183 noted citizens demand recognition of indigenous people in textbooks, constitution

183 noted Bangladeshi citizens living in the country and abroad have strongly condemned and protested against the removal of graffiti with the word 'indigenous' from the back cover of textbooks, the despicable attack on protesting indigenous people, and the police attack on a peaceful procession of aggrieved students and the public. They have demanded recognition of indigenous people in textbooks and the constitution.

This condemnation, protest and demand was made in a statement sent to the media on Sunday under the banner of the international activist organization Network for Democratic Bangladesh. The statement was sent on behalf of the network by Professor Azfar Hossain of Grand Valley State University, Michigan, USA.

The statement said that indigenous people of the hills and plains participated in the July mass uprising against Awami League fascism. The fascist regime has fallen. But the fascist system has not ended yet. After the mass uprising, the indigenous people have been the victims of tragic killings. The homes, shops, and Buddhist monasteries of the indigenous people have been set on fire, vandalized, and looted.

The statement said that recently, a radical nationalist organization called Students for Sovereignty emerged in Dhaka. They demanded the removal of graffiti with the word 'indigenous' from the back cover of the textbook. Almost immediately, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) decided to remove the graffiti. At the same time, the NCTB chairman told the media, 'There is no word 'indigenous' anywhere in the book.' In fact, the word 'indigenous' does not appear anywhere in the textbook for the 2025 academic year. There are 'ethnic groups', 'different ethnic groups', 'different ethnic groups', or 'other ethnic groups'. What was 'minor ethnic groups' in the previous academic year.

The statement said that the textbooks have been terribly marginalized and marginalized. The root of this marginalization and discrimination in the textbooks is the racist constitution enacted in 1972 and amended 17 times. Where there is no recognition of the ethnicity of the indigenous people. Where the indigenous people have been identified as a 'tribe', 'small ethnic group, ethnic group, community'. Students for Sovereignty has made this fascist constitution a shield. Not only that, they have attacked the indigenous people with the slogan of the fascist Awami League-Chhatra League 'Who are you, who am I, Bengalis are Bengalis'. This attack is being carried out against the inclusive and pluralistic social structure that was the aspiration of the mass uprising. The state power is also a partner in this attack. The evidence of this is the role of the police as a neutral bystander during the attack on the indigenous people on January 15; In protest, on January 16, the peaceful march of the aggrieved students was violently attacked by the police with batons, water cannons, tear gas shells and sound grenades.

The statement makers said that they want to make it clear that it is not enough to remove derogatory terms like ‘tribal’ or ‘small ethnic group’ from the constitution and textbooks. The word ‘indigenous’ is not just a word that can be replaced with ‘different’ or ‘other’ ethnic groups. The word ‘indigenous’ does not mean how long a nation has been living in a country; Rather, those who have not only lived in a geographical region for centuries since pre-colonial times, but are strongly bound to the nature of that region, who have their own language, culture and traditions, who have preserved their own economic, social and even political systems, who want to maintain this independence, any population group other than the majority dominant ethnic group who wants to identify themselves as indigenous, are the indigenous people. According to this definition of indigenous people, there is no way or reason to call the dominant Bengali nation of Bangladesh indigenous. If indigenous nations are recognized as indigenous, there is no danger of the hilly region being separated from Bangladesh. Because, indigenous people are seeking the right to protect their own land, that is, their own life, wealth and culture within the geographical boundaries of Bangladesh. This is related to their existence. As a result, the hegemonic and nationalist politics that stand against the recognition of indigenous peoples and their rights is self-destructive for Bangladesh, which gains strength by denying the country's many colorful history and culture. The recent July Uprising's removal of the word indigenous from pictures, graffiti, protest statements, etc. is only part of that politics. This politics actually creates fascism. It keeps fascism alive within the social and state structures. Only by building the grave of this nationalist-fascist politics is it possible to build a pluralistic society that is inclusive and participatory of the aspirations of the July Uprising.