Suchergebnisse

It is well known that 'nation' or nation-states are the most important organizing principles of governance, which are adopted by many states across the globe. Soon after the end of the Second World War, all the post-colonial countries followed the European model of the nation-state as a modern way of governance, which promotes cultural and political uniformity. In this context, the article has examined the effectiveness of the European nation-state model, which is adopted in post-colonial South Asian states, and in this regard, it has taken the case study of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The study shows that, even if Bangladesh is one of the least heterogeneous states among all South Asian countries, it is still grappling with the crisis of ethnic conflicts and violation of minority rights, and insurgency in the state. As a result, it has not only brought tensions within Bangladesh but also, it is causing security concerns too in the neighboring state of India by pushing the migration of ethnic minorities and population-made victims out of it. Like other South Asian countries, Bangladesh is also facing the crisis of ethnonationalism, which is undermining the ethos of multiculturalism and the process of nation-state building.

AbstractIn recent years, representation of indigenous communities and their relation to resources has been highly contested. Rather than offering critique to the representation of indigenous communities, this paper examines Jumma and indigenous identity formation among the hill peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, their historical contingency and dynamics. I show that groups' identities are products of agencies emerging from a particular pattern of struggle between the group and other political forces of their given circumstance, and are informed by their particular history, place and practices. I also show that claims over resources based on indigenous identity is a recent positioning in comparison to claims based on Jumma identity. Difference and convergence between Jumma and indigenous identities are contingent upon specific historical contexts and groups' relation with the state and its legal provision, and ideological settings.

This article attempts an insight into the power of the powerless people which they employ for their survival where their lifeways have been threatened by the dominant cultures. Based on several ethnographic studies, it shows that the powerless people who do not take arms against the dominant cultures employ cultural resistance. In light of this view, the article focuses on the ethnographic work of the author, where the Toungsa Pahari, powerless indigenous people, employ several strategies for their survival. Juxtaposed with reluctant disposition, they employ cultural resistance in order to survive in the hard environment of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, endangered by the outsiders (Bangali settlers).

This paper explains the security perceptions and practices of the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh. In doing so, it adopts an interpretive ethnographic approach in which it posits, based on fieldwork experiences and by reflexive interpretation, that the security perceptions of the CHT indigenous people are primarily formed by the process of marginalisation, first in the state of Pakistan and later, from 1971 onward, in the state of Bangladesh. And, marginalisation occurred mainly due to the assimilationist nation-building policies and ill-conceived development projects pursued by the two states which not only affected the livelihood of the indigenous people, it also threatened their survival as identity groups. To cope with insecurities, the Paharis have employed a variety of strategies to protect their identity and livelihood which include constitutional political activism, non-constitutional armed struggle, peace building, international networking, coordination with national level rights groups, and several other mundane measures.

It has been unequivocally established that medicinal plants and associated knowledge play a significant role in the general welfare of the upland communities of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. Notwithstanding the recognition, however, organised research on indigenous medicinal plants and knowledge has been strikingly limited. This local wisdom is fast eroding for such reasons as biotic interference, shrinking land resource base, deforestation, insufficient support from the government and public policies, and lack of appropriate management and institutional structure. In this context, this article, drawing on an empirical fieldwork, sheds some lights on the indigenous medicinal plants and associated practices in six selected locations of CHT. After a general introduction, the second section summaries selected key literature on the subject. The third section presents some observation on the medicinal plant resources in the study areas, while the next section introduces the practice of traditional healers or Baidyas together with their problems. The concluding section furnishes the following clues on improvement: (a) systematic documentation and recording of the existing medicinal plants; (b) organised motivational and awareness raising campaign regarding medicinal plants and their benefits; (c) establishment of experimental propagation nurseries; (d) research support for proper documentation and dissemination of the knowledge on medicinal plants and associated folk and herbal treatment methods; (e) utilisation of the local press, media and folk cultural practices as community-based extension and dissemination media to highlight the importance of medicinal plants and knowledge; (f) development of a network or platform to bring the Baidyas together by utilizing the community-based organisations.