Sudhasindhu Khisha urges Santu Larma to quit party and RC

chtnews.com
News No. 17/2009, April 4, 2009
In an unprecedented and dramatic development, Sudhasindhu Khisha, a top ranking JSS leader, asked his boss Santu Larma to quit his party and RC posts, accusing him of being undemocratic, autocratic and morally depraved.

Mr. Khisha made the call yesterday while addressing a small gathering of students at Khagrachari town hall as a chief guest.

The meeting was also addressed, among others, by another JSS leader, Tatindra Lal Chakma, popularly known as Major Pele, Rasamoy Chakma, Sudhakar Tripura, Sudirgho Chakma and Kankon Chakma.

Mr. Khisha said Santu Larma’s intransigence and aggressive behaviour had been one of the contributory factors responsible for the non-implementation of the accord, and urged the government to implement the accord in toto.

About his party’s internal affairs, Mr. Khisha said “there is no central committee at the moment as per the constitution of our party” and added that Santu Larma has reduced the JSS into a “Samiti” or private company by running its affairs with the sole help of his relatives and cronies.

He urged him to quit the party and Regional Council posts in the interest of the Jumma people and lead a reclusive life outside the gaze of the public eye.

His remarks brought to the fore the deep division within the Jana Samhari Samiti party, which signed the 1997 CHT accord with the then Awami League government.

Mr. Khisha has been a long-time aide to Larma and one of the architects of the said accord.


The rift within the JSS camp surfaced in early 2006 when an attempt was made to topple Santu Larma at its national congress. The rift was over Mr. Larma’s corruption, nepotism and sex scandal.

Most of the central committee members became united against Mr. Larma, but ultimately their attempt failed when one of them, believed to be the second-in-command of Mr. Larma, betrayed and took the side with him at the last moment.

Subsequently, those who opposed Santu Larma came to be known as “reformists”, and a bloody infighting ensued between them killing over a dozen from both sides.

A reformist leader told chtnews.com on that they “cannot take it any more; enough is enough. Santu Larma must go.”

He heaped blame on Mr. Larma for the ongoing violent conflict among the Jummas and said “there can be no Jumma unity as long as he remains the top boss of the JSS.”

“What we want is JSS san Santu babu; and unity with UPDF.” he further said.