About Chakma Leader Baneswar Chakma of Mizoram

Veteran Chakma Leader Baneswar Chakma

Facts about a veteran Chakma leader: Baneswar Chakma (1929-2014)

Baneswar Chakma was one of the freedom fighters who fought for India’s freedom to make Chittagong Hill Tracts a part of India during 1947 partition. He also fought for acquiring an Autonomous District Council for Chakmas in Mizoram.

In 1947, he represented along with Sneha Kumar Chakma and Ghanashyam Dewan demanding inclusion of CHT within India. Unfortunately, the Boundary Commission headed by Cyril Radcliffe gave away CHT, the Chakma kingdom, to Pakistan. Chakma leaders continued to fight for CHT’s inclusion into India.

In 1957, Baneswar Chakma was the Secretary of the Tribal Union (Regional Party) which demanded CHT’s inclusion in India.

In 1967, he was one of the representatives which met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Delhi on the CHT issue.

From 1974 to 1977, he served as Senior Judicial Officer in CADC.

From 1970 to 1997, he was Secretary to the Honorary Organiser, Chakma Affairs, Demagiri (Mizoram)

In 1989-90, he met Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during a delegation to demand adequate compensation for those Chakma families who were evicted from the Dampa Wildlife Sanctuary in Mamit district of Mizoram.

Courtesy/Source/Reference: The Chakma Voice by MCDF (Global Edition – 2011)

About the Writer

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Tanyabi Firti - First Chakma Feature Film in India

Chakma Film Tanyabi Firti

Tanyabi Firti, released in 2002, was the first Chakma feature film made in India. It was directed by famous Bengali film director Satarupa Sanyal. The leading cast in the film were Rita Chakma, Pranjal Roy, Pulak Khisa, Mrinal Kanti Chakma etc.

In July 2005, Tanyabi Firti was premiered in Osians Festival of Asian Cinema along with other films from various industries.

Tanyabi is the character of a beautiful but tragic heroine who was prevented from marrying her love Punangchan and forced to marry a widower. She is said to have gone insane with sorrow and cried so much that her tears formed the oxbow lake, Tanyabir Firti - meaning "Tanyabi's Return", which is now submerged under Kaptai Lake.

Mor Thengari - First Chakma Feature Film in Bangladesh

Chakma Film Mor Thengari (My Bicycle)

Mor Thengari - First Chakma feature film made in Bangladesh

Alternatively called in English as My Bicycle, it is a Chakma feature film directed by Aung Rakhine which centres around the indigenous people, particularly Chakmas in Bangladesh. It was premiered on 5th December, 2014 at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium at the Central Public Library, Dhaka in presence of Chakma king Debashish Roy, who was present at the programme as the chief guest.

The film was produced by Pandolipi Karkhana, which managed to find 30 financiers and the shooting finally began in 2012. Komol Moni Chakma and Indira Chakma portray as the couple in the story. It was entirely shot in Rangamati and Bandarban, with 63 minute long depicting exquisite beauty of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. At present, the director is trying to send the film to various international film festivals.

Though the director belongs to the Rakhine community, he believes that “it’s necessary to focus on the Chakma community as they struggled more than any other indigenous groups of the country (Bangladesh).”

You can watch Mor Thengari on YouTube at the following link (uploaded by Mohammed Romel):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKJPfEyaAAs

About Chakma Dictionaries

Chakma Dictionary

Chakma Dictionaries:

* Chakma Bangla Kodatara (1973) – First Chakma to Bengali Dictionary

It is considered as the first dictionary in the Chakma language (not in script), authored by educationist Sugata Chakma of CHT.

* Kodha Tara (1993) – First Chakma to English Dictionary

It is the first Chakma to English dictionary in India, authored by Pulin Bayan Chakma of Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in Mizoram. The dictionary was published by the Art and Culture Department of CADC.

* Chakma Bhashar Shabdakosh – Chakma to Bengali Dictionary (in Bengali script)

It is a Chakma to Bengali dictionary in Bengali script authored by Ashok Kumar Dewan of Rangamati, CHT. It is available for viewing online at http://cvraw.blogspot.in/

Besides, there are few other Chakma dictionaries which have been published in recent years.

Download Ebook "The Chakmas: An Introduction" by L.B. Chakma

Dangu L.B. Chakma is a renowned writer currently living in the Chakma Autonomous District Council, (CADC) of Mizoram. He has vast knowledge about the Chakmas as we can learn from this ebook which provides deep information about the Chakmas, their brief historical background, cultural beliefs, traditions, religious and ancient medical practices carried out by our ancestors.

Most interestingly, this writer has written the book in simple English which is very easy to understand and follow. From a high school kid to college going student also can easily connect with the meanings and info provided by the author. It consists of 77 pages with everything described in topic by topic.

You can download the ebook from here The Chakmas: An Introduction

Please note that, this ebook is a part of Bijunijheni annual magazine released by Maadi in 2014. I humbly thank to Maadi for including this valuable ebook by Dangu L.B. Chakma, which I found to be very helpful, specially for those who are interested to know about the Chakmas and their characteristics.

About Dr. Tapas Chakma

Dr. Tapas Chakma

Dr. Tapas Chakma is a Scientist ‘F’ (Deputy Director - Medical) at the Regional Medical Research Centre for Tribals (RMRCT) at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. He has held this position since 2004. From 1999-2004 he was Assistant Director in RMRCT. Having a Master degree in Applied Epidemiology, Dr. Chakma has 21 years of research experience in the fields of tribal health, nutrition & fluorosis and HIV/AIDS and is a United Nations' expert in Fluorosis. He published 24 research papers in peer reviewed national and international journals and co-authored a book titled “Integrated Fluorosis Mitigation” a guidance manual. He is also the editor of “Tribal Health Bulletin”.

Awards/Fellowships received:
* Vijay Narayan Memorial Award for "Best Paper" in the 25th National Conference of Preventive and Social Medicine, held in Bhopal from 24/10/97 to 26/10/97.
* M.P. Young Scientist Award in Medical Science conferred by Madhya   Pradesh Council for Science and Technology in 1998.
* Awarded “Certificate of Excellence in Medical Research” by Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA in 2006

A Life member of:
* Indian Medical Association
* Nutrition Society of India
* Indian Field Epidemiology Alumni Network

Sneha Kumar Chakma and Jawaharlal Nehru

In 1920 Kamini Mohan Dewan established Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samiti. It was a political organisation of the indigenous tribal people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). During the last stage of India’s freedom struggle against the British, in 1939 Sneha Kumar Chakma was appointed as the General Secretary of this organisation.

As a representative of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samiti, Sneha Kumar met two Indian political leaders Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947, and both of them promised him that CHT would remain with India. Then on 8th July 1947 when the Indian Independence Act was launched, it showed that Cyril Radcliffe (Chairman of the Border Commission) did not accept the submissions of the two Hindu members of the Bengal Boundary Commission – Justice Bijon Mukherjee and Charu Biswas that CHT would be included with India.

Sneha Kumar hoisted the Indian tricolour flag at an official function in Rangamati under Col. GL Hyde on 15th August 1947. On 17th August, Louis Mountbatten announced the Radcliffe Award on the All India Radio, which was a plan to partition India into two separate sovereign states – India and Pakistan. As an unexpected surprise, under this plan CHT was included within East Pakistan and not India. On 21st August, the Pakistan Army marched to Rangamati and pulled down the Indian flag and instead hoisted the Pakistani flag. An announcement was made by the army for the arrest of the Chakma leaders.

Chakma leaders called for a united meeting and decided to strongly oppose this Radcliffe Award, which failed to fulfil their promise of including CHT within India. Sneha Kumar managed to escape to India and stepped to seek help from Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru for resolving the territory dispute. Patel agreed to provide military assistance if necessary, but he was limited as a ‘deputy’ of the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru.

After 50 days, Sneha Kumar could get an appointment with Prime Minister Nehru in his office in Delhi. He explained to Nehru that people of CHT were ready to stand up against the Radcliffe Award and fight with Pakistan if India would help them.

Sneha Kumar said to Nehru – “I am fighting Pakistan to bring back CHT to India. Will you kindly supply me only arms & ammunition?”

Nehru got up from his official chair in anger and shouted at him – “Do you propose to bring India again under foreign rule?”

Thus, it clearly indicates that Nehru forgot the promise he made to Sneha Kumar before the declaration of independence to India and Pakistan. However, the contribution of Sneha Kumar Chakma as a struggling fighter for CHT’s freedom could neither be ignored nor forgotten and will always be remembered.

After few days he returned to his Calcutta (Kolkata) camp and tap some of his private resources. Eventually, in 1948 and 1949 he telegraphed several copies of his private conversations with various political leaders to the UNO and Government of India authorities to resolve the injustice done upon the CHT.

References/Sources: 
1. Insurgent Frontiers: Essays from the Troubled Northeast by EN Rammohan
2. Pakistani Rule in the CHT
3. Friends of the Chakmas