Conspiracy to capture Sadhana Bana Vihara continues

Conspiracy to capture 300 acres of land belonging to Sadhana Bana
Vihara in Babuchara is still continuing as the army refuses to allow
house building materials into areas north of Babuchara army check
post. The army suspects that the materials will be used to construct a
Buddhist temple there.

Forcible grabbing of Jumma people’s land had become rampant after the
declaration of a state of emergency in the country in January 2007.
Even lands belonging to religious institutions were not spared.

At that time, the army and settlers also made numerous attempts to
capture Sadhana Bana Vihara’s land by force. But when the Jumma people
of the area put up an organised resistance, they retreated but
continued their efforts by changing their strategy.

The settlers filed a number of false cases against the Jummas, but in
the end of the day the Jummas came out victorius.

On 18 February 2009, two Bengali settlers filed another law suit with
the Khagrachari district judge’s court, and the court issued an
injunction ordering parties to maintain status quo.

After obtaining the court order, the army imposed an embargo on house
building materials such as brick, cement, iron rod, corrugated iron
sheet and sand to be carried beyond Babuchara army check post in the
direction of Sadhana Baba Vihar area.

This resulted in immense suffering of the common people who are not
being able to build new houses or repair old ones before the onset of
the rainy season which is not far off.

One Juboraj Chakma, who resides near the office of Babuchara Union
Council office, sought to import in corrugated iron sheets for the
reparation of his house. But the army and Village Defense Party
members prevented him from doing so. Like him, many other Jummas have
faced similar experience.

Apart from the embargo, the army regularly checks vehicles carrying
Jummas and holds them back for hours on end, for reasons best known to
it.

On 12 March, an ambulance carrying the dead body of a Jumma was halted
at the check post for 4 hours. On the same day, a jeep of a wedding
party was also halted and held back for three hours.

“But the army never checks or halts the vehicles of the Bengali
people”, alleged a Jumma villager of the area.

“This is awfully discriminatory, and we are really sick of it”, he further said.

Apparently to check out if the court order was being complied with,
soldiers from Babuchara sub-zone regularly visit Sadhana Bana Vihara.
On 7 March, they entered the dining hall of the Vihar with their boots
on and showered insults on Ven. Buddha Bongsha Bhikkhu, the chief
priest of the temple. He and other monks were taking their pre-midday
meal at the time.

On another occasion, the army ordered the chief priest to remove the
bricks, iron rods and other house building materials from the Vihar
area. But the monk told the army point blank that “that is not
possible”.

While there is smoldering resentment against the unlawful embargo
imposed by the army, the Jummas are also showing resilience. “We will
no more take such injustices lying down. We will fight the legal
battle, and do whatever we can to save Sadhana Bana Vihar.” said a
villager echoing the general sentiment of his fellow Jummas in
Babuchara.

chtnews.com
News No. 16/2009, March 20, 2009