Manabendra Narayan Larma
Manabendra Narayan Larma | |
---|---|
𑄟𑄚𑄧𑄝𑄬𑄚𑄴𑄘𑄳𑄢𑄧 𑄚𑄢𑄠𑄧𑄚𑄴 𑄣𑄢𑄴𑄟 | |
Bangladesh Parliament for Chittagong Hill Tracts-1 | |
In office 1973–1975 | |
Preceded by | Constituency Established |
Succeeded by | Upendra Lal Chakma |
Personal details | |
Born | September 15, 1939 Shantu Larma (brother) |
Alma mater | Chittagong College |
Occupation | Teacher, lawyer and politician |
Manabendra Narayan Larma (September 15, 1939 - November 10, 1983), also known as M.N. Larma, was a
Early life
Manabendra Narayan Larma was born on September 15, 1939, at Maorum (Mahapuram) village, which is now drowned under the Kaptai Lake of
Political career
After his release, Larma worked to unite and politically organise the various ethnic groups and tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.[2] In the 1970 elections, he was elected to the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly as an independent candidate.[2] After the creation of Bangladesh, Larma sought the recognition of the rights of the people of the Hill Tracts and regional autonomy. He was the lone representative of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the inaugural national legislature.[1][2] He opposed the drafted Constitution of Bangladesh, which made official the primacy of Bengali culture and did not recognise the non-Bengali ethnic groups and tribal communities living in Bangladesh.[1][4] Larma's demands were rejected by the country's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who reportedly said that the tribal peoples should adopt Bengali culture and identity and threatened to forcibly settle Bengalis in the Hill Tracts and convert the local people into a minority in their own province.[1][5] Larma continued to fight for the rights of the indigenous people and is quoted as saying:
Under no definition or logic can a
Bangladeshis but we also have a separate ethnic identity, which unfortunately the Awami League (the then-ruling party) leaders do not want to understand.[4][6]
Shanti Bahini
On February 15, 1972, Larma founded the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), seeking to build an organisation representing all the
References
- ^ a b c d e f Bushra Hasina Chowdhury (2002). Building Lasting Peace: Issues of the Implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord. Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS), University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Archived from the original on 2010-07-05. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kader, Rozina (2012). "Larma, Manabendra Narayan". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ a b c
Nagendra K. Singh (2003). Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh. Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 229. ISBN 81-261-1390-1.
- ^ a b c
Nagendra K. Singh (2003). Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh. Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 222–223. ISBN 81-261-1390-1.
- ^ Shelley, Mizanur Rahman (1992). The Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh: The untold story. Centre for Development Research, Bangladesh. p. 129.
- ^
Stephen May; Tariq Modood; Judith Squires (2004). Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Minority Rights. ISBN 0-521-60317-X.
- ^ a b Kader, Rozina (2012). "Shanti Bahini". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.