Sunday, February 21, 2010

News No. 38/2010/ “The situation is terrible”: Ricoh Chakma

“The situation is terrible”: Ricoh Chakma

chtnews.com
News No. 38/2010, February 21, 2010

Rioch Chakma, ex-president of Hill Students Council, has described the
present situation in Sajek as terrible.

He made this comment during an interview with chtnews.com after
visiting the area along with a group of Buddhist monks today.

The following is what he has to say:

About one hundred Jumma people gathered in Gangaram when we reached
there. We saw fire is still smoldering and smokes billowing. The trace
of brutality is everywhere. But the houses of the settlers are
completely unscathed.

Only one or two huts they had built in Gangaram on Jumma’s land have
been burnt; but the Jummas allege that the settlers themselves set
fire to them to make the whole incident look like a “Pahari-Bangalee
clash”.

Even the jungles have been burnt to ashes. People said at least three
hundred houses including three Buddhist temples and one church have
been completely burnt down.

The villagers are without food, clothes and drinking water. They need
these necessities on an urgent basis.

They are trying to survive on bananas burnt. Many said they did not
eat anything since the attack.

They said 10 – 12 are still missing in Guchchagram and a few more from
Gangaram shooting. No body knows exactly how many have been killed.

The people saw the settlers carrying away four dead bodies today. I
saw two dead bodies my self – that of Laxmipudi Chakma and Laxmi Bijoy
Chakma.

In Bongoltoli, where some of the victims have taken shelter, about
seven hundred people gathered when we reached there.

The victims handed over the dead body of Laxmi Bijoy to Dipankar
Talukder MP, who also visited the spot today.

His dead body was recovered today from a jungle near Guchchagram. A
bullet pierced his abdomen making a hole.

As we were coming back, some people told us that the army were chasing
Jumma villagers in Guchchagram. This happened at about 3:30pm.

We also heard that the UNO of Baghaichari had faced public anger at
Hajachara. The angry mob smashed the windowpane of his vehicle. This
took place at about 2:30pm.

The real picture is yet to emerge.