Editor,
This is apropos the article titled ‘Chakma Hajong imbroglio…’, etc’ authored by Suhas Chakma, and published by your daily on 28 April.
Suhas Chakma wrote: “By 2017, the Chakma Rights and Development Organisation (CRDO), led by Mahendra Chakma, rejected the demands of the mainstream Chakmas, ie, citizenship as general category people, stating that he is not too keen to have this so-called citizenship that takes away land rights and deprives scheduled tribe status and it is too little, too late.
“On 25 March, 2021, the CRDO submitted a memorandum to Khandu during his tour to Changlang district, demanding the restoration of rights, including gun licenses, permanent residence certificates and scheduled tribe certificates to Chakmas who are citizens of India by birth; and the creation of a separate autonomous territorial council for the Chakmas to resolve the imbroglio.”
As a matter of fact, the CRDO came into being only on 18 April, 2018, and so the question of the CRDO rejecting a so-called demand of mainstream Chakmas in 2017 is false and malafide.
Secondly, it is true that a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khandu was submitted on 25 March, 2021, but the memorandum was submitted not by the CRDO but by joint CBOs comprising the CRDO, the CNCI, the Mahila Samiti, the gaon bura, et al, comprising 35 signatories in all.
There was no mention of gun licenses in said memorandum, and the proposal of creation of an autonomous council was an alternative proposed, should the primary appeal for restoration of rights be not implemented, not ‘and’ but ‘or’.
I urge the author to tender an apology for misrepresentation of facts and maligning the image of the CRDO and myself.
Mahendra Chakma