsgIH 2011 BB 35 BB
- Page 43 and 44: Av‡Mwa GKevi wk‡ gš¿x‡q PvO
- Page 45 and 46: BB vIyUElt gIEsgIH 2011 BB 39 BB
- Page 47 and 48: aJw bUP Mizoram Chakmas : Strugglin
- Page 49: studied outside the state of Mizora
- Page 53 and 54: wb‡q Avmv|), Ôdziev‡is ey‡Mv
- Page 55 and 56: m¤úv`‡bi mgq ¯^vxi cÖ‡qvRb
- Page 57 and 58: ¢eSl EµR¢n¢ra je N¢le
- Page 59 and 60: H BwOwi g‡b nq b nq Mwi nav n‡a
- Page 61 and 62: †Mj‡a| (Nii D‡`vbZ avev avev
- Page 63 and 64: An&jÕ| Gevi AviÕ awi †PB I‡Nv
- Page 65 and 66: `v‡Mvwb, B‡f An&jÕ Aov fvOwb A
- Page 67 and 68: || 28 || gvjvwe gy‡Mvi Avn&`Z| Zv
- Page 69 and 70: ejv cy‡M nv‡g‡ievK| nvbZ awi
- Page 71 and 72: w`wjg ivKLj t †mvZ b †hP| †h`
- Page 73 and 74: A glance towards Chakma people in A
- Page 75 and 76: g¨v‡jwiqv †ivM cÖwZ‡iv‡a
- Page 77 and 78: ‡c‡Ui AmyL cÖwZ‡iv‡a wbæw
- Page 79 and 80: wkívq‡b AMÖMwZi c‡ ewjô c`
- Page 81 and 82: 30 Zg weRy‡gjv Dcj‡ mKj‡K Rvb
- Page 83 and 84: PvOgv †jNv wkwN jÕ, Rv`i civb
- Page 85 and 86: 71. Shri Prasanta Chakma - ,, 72. S
- Page 87 and 88: RECEPTION Sub-Committee 1. Shri Ash
Civil Supplies Officer and also by Deputy<br />
Commissioner of Lawngtlai, despite the fact<br />
that there is no road communication. This is<br />
an example how Chakma NGOs can make<br />
effective interventions to get access to basic<br />
facilities.<br />
Parva, which borders India-<br />
Myanmar, in CADC is a place so remote and<br />
so neglected that even a posting of government<br />
employees there is considered to be<br />
“punishment”. Parva is for CADC what<br />
Andaman & Nicober islands was for India<br />
during British Raj. The delivery of justice to<br />
the people of Parva by the MCDF, therefore,<br />
is a milestone in many ways.<br />
The problem with the Chakmas is<br />
that they have what my friend Victor<br />
Talukdar described as “reverse representation”<br />
in their political leaders. That is,<br />
Chakma political leaders do not represent the<br />
Chakmas to the government but rather represent<br />
the interests of the government to the<br />
Chakmas. Hence, in most cases, the Chakmas<br />
BB vIyUElt gIEsgIH<br />
<strong>2011</strong> BB<br />
end up being losers. As a result of years of<br />
discrimination and deprivation, the Chakmas<br />
feel estranged from the mainstream society.<br />
Yet, much of the blame also must be shifted<br />
to ourselves (the Chakmas) for our individual<br />
and collective failures. Clearly, as pointed out<br />
above, often it is the lack of political will and<br />
leadership to deliver the basic services to the<br />
people or to solve our problems that is hampering<br />
the development of the Chakmas today.<br />
In the end, we fail to boldly meet the<br />
challenges we face on daily basis.<br />
There is light at the end of the tunnel<br />
for every suppressed community. But for<br />
Chakmas of Mizoram, only the tunnel seems<br />
to be getting longer in length.<br />
(The writer is Editor of The Chakma<br />
Voice, a bi-monthly newsletter of Mizoram<br />
Chakma Development Forum published from<br />
New Delhi. He is a popular blogger from<br />
Mizoram and a Citizen Journalist for<br />
www.merinews.com)<br />
Radha Binod Jewellers<br />
&<br />
Loknath Sundaram Jewellers<br />
KDM Nqe¡l ¢eiÑlk¡NÉ fË¢aù¡e<br />
fQ¡lbm h¡S¡l, Ešl ¢œf¤l¡<br />
Ph.- 9436479378 / 9436328871<br />
45 BB