Reception for successful SSC candidates held in Panchari

chtnews.com
News No. 72/2009, June 24, 2009
Reception for successful SSC candidates was held today in Panchari.

The program was organised by Panchari Degree College Organising Committee in close cooperation with the Hill Students’ Council (PCP).

It was scheduled to be held at Panchari Pilot School. But the organisers shifted the venue to College Gate after the TNO refused to give permission.

The TNO and Upazila Chairman were also scheduled to participate in the program. But under intense pressure from the army, both of them had to decline in the last moment.

Presided over by Chandra Dev Chakma, a student of Panchari Degree College, the reception was also addressed among others by Rina Dewan, President of Hill Women’s Federation Khagrachari District Unit, Arpan Chakma, General Secretary of Hill Students’ Council Khagrachari District Unit and Sona Gulo Chakma, a second year student of Panchari Degree College.

Reception was accorded to over 150 students in Panchari Upazila who passed in the last Secondary School Certificate examination.

The speakers said the Jummas are being subjected to discrimination in all spheres of life including education.

“There is no congenial atmosphere for education in CHT. Jumma students who go out of the CHT to pursue studies in different higher educational institutions of the country also face harassment.” they alleged.

They said conspiracy was afoot to replace “Pahari or Hill quota” reserved for the Jumma students with “Parbottyo (CHT) quota” to provide reserved seats to the settlers at the cost of the Jumma students.

Rina Dewan said children of all the ethnic nationalities have an inalienable right to education up to primary level in their own languages; but the government is depriving them of this right.

Terming the primary education system in CHT as unsatisfactory, Arpan Chakma said hundreds of children drop out every year at primary level, while many children suffer malnutrition.

He urged the government to give priority to primary education and end discriminatory policies in respect of education in CHT.