NHRC to the rescue of deprived Chakma families of Assam

By Tejang Chakma

Published by Merinews.com, 23 June 2012

"Right to development is a human right. But the condition of about 30 Buddhist Chakma families of Bonkokha village in Cachar district of Assam remains dismal. No development ever reaches this remote village in the last 40 years."

THE NATIONAL Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in a recent order asked the District Magistrate (DM) of Cachar, Assam to file an action taken report over the continued suffering and deprivation of basic facilities to the tribal Chakma families in a remote village in the district.

Acting on a petition filed by Asian Centre for Human Rights, a prominent human rights organization, the NHRC directed the DM to file the report returnable within one month.

Right to development is a human right. However, the condition of about 30 Buddhist Chakma families of Bonkokha village under Lakhipur sub-division in Cachar district remained dismal over the last four decades.

No development and welfare schemes have ever reached these families living in the far-flung area in the upper reaches of the Barak Valley bordering Assam and Manipur. Their cry for development always goes unnoticed by the authorities.

The village is without any basic amenities. There is not a single primary school, no primary or subsidiary health care centre, no electricity and employment opportunities. Nor there is any fair-price shop to get the benefit of the public distribution system.

There is no provision of safe drinking water. The lack of drinking water facilities forced the villagers to drink water from river, stream or hilly rivulet. As a result, cases of stomach disorder are not uncommon.

There is no road connectivity and the village virtually remained cut off from the mainland. The situation turns worst in times of medical emergencies. The only way out to the villagers is to shift the patients to Fulertal or Lakhipur, a time-consuming and costly affair.

The villagers are not covered under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of the Government of India. They depend on natural resources, work as daily wage earners and jhum cultivation.

The Centre's development and welfare schemes are non-existent. The Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MsDP), a programme for the welfare and development of religious minorities, is not reaching these Buddhist minorities. As a Buddhists, the villagers should have been provided various welfare schemes such as health centre, dispensary, schools including anganwadis etc. Not only MsDP, even tribal development schemes do not reach these tribals.

Lack of development forced the tribals to abandon their village. The village was home to over 50 families some years back. At least 20 families move to other places in search of livelihood opportunities. The remaining families are also planning to move out.