Indigenous families in north need govt, social assistance: speakers

The indigenous communities in the country's northern region have to be given government and social assistance for their miserable condition amid the coronavirus pandemic, said speakers at a discussion yesterday.

Despite their roles in the Liberation War and development activities, the indigenous people in Rajshahi and Rangpur regions are still left disadvantaged as their miseries remain untold to the policymakers, they said.

Atma o Samajik Unnayan Sangstha (ASAUS) organised the discussion at Rajshahi city's Shah Makhdum College auditorium, which was presided over by the local NGO Vice President Ashit Palon.

Most of the indigenous families are passing through a difficult time in poverty as only a few organisations care for them, the speakers said.

They said only 25 percent of the families received government relief during this pandemic which was even "insufficient" for those families while 75 percent remained deprived of this.

The government should announce special incentives for the indigenous communities while people should come forward to help them, they said.

Citing a research, the speakers said about 56 percent of the country's children cannot participate in education programme on television when the rate of indigenous children deprived of education would be more than 75 percent.

They said most of the indigenous families have little access to electricity and television that lead to such deprivation.

During the pandemic, a large number of indigenous people lost their jobs and are sitting idle at homes while harassment by the land grabbers and oppressors is continuing, they said.

The speakers protested calling indigenous communities as small ethnic groups.

They demanded formation of a separate ministry for the indigenous communities of the plain land and separate budget for their progress.

Local public representatives, officials from other NGOs and leaders from indigenous communities were present at the discussion.