AnAidWorker

“I have been moving all my life. I don’t have a place that I can call home anymore” Komodini Hajong lamented while trying to brace herself on a jackfruit tree at the edge of her yard on a small hill. Eyes quenched, pointing with her aged and shaky hands at the ground below where people were plaguing their field for next crop, she cried out, “Nothing had changed for my people. After all this years, we are still landless people.”

Nearly 85 years of age, Kumudini is a member of a indigenous group call Hajong. They are all spread around in the North eastern part of Bangladesh and Meghalyam, Asham and West Bengal provinces in India. At the time of the division of Indian subcontinent into two deferent state, there were nearly 100,000 Hajongs in East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh). Now only 15,000 Hajong inhabitants could be found in the border districts of Netrokona and Sherpur. Most of them migrated to India between 1947 and 1971.

Despite being a minority in the land of muslim majority, Hanjong’s migration to India was rooted to their history of struggle for land rights and fair share of cultivated crop almost autonomously and s. Before the arrival of the British, Hazongs along with other indigenous groups, lived in the “Garo” hills, almost autonomously and secluded, under their own social system. In the late 19th century the British Colonial government established a feudal systems, giving the Zaminders the right to govern their acquired land according to their whims in return of yearly fixed taxes. With the backing of mighty British Empire, The Zamindar of contemporary Durgapur, started the Tonko system.

Under this system, farmer received a piece of land with a commitment of certain amount of rice (much higher than practiced rate). The farmers had to provide the amount of rice even they received reduced or failed crops. Even if the farmers cultivated the land for years, the Zaminder can take way the land without any notice. If the farmers ever failed to provide this imposed tax in return, the Zamindar would send his army and take what ever they feel appropriate from the farmers house. In 1937, the Bagaleese farmers started the organized rebellion against the Tanko system. Seeing a hope of eradicating this exploitative and inhuman system, the whole Hajong community, usually dependent on agriculture and poor, not only joined but took a lead in the rebellion.

Because of the relentless pursuing of the Hajong Community and their unimaginable sacrifices the movement was able to stop the Tonko system in the whole area. The Zamindar tried every brutality humanly conceivable: burning entire village, killing unarmed population including elderly and children, raping and torturing Hajong women, yet failed to subdue the resistance, Zamindar and his vast private army fled the area and ask the British Government to send the colonial force, however, the government forces was busy to fight the Second World War.

After the war ended, British Government sent a large army battalion to quell the rebellion. The army tried to get the overdue Tonko rice from the farmers. When the Hajongs resisted, the military unleashed the most brutal force on them. Even though the Hajongs knew that they are fighting a loosing battle, they fought with whatever they can get hold of – bows and arrows, knifes, sticks, swords against mighty British army and police with rifles, machineguns and even grenades, The Hajong Farmers Chanted, “ We would rather give our lives than our paddy”

I met Kumudiny Hajong during my recent visit to Netrokona District. I met many other elderly Hajongs who remembers the fateful but glorious days of the struggle. They related their sorrows of losing their homes, lands, friends and relatives to the struggle. Over the next few weeks, I will try to shed some light on the sufferings of in Hajong Community. I will start with the story of Kumudiny, who at the age of 20, unwittingly become a part of the glorious but painful History. Her story is part of a larger tale of “never ending disaster” in the lives of the Hajongs.