Adivasi parishad starts long march from C'nawabganj
Jatiya Adivasi Parishad, a platform of indigenous communities, started a two-day long march from Nachole upazila in Chapainawabganj towards Rajshahi yesterday to press home their demand to form an independent land commission for the indigenous people living in plain lands.
Several hundred people including women of Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Rajshahi participated at the programme.
The long march started from Nachole bus stand in the municipality area at 12:30pm. It was scheduled to proceed through Amnura of Sadar upazila in Chapainawabganj and Godagari upazila in Rajshahi district and halt for the night at Rajabarihat in Rajshahi district.
Today the procession will march through Kashiadanga square and Rajshahi court Shaheed Minar and end on the premises of the divisional commissioner's office where they will submit a memorandum of their demands.
Earlier, the organisers of the long march held a rally at Nachole bus stand.
Pankaj Bhattacharya, president of Oikya Nap, attended there as chief guest while Rabindra Nath Saren, president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad, Anil Kumar Marandi, its presidium member, Bimol Chandra Rajoar, organising secretary, Bichitra Tirki, president of its Chapainawabganj district unit, and leaders of different political parties spoke, among others.
Over 20 lakh people of 38 communities of indigenous people live in the north-western region of the country, speakers said.
Once upon a time these indigenous people had much resources including landed property but during the Pakistan period, many indigenous people had to leave the country amid insecurity of life and property, they said.
They also incurred huge losses during the 1971 Liberation War.
Speakers alleged that indigenous people are still being victim to repression, killing, rape and eviction while criminals have continued grabbing their cultivable lands, houses, ponds, graveyards, cremation grounds and temple lands in collaboration with a section of unscrupulous land officials.
They demanded that the government meet its 'pre-election pledge' to form an independent land commission for the indigenous peoples of plain lands.
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