Bangladesh Human Rights Networks

bangladesh :: marginalised communities

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>>	Indigenous people being deprived of rights and culture: MMC report

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Indigenous people being deprived of rights and culture: MMC report

Depriving of their unique culture the indigenous people of Bangladesh especially the Garo were leading destitute lives.

The indigenous Garo are leading a miserable life due to the deforestation in the name of social forestation which is threatening their language, profession, customs and life style according to the report of Mass-line Media Centre (MMC).

Among around 14 lakh indigenous people some 14,000 have been living in Modhupur area since years mingling with nature. They have their own language, profession, life style, customs, and food habit, in total, a distinguished culture. They are known as Mandi in their own language.

But the act of artificial social forestation planting different types of wood trees including Eucalyptus and Mahogany in Modhupur area which covered 21,000 acres of land have been threatening the lives and culture of indigenous people.

Meanwhile, the deforestation has also been extinguishing the natural trees, plants and creepers that affected the bio-diversity of nature and also the life style of the Garos.

It has been revealed in the report of 'forest, deforestation and the struggling of inhabitants of forest' conducted by SAVE that the programme of social forestation is aided by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the land grabbing of the indigenous continuing in the name of social forestation is threatening the forest life. Nearly 4000 acres of land has already been grabbed in last two years.

In the captured land, the outsiders are commercially cultivating banana and pineapple. They also use insecticides and inject artificial hormone that also affect the land and life style of the Mandi and make the nature imbalanced which is threatening the existence of the Mandi, the report added.

The intervention of outsiders in the Modhupur forest forced the Garo to give up their own language, customs, food habit, life style and profession that is a great threat to their culture as well as their existence.

On the other hand, the process of social forestation is threatening the natural balance at large.

Meanwhile, the tribal alleged that the media men do not cover their story of woes regularly and sometimes, they alleged news is twisted.

29.09.2005