Book Review : 'The Chittagong
Hill Tracts: A Victim of Indian Intervention'
A K Zaman
akz5153@gmail.com
Zainal Abedin in his informative and research-based book has reflected
the problem of insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh
from multi-dimensional points of view. A number of books on CHT issue
are available in the realm of publication, but this book makes a distinctive
and analytical approach to rethink about the long-term desire and interest
of some vested quarters at home and abroad.
The writer has highlighted all the issues relating to CHT, geo-political
importance and economic potentials of CHT in this region, the origin
of migrated tribals and settlers in CHT. The premise narrated in the
book are :
# CHT is a part and parcel of Bangladesh from time immemorial and the
tribal people migrated to CHT from adjoining areas of India and Myanmar
.
# The Bengalis have been the original inhabitants in CHT even before
British rule in this region .
# India plotted conspiracy to destabilize and hinder economic upliftment
of Bangladesh by floating guerrilla war in CHT instigating the tribal
secessionists.
# Only a section of Chakma tribals is involved with the insurgency
and majority of resident tribals are against this secessionist group.
# During Pakistan rule tribal community never claimed regional autonomy
of CHT.
# The peace treaty is suicidal and detrimental to the interest of the
country.
# The withdrawal of army from CHT area will give the secessionists
a opportunity for strengthening their position.
The writer has elaborately ventilated root causes of the crisis of CHT,
but he exerted little on the measures to resolve the problem. However,
this book is undoubtedly a research-oriented document which contain
valuable information about CHT. It may be mentioned that even the educated
section of our country is quite ignorant of prolonged crisis of CHT
and sinister design of India behind it. This book will be a great help
to create awareness of the people in home and abroad about the deep
conspiracy of India and its stooges against Bangladesh. The writer has
categorically illustrated that the tribals of different communities
living in CHT area are neither original dwellers nor aborigines as they
try to claim. From historical and anthropological perspective he proved
that they migrated from adjoining areas of China, Myanmar and India
, particularly from her North-Eastern region. Their physical stature,
dialect, life-style and cultural identity indicate that they are outsiders
who settled in CHT. History also reflects that the Chakma headmen were
under the control of the Muslim rulers. But the tribals particularly
the Chakmas intentionally try to misinterpret the concept 'aborigines'
to draw sympathetic attention from native and overseas communities to
achieve their ill interest. It may be mentioned here that a section
of electronic and print media, intellectuals, journalists and politicians
also echo the same sentiment and express solidarity with the tribal
leaders to gain narrow political advantage.
The writer has rightly pointed out the common interest and malicious
anti-army propaganda made by Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) and India. Both
the parties are also in favour of total implementation of so-called
peace accord. They demand withdrawal of army from CHT region to ensure
their hidden agenda. Besides, Indian newsmen, media and intellectuals
also share identical views in this regard. But it is very mysterious
that India herself has not yet signed similar agreements with the insurgent
groups of North-East or Kashmir. India is unabatedly committing large-scale
atrocities and violence and enacted various draconian laws like TADA,
Armed Forces Special Power Act, POTA etc to validate their heinous activities
in insurgency-ridden areas for a long time. Besides, India has not withdrawn
its troops and other security agencies from the concerned troubled areas.
But India prescribes totally opposite formula for Bangladesh.
The writer has indicated that Indian North-East region bordering CHT
is geo-politically and strategically very important and volatile. Besides,
this region is also rich in natural and mineral resources. In fact,
CHT area is also considered as sensitive and strategically significant
from Indian defence and security point of view. The writer truly reflected
the intervention and involvement of India in order to destabilize the
CHT region to help her to subdue insurgency in one hand and to get direct
access to North-East region. On the other hand this will also enable
her to contain China.
The writer has pin-pointed that India uses the Chakma insurgents to
keep constant pressure on Bangladesh and weaken it slowly and swallow
it finally. He has precisely asserted that by doing this India will
be able to intrude its own citizens through 'push-in' in CHT area from
its North-East region. The writer has cautioned about the pernicious
tendency of India. He showed arguments that where India herself has
been ruthlessly suppressing and torturing the innocent tribal people
of North-East and Kashmir with a view to occupying their lands. The
writer has also proved that the implicit presence of India trained insurgents
in CHT area will simultaneously jeopardize the interest of the Bengalis
as well as the tribals of CHT.
As a result, India will be able to project Bangladesh as a violator
of human rights and international pressure will increase which will
help India to dominate over Bangladesh. The writer in his book projected
India 's presence of army in different insurgency-prone areas where
human rights violation is rampant and atrocities committed by India
go beyond description. India makes tall talks and shed crocodiles' tears
about human rights, democracy of other countries but such type of norms
are not followed by India herself. It may be mentioned that military
crackdown on unarmed minority and civilians in North-East India and
Kashmir is not properly reflected in Indian media.
The writer has also clearly reflected the impracticability, non-transparency,
and duplicity of various clauses of the peace treaty which needs to
be reviewed and amended for greater national interest. Some clauses
incorporated in the treaties are directly against the majority people
of the land and contradicts the basic premise of the constitution.
'The Chittagong Hill Tracts: A Victim of Indian Intervention'
By Mohammad Zainal Abedin
Published by Eastern Publications
16 Silvester House,
London EI 2JD
February 2003
ISBN 984-32-0513-2
Pages: 238
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