National minority communities on Saturday once again reiterated their demand for recognition of national minority people as ‘indigenous people’ in the country’s constitution and forming a separate land commission for them living in plain land.
Several hundred of them under the banner of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad central committee brought out a protest procession in Natore town and joined a short rally in the Madrassah Mor area in Natore town on Saturday noon.
Addressing the rally, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad executive committee president Brichitra Tirki said that the national minority people had long been deprived of their rights as citizens of the country.
‘Past governments assured us several times of giving constitutional recognition to the national minorities living in the plain land and hills of the country as ‘indigenous people,’ Brichitra said, adding that none of them fulfilled their promises.
General secretary Naren Chandra Pahan said that they no longer wanted to identify themselves as a national minority community but as indigenous people.
‘Most of the problems of the national minorities are centred on land and, therefore, a separate land commission and ministry for national minority people living in plain land must be formed without any delay,’ he said.
The speakers strongly opposed the planned construction of an Export Processing Zone on the triple-crop land of the historic Sahebganj-Bagda Farm and urged the government to scrap the EPZ project and return the land to the rightful indigenous owners.
They also urged the government to ensure justice for all acts of violence and repression faced by these communities.
Among others, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad presidium member Philemon Baskey, organization secretary Subhash Chandra Hembram, office secretary Nokul Pahan, women’s affairs secretary Sabitri Hembram, Rangpur district committee president Bimal Chandra Khalko, Natore district committee president Raghunath Ekka, Pabna district committee president Ashik Banias, and Naogaon district committee general secretary Ajit Kumar Munda spoke at the rally.
