Aizawl: The Chakma community in Mizoram observed Chakma Black Day on Monday, marking the 1947 decision that placed the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in East Pakistan and remembering what community leaders described as a historic injustice that continues to influence the identity and aspirations of indigenous people from the region.
The programme was organised by the Chakma National Council of India (CNCI), Mizoram State Committee, along with the Central Young Chakma Association, Central Mizoram Chakma Students’ Union and Chakma Mahila Samiti.
The event was held at the CADC Art & Culture Hall in Kamalanagar, the headquarters of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC).
August 17 marks the date in 1947 when the Radcliffe Boundary Commission Award was made public, placing the predominantly non-Muslim CHT in East Pakistan. Community leaders said indigenous residents had expected the territory to remain part of India following Independence.
Addressing the gathering, CADC Chief Executive Member and CNCI national president Nirupam Chakma said historical records document the circumstances surrounding the CHT’s allocation and that the issue should not be viewed solely through community memory.
Referring to minutes of a meeting held in New Delhi on August 16, 1947, Nirupam Chakma said Jawaharlal Nehru had questioned the possibility of the CHT being assigned to East Bengal and argued that the region should be part of India on religious and cultural grounds.
He also referred to records describing the CHT as an excluded area with no representation in the Bengal Council and a population that was around 97 per cent Buddhist and Hindu. According to him, Nehru had also noted that the people of the CHT preferred to join India.
Speakers recalled that the Indian National Flag was hoisted at Rangamati on August 15, 1947. However, the Radcliffe Award announced two days later revealed that the CHT had been placed within Pakistan.
Nirupam Chakma said the decision altered the historical, cultural and political trajectory of the Chakmas and other indigenous communities of the CHT, with its effects extending well beyond Partition.
He pointed to subsequent displacement, loss of ancestral land and growing insecurity among indigenous communities. He particularly highlighted the impact of the Kaptai Dam, which submerged large areas of cultivable land in the CHT and displaced thousands of people.
Nirupam Chakma stressed that Chakma Black Day was meant to preserve historical memory and was not intended as an act of confrontation.
“Chakma Black Day is not against any community, religion or country,” he said, clarifying that the observance was not directed against the people of Bangladesh or its ordinary citizens.
He urged younger members of the community to study historical documents and work towards preserving the Chakma language, literature, music, dance and traditional knowledge.
He also called for greater focus on education and economic opportunities for young people, protection of constitutional rights and the pursuit of community aspirations through peaceful, democratic and constitutional means.
Other speakers included CADC Chairman Kali Kumar Tongchangya, CNCI Mizoram State Committee vice-president Amarsmriti Chakma, CYCA religious secretary Santosh Chakma, Chakma Mahila Samiti senior vice-president Dangubi Indu Moti Dewan and Central Mizoram Chakma Students’ Union president Parbesh Chakma.
The speakers emphasised the importance of safeguarding Chakma history, identity, language and cultural heritage while promoting community unity and ensuring that younger generations remain connected to their roots.
The CNCI adopted a resolution to observe August 17 as Chakma Black Day at its national convention in Guwahati in 2016. Since then, the day has been marked annually at different locations across India.
The programme was attended by CADC members, village council presidents, representatives of Chakma organisations and associations, as well as representatives of political parties in the CADC.