'Include indigenous peoples' issues in poll manifestos'

Representatives of indigenous Garo, Koch and Hajong people from Madhupur, Ghatail and Sakhipur upazilas under the district at a press conference at Tangail Press Club yesterday demanded inclusion of their issues in the political parties' manifestos ahead of the upcoming parliament elections.

United Council of Indigenous Organisations of Greater Mymensingh (UCGM) organised the press conference.

Secretary General of UCGM Aranya E Chiran read out a written speech comprising their 11-point demand that includes affiliating the indigenous people as 'adivasi' in the constitution, allocating five percent reserved seats for the indigenous people in parliament, forming a separate ministry for the indigenous people living in plain land and giving responsibility to a indigenous man as a full minister.

The demand also includes forming a separate land commission with representation of the indigenous people for protecting their land rights, giving nomination to the indigenous women in the women's reserved seats in parliament, enacting laws and rules based on the ILO Convention No 107 and its implementation, preserving five percent quotas for the indigenous people in education and government jobs, ensuring representation of the indigenous people in the local government bodies in the indigenous people inhabited areas and in different committees of administration.

Other demands are quick disposal of cases filed for harassing the indigenous people including the false forest cases and not to file such cases further, preserving and supplying real information/data of the indigenous people after holding a separate government census for them, and discussion with local indigenous people before preparing and implementing any government development project in the indigenous people inhabited areas.

Ajoy-a-Mre, joint convenor of UCGM, Eugin Nokrek, president of Joyenshahi Adivasi Parishad in Madhupur, Romesh Kumar Koch, president of Bangladesh Koch Adivasi Sangathan, William Dajel, chairman of Madhupur upazila unit of Tribal Welfare Association, Linkon Dibra, central unit president of Bangladesh Garo Chhatra Sangathan, and Mymensingh City unit president of the organisation Banaw Hagonj also spoke at the press conference.