“Santu Larma not attacked, an investigative report vindicates our assertion,” claims UPDF

chtnews.com
News No. 28/2010, February 19, 2010

An investigative report by Khamin published in the New Age Xtra magazine of 19 February 2010 issue vindicates the UPDF assertion that Santu Larma was not attacked on 27 January while he was on his way to attend a Land Commission meeting in Kahgrachari, claims UPDF leader Ujjal Smriti Chakma.

“The photographs taken from the spot at Maischari by the reporter and published along with the report clearly testify that it was more a protest than an attack.” he commented. (photograph attached)

The Khamin’s report carries two striking pictures, among others, which help one to understand the true nature of the incident of that day.

One of the pictures has been captioned: “Local residents at Maichchhari put up shoes on a tree beside the road to express their rage towards Larma”.

The other says: “Local residents at Maichchhari put up hand written festoons to protest against Larma.

Khamin spoke to local villagers of both Jumma and Bengalee communities, leaders of the UPDF and both factions of the JSS as well as local government authorities.

The local people denied that any attack, as claimed by JSS President Santu Larma, had ever taken place.

Dipak Chakma, a day-labourer told him: “Our intention, through the human chain, was to show him his failure at solving our problems. We want peace and also our lands that were grabbed by the Bengali settlers in this village.”

Another villager said “Our human chain stood by the road while chanting the slogans that we do not want Larma and do not want him to come to Khagrachhari.”

Khamin also quotes a woman participant in the protest as saying: “As soon as we heard this, (news of Santu Larma coming) around 80 villagers began to make festoons, posters and shoe wreaths to grab his attention.”

Khamin goes on to say: “However, some of these demonstrators got carried away and threw stones and pieces of wood at the motorcade, according to Konika. ‘We were not influenced by the UPDF or any other political parties,’ said Gulapi Chakma, another resident of Maichchhari Bazar.”

After the incident, Santu Larma told the journalists in Khagrachari that he was attacked by UPDF. However, UPDF strongly denied the allegation and said Santu Larma had actually faced public anger over his destructive politics.

The CHT Commission and some so-called progressive political parties were quick to condemn the “attack” which was unusual in that they had never in the past condemned the most gruesome attacks on UPDF leaders as well as former General Secretary of JSS, Mr. Chandra Shekhor Chakma who fell out with Santu Larma over corruption and his autocratic nature of handling party affairs.

The local reporters took Larma at his word, never taking the trouble of making an on-the-spot investigation at the place of occurrence.

It took an independent reporter from Dhaka to do the job and his report, one hopes, will settle the issue once and for all.