MN LARMA MEMORIAL VOLUME LAUNCHED
CHT peace treaty still cries out for implementation
Staff Correspondent
Jyotirindra Bodhipiray Larma, president of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti who signed the Chittagong Hill Tracts Treaty in 1997 on the party’s behalf, on Sunday said that even 11 years after signing the deal the country’s ruling class has no interest in implementing it.
‘Whenever they were asked about the treaty, they just say it would be done, it is going to be done. But nothing has become visible…Though I must admit that the barriers that will be faced in order to implement the treaty cannot be easily crossed,’ he said at the launching of a memorial volume on Manabendra Narayan Larma, the founder president of the regional political party who was slain in 1983, at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city.
‘Manabendra was the victim of a local and international conspiracy and the masterminds of his murder are still in the hills and oppressing the people,’ he said.
Ganaforum’s presidium member Pankaj Bhattacharya, while launching the book, said he expects the new government of ‘change’ to be the same in word and deed. ‘The treaty was made with the state, so do not make state a betrayer,’ he said. ‘The nationalism of Mandabendra was not of the ultra sort, nor was it narrow. It was simply a struggle to establish and ensure the rights of his community.’
‘Manbendra was not only a regional leader because he spoke up for all the suppressed people. He was the only person in the first Parliament who raised his voice for trial of war criminals, rehabilitation of biranganas and doubling of the budget for the armed forces. But this man was portrayed as separationist,’ said Pankaj.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh’s general secretary, Mujahidul Islam Selim, said, ‘Larma is not a historic character — he is still present now as his agenda of struggle still exists in society.’
Selim spoke of his realisation that his party’s unquestioning extension of support to Awami League immediately after independence was a wrong step. ‘Then our policy regarding the Awami League was unity and struggle, but it was true that much stress was put on unity and little on struggle. Such unstinting support could save neither Sheikh Mujib nor the country. And the result is the nation was grabbed by evil rightwing forces.’
The Awami League lawmaker from Khagrachhari, Jyotindralal Tripura, who was also a close aide of Manabendra, was choked by emotion while recalling him. ‘He is the man I love most. He was our source of inspiration…When I was studying in college the seniors warned us not to mix with him, saying we would not get any jobs if we did so.’
Tripura expressed his regret that after signing the peace treaty, peace was yet to arrive in the hills. ‘People in the hills overwhelmingly voted to see the agreement implemented. Our leader assured me that it would implemented.’ he said.
Abdullah Sarkar, central leader of the Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, demanded a judicial probe into Manabendra’s murder. He also called for ensuring the ethnic minority people’s right to land and suggested construction of a monument in memory of Manabendra, along with a library.
Writer Mesbah Kamal said Manabendra was a political philosopher of the region who accommodated the people of other races in the struggle to realise the rights of the ethnic minorities. ‘Everybody lauds the 1972 Constitution as a flawless one but Manabendra pointed out that it does not represent the majority of the people, and nobody after his death said so.’
New Age’s editor Nurul Kabir said the chauvinist approach of the ruling class, under any banner, leaves limited scope to establish the rights of the ethnic minorities. ‘Winning the support of the democratic sections of the Bengalis will remain a very important factor for the realisation of the rights of the minority communities.’
Courtesy: newagebd.com
