Bengali, indigenous people jointly celebrated Pahela Boishakh in Gaibandha

The Banglai people and the people of indigenous here jointly celebrated the Pahela Boishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year-1432 for the first time in the district this year with a call to build communal harmony among all communities of the society. 

Marking the pahela boishakh, Abalamban Foundation, a social voluntary organization that works with human rights and welfare of the indigenous people here chalked out the elaborate programs amid active participation of the indigenous people. 

In the morning around 9 am, a barshabaran Ananda Sobhajtra was brought out from Swadhinata Razat Joyonti HighSchool of the town here  and ended in front of Ganasas Market after parading the main roads of the town. 

A large number of Santal people coming from santal dominated Shapmara and Katabari unions under Gobindaganj upazila of the district participated in the Ananda Shobhajatra showing arrow and bow. 

Later, a view exchange meeting on the role of ethnic community in development of Bengali tradition and culture was held at the hall room of Jana Uddyog, a social platform here comprising with district elite persons with president of Paribesh Andolon here Waziur Rahman Raphel in the chair. 

Member secretary of Jana Uddyog Probir Chakrabartee, convener of Adibashi-Bangali Sanghati Parishad,  Sadar upazila unit Golam Rabbani Musa, teachers Ranjit Sarker and Ashok Saha, human rights activist Anjali Rani Debi, female leaders Nazma Begum, Selina Akhter Soma, indigenous leaders- Survi Mardy and Maria Murmu. 

The speakers in their speeches said the men of ethnic communities including the Santal and the Dalit women are in marginal positions and the ethnic people are being subjected in different form by the local influentials. 

Not only that, they are also losing their culture, tradition and ancestral language day by day, the speakers added. 

In this context, they demanded of the government to take necessary steps to protect their culture, tradition and language and to stop violence, torture upon the ethnic communities.