**5.2 Indigenous people during Pakistan period (1947-1971)**

190 Sustainable Forest Management – Case Studies

have been practicing shifting cultivation as their principal economic activity in the denuded hillocks with scattered vegetation. It is estimated that at the beginning of the 20th century the tribal people dwelling in forest areas, obtained about 80-90% of their income from minor forest produce (Dasgupta & Ahmed, 1998). But this income has been reduced drastically in recent years. Cultivation of betel leaf (*Piper betle*) on the forest trees is the main economic activity of Khasi people. Similarly, the Garo community has been shaping their life, art and culture based on *Sal* (*Shorea robusta*) forests. Rapid degradation and deforestation of this unique deciduous forests coupled with Government led environmentally adverse

Indigenous people of the CHTs locally known as *Jumma*1 people were independent before the British colonial period. Bengal region2 was ruled by the British from 1757 to 1947. The CHTs areas being an important source of raw materials (e.g., timber and cotton) drew the attention of the British ruler (Huq, 2000). Although there was a sharp physiological and cultural gap between the *Pahari*3 and *Bangali*4, geographically the CHTs were close to the Bengal region. After occupation, the British annexed the CHTs with Bengal in 1860 as an autonomous administrative district known as 'The Chittagong Hill Tracts' within undivided British Bengal. Few non-indigenous Bangali people co-existed with the indigenous population of the CHTs as original people of the areas. Non-indigenous Bengali people

development projects are posing immediate threats to this community.

**5.1 British period and Indigenous people of the study areas (1757-1947)** 

shared only about 1.74% of the total population in the CHTs in 1872 (CHTDF, 2009).

In 1900 Act, British Government kept special regulation to protect the Jumma people from economic exploitation by non-indigenous people, preserve their traditional socio-cultural and political institutions and also ensure their traditional laws and common ownership of land. This 1900 Act safeguarded the Pahari people prohibiting migration and land ownership to non-indigenous people in the CHTs (Asian Cultural Forum on Development [ACFOD], 1997). Respondent's survey could not provide much information about this period (only 3 respondents were able to discuss a little about this period) because of their age and lack of knowledge on the old history. Nine out of the twelve key informants were able to discuss the CHTs during British period. However, we had an effective discussion in all the three group discussions about this period. The result of the discussion as well the available literature concluded that the Jumma people had very peaceful life during this period. Clear felling followed by artificial regeneration was the only management system for the CHTs keeping revenue earning as the major concern of the British Government. This management system even opposed to biodiversity and wildlife conservation did not create any negative concern because of the abundance of huge

1 refers to indigenous people or the original population of the CHTs. Jumma people means the groups of people who live on shifting cultivation. Shifting cultivation in its local term is known as Jhum

3 Indigenous people or the original population of the CHTs. The CHTs are hilly region. Hill in Bengali term means Pahar. So Pahari means the inhabitants of the hill. They also sometimes addressed as

**5. Historical review** 

forests and natural resources in the CHTs.

Adivasi (original population of the region). 4 People who speak Bengali as their first language.

2 refers to the Bengali speaking part of the undivided part of India.

cultivation.

The CHTs remained as a part of Pakistan in 1947, although the CHTs being a non-Muslim populated area were supposed to be a part of India on the basis of the provision of the partition. Despite 98.5% of the CHTs population being Jummas (non-Muslims), the Pakistani leadership ceded the CHTs to the East Pakistan violating the principles of partition (The 2- Nation theory based on religious demographics) and against the desire of the Jumma people. Right after the partition, the Pakistan Government started to ignore the Act and Regulations of 1900 for the CHTs and the Jumma people realized that their life would never be peaceful in Pakistan. In the subsequent years, their anger turned into violence, demanding for an autonomous State of Chittagong Hill Tracts. But the Government adopted more hostile attitude towards the Jumma people of the CHTs annulling the CHTs Police Regulation, 1881 that restricted indigenous people in the police force (Uddin, 2008). Additionally, Jummas were discriminated in jobs, business and education. Besides, the Government amended the 1900 Act several times in order to find a legitimate way for allowing migration of non- indigenous people into the CHTs without consulting the Jumma people (Chowdhury, 2006).
