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Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal (A Sub-Himalayan Tract) Edited by Publish by Global Vision Publishing House Sukhbilas Barma Uttar Banga Tapasili Jati O Adibashi Sangathan (UTJAS): A Dalit Student Movement Naren Das Pre-independence North Bengal was mainly farmers’ society in which there was no scope of employment in any sector except in agriculture and a few govt. establishments, tea gardens, business and rail and road transport systems. People were solely dependent on the land and land related works/ professions. The farmers’ economic condition was however, not too bad during the last part of regime of the Bengal Tenancy Act and the Cooch Behar Tenancy Act. But as soon as the government introduced unscientific ceiling system with frequent privileged amendments in Land Ceiling Act and related Acts, the farmers were forced to leave their cultivable land as a result of which the farmers, especially the indigenous farmers began to live like endangered species. In the year 1947 after creation of India and Pakistan, the turmoil in connection with the exchange of people on the basis of religion gave birth to a new community known as refugee. Thousands of East Pakistan refugees came to this area and hundreds of indigenous people especially, the Muslims were bound to leave this area. Naren Das: An advocate practising law in Jalpaiguri Court. He is associated with various social organizations of the Rajbanshis in North Bengal. 138 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal Unprecedented Population Pressure Practically the indigenous people had so long no feeling about the difference of religion/caste etc. They used to lead a peaceful life among the communities with the rarest example of communal harmony. People of this area were very simple, kind hearted and peaceful. Immediately after partition, the indigenous people cordially received the refugees of East Pakistan and settled them on their own lands appreciating their distressed conditions. For such cordial reception, a huge number of refugees settled themselves on the cultivable lands of North Bengal in different corners of remote villages. After a few decades, this process of regular settlement of refugees turned into a threat to the normal life and existence of the indigenous people of North Bengal. The pressure upon the cultivable land was tremendous and out of limit. The population of this area became double within a very short period. Variations in population between 1931-71 in two core districts of North Bengal, namely Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar given in Appendix B and C will give an idea about the problem. Out of total population of 10,19,806 of Cooch Behar in 1961 Census, 2,98,000 were born outside the district of which 2,52,000 born in East Pakistan. Similarly, out of population of 13,59,292 of Jalpaiguri in 1961 Census 4,54,177 were born outside the district of which 2,18,341 were born in East Pakistan. Naturally these events gradually generated discontent among the farmer class, especially among the indigenous farmers while they were losing their only source of livelihood. Gradually the condition of sons of the soil became pitiable and the introduction of unscientific amendments of Land Ceiling Act and related Acts completed the cycle of misery and destruction of the indigenous people. The farmers became surplus labour but the refugees who Uttar Banga Tapasili Jati O Adibashi Sangathan (UTJAS)... 139 have become land holders by this time, did not engage them on their cultivable lands. South Bengal Leadership versus Indigenous People The indigenous people began to resist the infiltration from the foreign countries and demanded their employment in this area but the political leaders, social workers and intellectuals were not ready to listen to their problems. It may be mentioned that at the time of independence, most of the intellectuals, politicians and social workers were of South Bengal and they had no time and interest to look into the problems of native people. These outsiders were brought to this area by the British rulers as loyal servants for managing the rulers’ office establishment or as faithful Zaminders/ Talukders to control the subjects and to meet the purpose of the foreign rulers. Their business was to dominate over the wishes, hopes and aspirations of local people in the social, political and economic activities. Immediately after independence, they became self proclaimed intellectuals, political leaders and social workers of this zone. The people of this zone gradually came to realize that these immigrant people are not the friends of sons of the soil and began to think over the way out. As result of such thinking, the native people organized movements, one after another, to save themselves. History of this region indicates that this region did never have any connection with the southern part of Bengal, especially with the power centre of Kolkata. The power centre of Kolkata always tried to capture the area as a colony of southern Bengal and also to impose their culture, language and their economic and political system on North Bengal with the natural consequence of destruction of native language, culture, politics and economy. 140 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal Against this background of hatred and deprivation, whenever the people of this area started any movement, the same was looked upon with suspicion by the so called leaders. Naturally, there was rift in the mind of these indigenous people but they remained silent in the interest of communal harmony. A new way of life pervaded this region which could be termed as “the relation of peaceful co- existence and not of co-operation.” On the other hand, the infiltrated people with the help of corrupt administration captured almost all the government, semi government and non-government services. After losing the cultivable land, the small farmers, bargadars and other land dependant labours were forced to leave their birth place. The government and the politicians of this area (most of them from East Bengal having no knowledge of social structure of this zone) failed to consider the demographic change of this area and also failed to adopt steps for protecting the indigenous people from this crisis. Population Pressure further Intensified after 1971 In the mean while, the separation of Pakistan by creation of Bangladesh further fuelled the fire. Lakhs of Bangladesh refugees entered in these five districts of North Bengal, viz. Cooch Bihar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, West Dinajpur, and MaIda in the year 1971. After 1971, only a few lakhs of people returned to their home land and the rest of the homeless and penniless people again settled themselves in this North Bengal. As a result the safety and security of indigenous people were at stake. Thousands of indigenous people left their mother land on constant torture of the government machinery and so called political and social leaders. In addition, the infiltrators of North Eastern states feeling insecure in those states due to the movements of Uttar Banga Tapasili Jati O Adibashi Sangathan (UTJAS)... 141 indigenous people there, began to shift themselves to North Bengal. Non stop infiltration of foreigners from the neighboring countries viz. Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet from the pre-independence days was the other disease of this area. As a result, in one decade i.e. 1971 to 1981, population reached from about 74 lakhs to about 92 lakhs. All these events forced the indigenous people of this area to think again about their survival. This has motivated the people of North Bengal to form a united force and Uttar Khanda movement, Uttar Banga Sanskritik Parishads movement, Hamar Sangh movement, Bharatiya Tapshil Mission movement etc. were the out come of these grievances. The new educated generation of indigenous people started movements like Uttar Khanda under Uttar Khanda Dal and cultural movement by Uttar Banga Sanskritik Parishad since 1966. In addition to these, there were some other movements of Rajbanshis, Bodos, Rabhas, Namasudras, Santhals, Oraon and other communities for their upliftment and protection. There was however, no integration among these communities on all the demands/ issues and simply for these reasons, the movements had failed to achieve their goal. But the discontentment of the indigenous people increased day by day. Indigenous Students’ Movement in North Bengal University Side by side, the students of various educational institutions within this area working on the problems of dalit felt that the so called main stream upper class leadership of students was reluctant to look into their problems and as such they have to form a separate organization for highlighting and resolving their own problems. Taking clues from all the aforesaid movements and previous experiences, 142 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal the dalit students formed an organization in North Bengal University in August 1976 with only 11 students including Ranjit Kumar Adhikary, Amal Sarker, Satyendra Nath Barman , Siddeswar Karjee and myself under the name ‘Uttar Banga Viswavidyalaya Tapashilee Jati O Adivasi Chhatra Sangathan’ to deal with the acute problems of admission, stipend and also misbehavior from the upper class students. In those days, the dalit students were microscopic in number in the University area and as such they were insulted now and then by the higher caste students. Incidentally on third or fourth day of the formation of Chhatra Sangathan, some of the students insulted one of the members at the dinning table of Vivekananda hall at the time of dinner. On receiving this information, all the members of the organization rushed to the dinning hall within a few minutes and the wrongdoers were bound to seek apology. In this incident a good number of other students, especially Muslim students extended support to us, and criticized the wrong doers. From that day, nobody dared to make any ill remarks on the students of dalit group.

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