Jhimai Khasis still in fear of eviction

As the indigenous community across the globe observes International Indigenous Peoples' Day today, Khasi families in a corner of Bangladesh are in fear of losing their land.

They have been living in Jhimai Punji, Moulvibazar, for generations. But for the last few months, officials of Jhimai Tea Garden adjoining the punji (hillock) have been making attempts to grab their land, said inhabitants of the hillock. 

The tea garden has been cultivating tea since 1929 on a piece of leased-out land. The government last time renewed their lease of 661.55 acres in 2012.

“Tea garden authorities are trying to evict us. They are putting obstacles to our movement by erecting gates on our roads and installing demarcation pillars and making attempts to cut trees,” said Rana Surong, head of Jhimai Punji at Kulaura in Moulvibazar.

The hillock has 406 acres of land, where Khasis cultivate betel leaf to earn their living, three religious institutions of the Adivasis and a primary school.

Local government officials suggested that each of the 72 Khasi families keep two acres of land and hand over the rest to the tea garden as part of a compromise with it, Rana said.

“We disagreed.”

To protect the land from grabbing, males of the families guard their houses and betel leaf plantations at night, he added.

Like many other indigenous groups, Khasi people have no records of land ownership, and so the government is the owner of the land.

“We have betel leaf gardens on our traditional property. It is our only source of income. If we hand over our areas to the tea garden, we will not be able to manage two meals for our families,” said Willbong Surong, of the punji.

Khasis are ready to sacrifice their lives, but not land, she said. 

Zakir Hossain Sarker, manager of Jhimai Tea Garden, however, denied all allegations against the tea garden authorities.

“We have taken lease of 661 acres of land from the government for setting up the tea garden. But we are yet to take control of 371 acres of land. As per our contract with the government, we have to extend the tea garden area by 2.5 percent each year. So, we have no alternative to extending our garden,” said Zakir.

He said the owner of the tea garden was not interested in extending the garden area by evicting Khasi people. “As the problem is a complex one, high-ups of the government should take decision in this regard,” he said.

Flora Bably Talang, general secretary of KUBORAZ (Kulaura, Juri, Borolekha and Raznagar upazilas) Inter Punji Development Association of Khasi people, told The Daily Star that the indigenous people had been living there for years and that the ownership of the land was their traditional right.

Karmul Hasan, deputy commissioner (DC) of Moulvibazar, also refuted the allegation that the administration had proposed a compromise with the tea garden authorities. 

On the eve of Indigenous Peoples' Day, Adivasi leaders and rights activists said that not only the land, languages and traditions of indigenous people were also on the verge of extinction.

They demanded that the authorities take initiatives to protect those.

International Indigenous Day Celebration Committee at a press conference at Mymensingh Press Club yesterday demanded separate land commission and ministry to settle land disputes and other rights of indigenous people.

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Commission, meanwhile, expressed concern over what it said was the continuing lack of political will to ensure the rights of indigenous people as citizens of Bangladesh.

Article 6(2) of the constitution directly denies indigenous people as citizens of the country and Article 23A differentiates them from Bangalees and makes them second-class citizens, it said.

It demanded full constitutional recognition of indigenous people, including CHT leaders in all meetings related to security and development of the CHT, enacting Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Rights Act and full implementation of the 1997 CHT accord.