In June 2011, without any consideration or consultation with indigenous communities, the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Bill, 2011 was passed, which made all the citizens of the country “Bangalee” by nationality thus forcing homogeneity upon Bangladesh’s ethnically diverse indigenous population and denying them the right to self-identification. Without formal recognition and legitimacy, these groups and their rich distinctive languages, cultures, traditions, technologies and knowledge are in danger of being lost.
Furthermore, adivasis (or indigenous people) are at a greater threat of being displaced due to land grabbing by the politically influential Bangalee majority. Such loss of valuable property has great repercussions for the adivasi communities as this forces them deeper and deeper into a cycle of unemployment, debt, and poverty.
Integral to the protection of little-known ethnic communities is accurate information and monitoring regarding the current state of their population. Thus, Society for Environment and Human Development recently held a workshop titled, “Study and rethinking rights of little-known ethnic communities of Bangladesh” as part of a three year project, “Mapping and capacity building of tea plantation workers and little-known ethnic communities of Bangladesh” to help prepare participants to engage in participatory research, awareness raising and capacity building within their communities. The workshop, which was held at the premises of Gram Bikash Kendra in Parbatipur, Dinajpur from 21 to 25 March 2014, was attended by representatives from a number of ethnic communities throughout Bangladesh as well as journalists, activists and development workers from a number of different organizations. The ethnic groups represented during the workshop included the Santal, Oraon, Garo, Mahle, Koch, Hodi, Rajwar, Munda and the Paharia.
Resource persons present at the workshop facilitated by Philip Gain included Mr. Moazzem Hossain, chief executive of Gram Bikash Kendra, Dr. Tanzimuddin Khan, Associate Professor, University of Dhaka, Mr. Dulal Chandra Biswas of the University of Rajshahi and Arok Toppo of Caritas Rajshahi. Various adivasi activists also attended the event including Rabindranath Soren from the Jatiyo Adivasi Parishad.
Participants had the opportunity to learn about different aspects of adivasi life and culture from an anthropological perspective from Boktiar Ahmed of the Department of Anthropology, University of Rajshahi. Furthermore, Clara Tumpa Baroi from SIL Bangladesh spoke about the organization’s initiatives to teach and preserve the languages of Bangladesh’s ethnic communities and highlighted the importance of language preservation to the greater culture. “If a community loses its language, it loses its identity. Language is essential in the preservation of culture,” said Baroi.
The participants also received training in writing, developing case studies and profiles as well as various aspects of field research such as conducting surveys, interviews and focus group discussions followed by practical fieldwork and exercises in various adivasi villages around Dinajpur.
Philip Gain, the director of SEHD and Tanzimuddin Khan of the University of Dhaka both highlighted the importance of gathering empirical evidence and the “emic” (bottom-up) research approach to study these communities wherein those being researched are also the researchers.
Through the workshop, participants gained a deeper understanding regarding the diversity of Bangladesh’s ethnic groups as well as the distinctive challenges that they face and must overcome. According to Momota Mankin from the Joenshahi Adivasi Unnayan Parishad, the workshop was an eye-opening experience. “I didn’t realize how many small ethnic groups there were in Bangladesh. In Modhupur, where I am from, we see predominantly only two ethnic groups, the Garos and the Koch. This workshop helped me realize the true ethnic diversity of Bangladesh,” said Mankin.
The workshop also helped develop a greater sense of unity amongst the participants in spite of differences in ethnicity, religion, geography and culture. “We must all work together for our common rights,” stressed Rabindranath Soren, president of Jatiyo Adivasi Parishad.
Bichitra Tirki, a prominent adivasi land rights activist also highlighted the importance of research and documentation for the adivasi rights movement, “We tend to fight for our rights with sticks but we need to do so with words as well, which this workshop will help us do”.
The skills developed during the workshop will allow participants to actively engage in research activities to help study and map these small and little-known and neglected ethnic communities and to define their various needs and constraints thus allowing civil society and other stakeholders to more effectively advocate for their rights and recognition. It is hoped that the tools and resources provided will empower them to act as change makers within their own communities and to create an effective network of researchers and storytellers to make the adivasi communities of Bangladesh an undeniable national voice.
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Asfara Ahmed is a researcher and contributing author at SEHD.
First Published: Dhaka Courier, 3 April 2014