Hill Voice, 4 May 2024, Chittagong: In memory of the martyrs of the barbaric massacre of Longudu, candle lighting and memorial meeting were held by Gate No. 2 Branch of Chittagong University (CU) of Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP). The event was held at Bishwashanti Pagoda in CU.

General Secretary Alfred Chakma moderated the event and Suman Chakma President of the host committee presided over it. Maclin Chakma, Assistant General Secretary of Central Committee of PCP; Naresh Chakma, Joint Organizing Secretary of CU of PCP, Antar Chakma, president of CU branch of PCP; Annesh Chakma, GS of CU Branch of PCP and Subhash Chakma, organising secretary of CU branch of PCP were present among others at the event.

At the beginning of the commemoration, one minute silence was observed standing in memory of the martyrs of the Longudu massacre.

Bipul Chakma, a member of the Gate No. 2 committee of CU, gave a welcome speech at the commemoration meeting. He said in his welcome speech, we have not got justice even in 35 years of Longudu massacre. The Jumma people are subjected to communal attacks by illegal state-sponsored Bengali settlers in the hill which is still going on. He also said that today Jumma people can not enjoy their rights. In order to realize the rights, Jumma students and youths should more involve actively in the movement for the rights.

Subhash Chakma, organizing secretary of CU branch, said, “We cannot forget the history of massacres in the hills including the Longudu massacre. The state continues its Jumma-destructive aggression in ever new ways. If we look at all the aggressive activities that took place in the hills, we have not got fair trial anywhere. In the CHT, the only way to overcome this culture of impunity is the realization of political rights.

He also said that the CHT Accord was signed in 1997 to solve the CHT problem through political and peaceful means. We all have to work together to make implement it.

The CU branch general secretary Annesh Chakma said, the barbaric massacre on several villages in Longudu by settlers with the help of state forces on May 4, 1989 still haunts our minds. We can fell the communal attitude of the state and the state forces with the massacres in the hills. Students and youths are future generation of a nation. If they move in the wrong direction, the nation will be led in the wrong direction, and if they move in the right direction, the nation will move forward. At that time, the students and youth were organized and protested against the Longudu massacre. But the passive role of students and youth society in the present reality disheartens us. The current student society is moving away from reality.

The harsh reality of the CHT demands protest and resistance from the young society today. But the student society is quieter than that. To live with our land, language, tradition, culture, we have to be politically aware and united.

PCP Central Joint Organizing Secretary Naresh Chakma said, “if we look at the incidents of massacres and exploitation in the hills, we see the indirect and direct support of the state forces to eliminate the Jumma people. We can understand the state’s attitude to us.

He also said that the self-centric thoughts of the student are holding us back in many areas. We forget to think about everyone as a whole. Apart from this, the state machinery is also systematically creating division among the indigenous ethnic groups with different languages. We must stand against him.

Finally, the commemoration ended with the speech of the president Suman Chakma. At the end of the event, candles were lit in memory of the martyrs of Longudu massacre.