A Study of Social Justice and development of Rajwar in Barind region M.Phil Thesis Researcher Hosne-Ara-Afroz A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Anthropology Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka June, 2016 A Study of Social Justice and development of Rajwar in Barind region M.Phil Thesis Researcher Hosne-Ara-Afroz Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka. June, 2016 A Study of Social Justice and development of Rajwar in Barind region M.Phil Thesis Researcher Hosne-Ara-Afroz Master of Philosophy in Anthropology University of Dhaka Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka Supervisor Dr. Md. Ahsan Ali Professor Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka June, 2016 DECLARATION I do hereby declare that, I have written this M.phil thesis myself, it is an original work and that it has not been submitted to any other University for a degree. No part of it, in any form, has been published in any book or journal. Hosne-Ara- Afroz M.phil. Fellow Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka. June 2016 Page | i ‡dvb t (Awdm) 9661900-59/6688 Phone: (off.) 9661900-59-6688 b„weÁvbwefvM Fax: 880-2-8615583 E-mail: 1) [email protected] XvKvwek¦we`¨vjq 2) [email protected] XvKv-1000, evsjv‡`k DEPARTMENT OF ZvwiL ANTHROPOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA DHAKA-1000,BANGLADESH Date: 29/06/2016 CERTIFICATE I do hereby certify that Hosne-Ara-Afroz, my M.phil supervisee has written this M.phil thesis herself, it is an original work and that it has not been submitted to any other university for a degree. I recommend this thesis for final submission to the concerned authority. Dr. Md. Ahsan Ali Professor Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka And Supervisor Page | ii Acknowledgement Bangladesh is a very densely-populated country with a population of nearly 160 million on a landmass of 147,570 square km. The overall economy of Bangladesh is not satisfactory. Poverty persists at a very high level. According to the World Bank around 40% of total populations live below national poverty line. 25% of those are classified by governments as ‘extreme poor’ who cannot afford an adequate diet. However, the ethnic minorities of the Barind region are not only living in poverty, but also suffer from additional problems. The economic condition, political freedom, and the state of human rights are sharply different in the case of the ethnic communities .These aspects raise the issues of citizenship, political identity and the various dimension of exclusion. This again boils down to their access to social policies and their equal participation in state benefits as well as other welfare activities. Most of the ethnic communities of the Barind are deprived of their land rights. Furthermore, they do not have equal access to trade in markets. This study of a small ethnic community in Barind has examined the present situation of social justice and development of Rajwar. It identifies processes of discrimination and exploitation that lead to their exclusion and marginalization. At first, I would like to express all praises to almighty Allah who enables her to pursue higher educated and to complete the research work as well as to submit the dissertation for the degree of Master of Philosophy, in Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka. The researcher wishes to express her gratefulness and respect to her supervisor Dr. Md. Ahsan Ali, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka for his constant guidance, advice and kind help for encouragement from the very beginning of the study. His critic, self-analysis, constructive suggestion, unlimited patience and sincere appreciation throughout the study to help the researcher to analyze every chapters and complete the task sincerely in an organized way. In conducting the present study the researcher provide thanks to the department of anthropology, University of Dhaka for allowing her to conduct the research entitled “A Study of Social Justice and development of Rajwar in Barind region”. The Researcher takes the opportunity to express her endless gratitude and cordial thanks to all the respondents of Ujirpur and Fohimpur villages of Naogaon district for sharing the important information’s with her and spending their valuable time. At last the researcher express her heartiest felicity to her parents and other family members including her brother Prantic and husband M.H. Rashed for their assistance and cooperation during the field work. June, 2016 Hosne-Ara- Afroz M.phil. Fellow Reg. No-255 Session-2008-09 Department of Anthropology University of Dhaka Page | iii Glossary Aar: Egg Kather: Jack fruit Bap: Fater Kusar: Sugger Cane Bazri: Bazar Khari: Cannel Bela: Sun Mai: Mother Behin: Sister Matheel: Farmer’s hat Bhai: Brother Moe: Self Bhitha: Home Land Mosha: Husband of maternal Borof: Ice-cream aunt Chan: Moon Moshi: Maternal aunt Chulha: Woven Masri: Fish Chawa: Child Musa: Rat Charei: Bird Ong: Color Chagri: Goat Pipa: Papaya Chinhila: Know Pisa: husband of paternal aunt Dupari: Bath Pisi: paternal aunt Dali: Bowl Sadhu: Nun Dar: Branch Serisa: Master seed Gao: Village Sikri: Chain Gotra: Clane Suer: Pig Gohom: Wheat Tir: Arrow Ghor: House Tohni: You Gosthi: Lineage Zamindary: Land taxation Hamni: We system Hat: Hat Zamindar: Tax Collector of Jhal: Chilly British Indian Government. Kamla: Labour Page | iv List of Tables Table 3.1: Process of Missionary help Table 3.2: Process of Govt. and NGO’s help Table 3.3: Particulars of villages Table 3.4: Period of Residence of Inhabitant of the Village Table 3.5: Total population according to sex and age group Table 3.6: Sex Ratio Table 3.7: Family size (%) Table 3.8: Size of family According to sex Table 3.9: Type of family Table 3.10: In respect of Rajwars’ marital status Table 3.11: Education Status Table 3.12: Marital Status Table 3.13: Labour/ non labour and woriking force Table 4.1: Types of homestead of the Rajwar (%) Table 4.2: No of Room per house hold Table 4.3: Reflects the materials used for house construction Table 4.4: Occupation pattern Table 4.5: Land holding (village Basis) Table 4.6: Agricultural Expenditure per Square Bigha for paddy (Barind only) Table 4.7: Normal out turn per bigha (if weather’s favourable) Table 4.8: Sources of loan and rate of Interest Table 5.1: Clan distribution Table 5.2: Types of families Table 7.1: Deities and festival of Rajwar Page | v List of Figures Figure 1: Map of Language of Bangladesh Figure 2: Map of Barind tract Figure 3: Map of Naogaon District Figure 4: Social Map of Rajwar Para Figure 5: Ujirpur Govt. Primary School Figure 6: Kamarpara Figure 7: Mango tree with broken chimney Figure 8: Rajwar Women Cooking their meal Figure 9: Rajwar are cutting paddy in the Field Figure 10: Cultivation calendar Figure 11: Causes of landlessness Figure 12: Map of Patnitala Upazila, Naogaon Figure 13: Joint Family of Rajwar Figure 14: Cultivation of Kuchia (Govt. initiative to create the alternative income source of Rajwar) Figure 15: Rajwar Widow Figure 16: Old Rajwar spending their leaser time Figure 17: Temple of Kali in Rajwar para Figure 18: Atrai River Figure 19: Brick Field of Katabari bazar towards Rajwar para Figure 20: Paddy Store (Gola) Figure 21: Katabari High School Figure 22: Way to Kamar para Figure 23: Livestock of kamarpara Figure 24: Construction of Building of Rajwar para Figure 25: Pond (common asset) used by Rajwar Figure 26: Rajwar Old Man Figure 27: Katabari Community Clinic Figure 28: Rajwar are Workign in the paddy field Page | vi ABSTRACT A study of social justice and development of Rajwar in Barind region concerns social justice and development of Rajwar in Bangladesh. The Rajwar are an ethnic community who mainly live in the North–West region of Bangladesh. This proposed research examines the inequalities towards the Rajwar that lead to their exclusion and marginalization. The research will portrayed the process of marginalization and socio- economic alienation of the Rajwar and how it is structured by their present economic condition. The literature the Rajwar community shows that they had a prosperous life before colonization in 1765.They were self sufficient in livelihood as agriculturalists ,soldiers(Buchanan) and forest food gatherers. However, their livelihood activities were interrupted by the Hindu, Muslim and British administrators in India. The Rajwar were taken away from Bihar and Chota Nagpur in India and were settled in Bangladesh by the British India Government(1765-1947).Over time, different socio-political factors ,including the partition of Bengal in 1947, the abolition of the zamindary (land tenancy) act in 1951,economic differentiation and the communal war between India-Pakistan in 1965 and the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, have caused economic deterioration among the Rajwars. This study reveals that almost all of the Rajwar are landless agricultural day laborers and less than self- sufficient in terms of livelihood. Their socio –cultural practices contribute to understanding of their domestic moral economy. They sell their physical labour to rich Bengali Hindu and Muslim peasants. The proposed study focuses on the exclusion and marginalization of Rajwar in Bangladesh and this problem will be looked at in terms of the cultural contrasts that are employed to organise and form identity, social stigma, exclusion and interaction. This research demonstrates a relationship between different inequalities and exclusion in the case of Rajwars. Significantly, this study explores peoples’ choice and interests in shaping their livelihood and survival strategies. In exploring the problems of indignity in Bangladesh and demonstrates the importance of devising policies for the ethnic communities of plain regions such as Barindas most development programmes in our country based only on the ethnic groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.