To,
Shri Tarun Gogoi
Hon’ble Chief Minister
Guwahati, Assam.
Subj: Prayer for the upgradation
of the Barak Valley Hill Tribes Development Council into a Sixth Schedule District.
Sir,
We, the Barak
Valley Hill Tribes Federation, on behalf of all the Indigenous tribal people of
Barak Valley, comprising the three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and
Hailakandi beg to approach you with the request for the creation of a separate
autonomous district council as per the provision given under the Sixth Schedule
to the Constitution of India in order to protect our tribal customs and
culture, literature and language and to develop ourselves. It is essential for
our survival and very existence which is at stake from the vast majority non
tribals who are politically and economically more powerful. These non-tribals
are also numerically outnumbering us with the ever increasing of their population,
non- migration and also unchecked influx of foreign nationals, multiplying year
by year.
A brief history
of tribals in the Barak valley is given under the following headlines for your
kind consideration
HOME OF THE TRIBALS
Cachar, once a part of Kachari kingdom
and tribal Chiefs, had been the homeland of various tribal groups from
pre-colonial period. When the British colonial rulers extended their hegemony
in this part of the country, they termed these areas as ‘tribal backward tract
in 1921’. The undivided Cachar district having 3 (three) sub-divisions, namely
Silchar, Karimganj and Hailakandi (now upgraded into three separate district)
are again sub-divided into Cachar and North Cachar Hills of which North Cachar
Hills was granted autonomous district council and the United Mikir Hills
District Counci (now Karbi Anglong District) was also created in 1952 by
extending the provision under the Sixth Schedule. At the same time, the Mizo District Council was also formed during the
same year.
The tribal
people who were left behind in Cachar district were given hill panchayat to run
their own affairs. This hill panchayat opted for inclusion into Indian Union
during the partition of India and Pakistan in pre-Independence period or we
might have been included into East- Pakistan (now Bangladesh). We were granted
jhum permission area under Jhumland Permission Act of 1955 and set apart from Land
& Revenue Act. We paid hill house tax and dao tax to the government
collected by hill mauzadars appointed by the district authority concerned.
Now, with the introduction
of Panchayati Raj in Assam, the hill panchayat could not function and it ceases
to exist. Gaon Panchayats are now collecting house tax and dao tax by issueing
panchayat certificate and clearance certificate which lessen the importance of
hill mauzadars and make them obsolete thereby steadily assimilating the tribal
people into the new political structure without providing any constitutional
safeguards.
Tribal Areas not
included in Jhumland Permission Act were declared govt. khasland (U.S.F) and
Reserve Forest, Inner Line Forest, etc., (as they have no land holding)
bordering North Cachar Hills (now Dima Hasao Dist), Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya
and Tripura. Due to frequent evictions by Forest Department and other harassments,
eg., late permission for clearing jhum and burning of jhum, production of crops
fell considerably thereby causing economic deterioration in the tribal belt.
Some villages were under forest villager or tangiya village. They are compelled
to plant trees like teak (shigun) or gomari in their Jhum, thus limiting areas
of jhum cultivation which is the main source of livelihood to the hill tribals.
ECONOMICS & DEVELOPMENT/EDUCATION ETC
Road communication, drinking
water supply, power and electricity and education are very neglected subjects
in tribal areas. Mortality rate (death toll) is very high due to absence of
safe drinking water supply and medical facility. As there are no proper roads in
these areas, it is not possible to reach hospital for medical treatment for the
malaria infested jungle areas. Literacy or education also suffers to a great
extent due to this factor. Very few tribal villages get power supply or
electricity. Out of 600 tribal villages, maybe about 20-30 villages are perhaps
electrified. Non-tribal teachers are reluctant to stay in backward tribal villages
and hence, education also suffers. Some tribes, viz. Hmars and Mizo introduced
their own medium in L.P and M.V Schools and employ tribals who are able to
teach this medium and they are a bit improved, for the government of Assam
recognized Hmar and Mizo medium of instruction vide govt. notification no. EMI/52/67/199
dated 23/03/69 in 1979. Other Tribals are still following Bengali medium of instruction.
LAND & OCCUPATION
The main livelihood of Barak
valley tribals is jhumming or shifting cultivation. Every year, a portion of jungle
is cleared usually in the month of January and February and burnt in the month
of March/April thereby rice, pepper (chili), cotton and til (oil seeds) pumpkins,
cucumber, mustard and other beans for curry are sown. Also ginger and turmeric,
kachu (alu) are also cultivated and reaped from September/October according to
season. Wet cultivation is also practised wherever possible and paddy is
cultivated generally in summer and alu, beans, etc., in winter after
harvesting.
Due to limited
land for jhum, production decreases and horticulture crops like pineapple,
bananas, betel nut, pan leaves and other fruits are also cultivated for
sustenance of living steadily which were sold at market/local bazaar which are
more or less 6 to 3 kilometers from the tribal village or to paikars or merchant
who purchase from their village though at a much cheaper rate than market value.
People may
wonder how the tribals lost their land to the non-tribals. This is mainly due
to bad economic condition of the tribal people in the Barak valley. Most of
them are below poverty line (BPL), their fellow tribal brothers in other states
or areas have their own tribal government or council to run their own affairs
and develop themselves in their own tribal pattern and customary practices.
Here in the Barak valley, they are ruled by the non-tribals who do not know our
ways of living and thinking. They try to develop us through their own way and
we suffer. Many a time we therefore run in debt to our neighbours in times of
difficulties, illness, cases in the court of laws on petty matters and we have
to spend money we could not afford and at times mortgage our lands and could
not recover them later and in this way lost our land. Also unproductive jhum
cultivation makes us poorer and poorer and helps from government get delayed
and the number of times for going to procure something from government is time
wasting and loss of daily labour wages. So, steadily we are pushed into the
frontier and jungles and unproductive hills ranges bordering other states. A
policy is to be adopted by the government for checking of the transfer of land
from tribals to non-tribals and restoration order for lost tribals lands are
passed as it was passed in the case of Tripura.
BARAK VALLEY HILL TRIBES DEVELOPMENT
Barak Valley Hill Tribe Development
Council with an annual grant of Rs. 5 (Five) Lakhs only is usually released for
the upliftment of hill tribes in the field of social, economics, education,
etc., vide Notification No. 740/BC/88/61/8 dated 18.3.96. The fund sanctioned
for development is from welfare of plain tribal (WPT & BC) and hill tribe fund
is not allotted for the hill tribes of Barak valley. Think how they are to develop
hill tribes numbering more than 2(two) lakhs on so small amount like five lakhs
of rupees.
This council is
the result of an uprising of hill tribals of Barak Valley Under Cachar Hill
People Federation. But the 417 cadres of volunteers/militant have not yet given
any relief or rehabilitation till today which is unlikely in any revolutionary
movement of Assam and other states of India.
Another Notification
TAD/BC/513/10/50 Dt 22.1.11 for restructuring and strengthening of Barak Valley
Tribe Development Council for maximum participation of Indigenous people of
Barak Valley was issued and what is supposed for hill tribes is omitted and
hill tribes so mentioned before are replaced for indigenous tribes of Barak
valley and seats (quota) reserved in the earlier notification was also omitted
thus making the constituents of the Council to be a controversial topic in the
legal term of view.
It needs not be
reiterated that the word indigenous tribe is ambiguous and controversial for
the plain tribes/tea garden tribes or hill tribes as notified earlier. Hence,
modification or corrigendum be made as in future the Barak Valley Hill Tribes
Development Council is to be still functioning in the name of the Barak Valley
Tribes Development Council in future also.
TRIBALS OF BARAK VALLEY
The tribals of Barak valley are
falling into 3 (three) categories, viz., (a) plain tribals (b) hill tribals,
(c) hill tribals without ST Status.
(a)
The Barmans (Kacharis) are recognised Scheduled
Tribes in Cachar.
(b)
The Hmars, Mizo, Kuki, Khasi and Jaintias,
Nagas, Chakmas and Kabis were recognized Scheduled tribes under Scheduled Caste
& Scheduled Tribes Act 1950 vide Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India
Notification No SRO 510 Dt 6-9-1950 but not Recognised in plain district due to Areas Restriction.
(c)
The Bru (Reang), Tripura (including Kewa,
Laitong, Gurjung, Gabeng) etc. Hrangkhol, Chorei, Sakechep, Saihriem, Aimol,
Khawchung, Chiru, Vaiphei, Ranglong, Halam, Rupini (Barman). The lost tribe
(clan) Rupini is a constituent of 12 Halam recognized in Tripura but opted for
Barman here in Assam.
All the hill
tribes are not recognised as Scheduled Tribes by the Govt. of India till date
nor in Barak valley or plain district of Assam due to area restriction.
POLITICAL BACKGROUND OF TRIBAL
The tribals of
Barak valley are now scattering in the three districts facing a very dark future in political field due to
disadvantageous delimitation as Assembly Constituency, formation of wards in
G.P level and even formation of G.P area as they fall in a disadvantageous
position for contesting election. Though the total number of population of all
tribals in the Barak valley may be over 2 (two) lakhs which is a qualifying
number for one Assembly Constituency in Assam, even to become president of Gaon
Panchayat may be a feat difficult to qualify in the present set up of area,
ward or constituency which is clearly divide & rule setup by the people who
are in power. Our fellow S.Ts have reserved seat in M.P/AC and Panchayat and the
tribals of Barak Valley are not even enlisted or recognized except Barmans. One
reserved S.T seat is a must or nominated M.L.A in the assembly to voice our
plight and pitiful condition in Vidhan Sabha.
Demands of Autonomy Under Constitunal
Protection of Sixth Schedule.
What the
tribals of Barak valley have to do is to raise a demand for constitutional
protection as envisaged under Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India in
order to escape elimination of our very future existence and try to survive as
respectable citizen by enjoying autonomous council for safeguarding our ethnic identity,
custom, culture and heritage, and to administer and develop ourselves by our
own self and try to prosper in our own style and time-tested values, and to get
back all the land we have lost through mortgage through restoration policy like
in other neighboring tribal ttates and try to enjoy our constitutional rights
like other citizens of India.
OUR PRAYER
Therfore,
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam is humbly prayed for to grant us protection
under Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India bytaking up our case to the
Prime Minister of India for the upgradation of the Autonomous Council in Barak
Valley as soon as possible for our very existence and survival. We don’t want
to be like Red Indians of America or Maoris of Australia or New Zealand and we
shun violence of the like in Tripura. We only wish to enjoy our rights as envisaged
in the Indian Constitution for survival.
Yours Faithfully
(SUMLAKSANG
AMO)
(MALSAWMA)
Gen. Secretary President
Barak
Valley Hill Tribes Federation
HQtrs. Hmarkhawlien
P.O. Fulertol, Cachar
Dist. Assam