If Bangladesh is symbolised as a tree, then the Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and Indigenous peoples are its five leaves. Once a leaf is uprooted, the beauty of the tree is harmed — this was the heartfelt, pluralistic essence of the message conveyed during a cultural protest gathering organised by the Indigenous Artists' Unity yesterday.

Members of Bangladesh Indigenous Artists' Unity and their allies protested at Shoparjito Shadhinota Chattar, Dhaka University, against the attack on indigenous students at the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) office on January 15.

The recent removal of the term "adivasi" (indigenous in Bangla) from the covers of school textbooks for classes 9 and 10, following demonstrations by the Students for Sovereignty group, sparked widespread outrage. As a result, indigenous students and their supporters gathered to demand their rights back. The demands were met with clashes, leaving at least 20 indigenous students injured. These students are now receiving treatment in various hospitals across Dhaka.

The cultural protest gathering was hence orchestrated to demand exemplary punishment for those who were involved in attacking the indigenous people and human rights activists in front of the NCTB alongside the reinstatement of graffiti containing the word indigenous in textbooks.

The programme was hosted by Tony Chiran, vice chairman of Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum. Writer and journalist Abu Sayeed Khan; Dhaka University's Mass Communication and Journalism Professor Robaet Ferdous; Jahangirnagar University's Anthropology Department Professor Dr Rezwana Karim Snigdha; and Ujjal Azim the education, literary, and cultural affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Indigenous Forum, among others, expressed their solidarity and delivered speeches at the seminar.

Musicians like Krishnokoli, Shayan, Madol, Bangla Five, F Minor, Tuhin Kanti Das, Morphine ClouD, The Rabuga, Vienta, The Red TwilighT, and Black Birds showed their support for the cause and performed in the program. On the other hand, Mithun Raksham, Porag Richil, Shantoya Tripura, Kurnicova Chakma, and Adrita Chakma delivered impassioned poetry recitals. 

Moreover, the photos of the attack that took place on January 15 were exhibited as part of the program presided over by Antony Rema, a member of the Indigenous Artists' Unity and president of Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum.

While delivering their speech for the day, one of the organizers of the cultural protest gathering, Shantimoy Chakma, asked, "Can you show me any sector where indigenous people are not being discriminated against? I am not talking about visible physical attacks; I am talking about the invisible psychological blows that hurt even more."

"Our hearts are as wide as the hills. We love everyone and treat everyone equally, but the city dwellers view both the hills and the people of hilly areas as mere means of deriving entertainment and relaxation. All we ask for is a little respect and equality from you, nothing more," added Shantimoy. 

Shantimoy Chakma also added that indigenous people want justice against the attack on the January 15 protestors and the reinstatement of their identity on the school textbooks for classes 9 and 10.

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