29 November 2011
Posted in
Announcements
To
The Country Director
United Nations Development Program
Dhaka, Bangladesh. 27th November 2011
Sub: submitting an appeal seeking to know UNDP’s position with regard to the use of “khudr nrigosthi” in place of “indigenous people” in a number of reports appeared in the media in connection with the Cultural Diversity Fair to be held in Dhaka from 2nd December 2011.
Dear Sir,
UNDP has been playing a useful and beneficial role in promoting socio-economic status of the CHT people since the signing of the CHT Accord which ended decades of belligerency in the CHT region. It has been a huge and difficult task but UNDP has the strategic expertise and world of experience to deal with such a situation. We would like to appreciate this strategic role of UNDP in the process of building confidence level in the CHT against a backdrop of years of armed conflict in the region and in contributing to promoting economic standing of its people, indigenous peoples in particular. No other development organizations, national or international, with their interventions in the CHT can be matched with the efforts generated and delivered by UNDP.
At the same time, we also would like to bring to your kind notice of a number of reports appearing in different newspapers of the country both in English & Bengali language that UNDP is, as in previous years, going to organize a Cultural Diversity Fair involving the indigenous peoples living across the country. Such a promotional measure undertaken by UNDP is really worth appreciating and we believe that this will, if carried out with honest commitment, contribute to promote and preserve the indigenous cultural diversity towards consolidating the pluralist edifice of the Bangladeshi nation. However, in spite of such an inspirational lead by UNDP to foster diversification of indigenous culture, we cannot but get concerned at linking UNDP with the use of “khudra nrigoshthi” to indicate the “indigenous peoples” of Bangladesh. We find it difficult to accept it at least from an organization like UNDP, which is one of many UN agencies and which cannot use terminologies other than the ones in use in the UN literature to refer to the indigenous peoples. “khudra nrigoshthi” or “small race” is a word which is not in use in the UN fold. We stand disparaged at being called “khudra nrigoshthi” - a terminology which itself is derogatory in content. We would feel much relieved if our misconception about the whole development with regard to UNDP vis-à-vis the use of the terminology “khudra nrigoshthi” is dispelled.
We would, therefore, consider us highly obliged if UNDP feels like coming up with an announcement to the relief of all the indigenous peoples across the country that UNDP is in no way associated with the use of the terminology “khudra nrigoshthi” to refer to the indigenous peoples in Bangladesh.
Sincerely yours,
(Goutam Dewan)
Chairperson
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Citizens’ Committee
Rangamati, Rangamati Hill District
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