Santal community observe Rebellion Day in Gaibandha, call for land rights

The Santal community in Gaibandha's Gobindaganj upazila observed Santal Rebellion Day today with a series of programmes commemorating the historic uprising and calling attention to ongoing struggles over indigenous land rights.

The day's events began around noon with a tribute and one-minute silence at the Katamor area, honouring the martyrs Sidhu and Kanu.

This was followed by a five-kilometre procession that marched from Katamor to the Bagda Farm area on the Gobindaganj-Dinajpur regional highway. Over 200 individuals from both the Santal and Bengali communities participated in the procession, many carrying bows and arrows, symbolising the spirit of the rebellion.

Rallies were held first at Katamor area and later at Bagda Bazar area under the upazila. The programmes were jointly organised by the Sahebganj Bagdafarm Bhumi-Uddhar Sangram Committee and the Adibasi Bengali Oykio Parishad.

Speakers at the rallies emphasised that despite their participation in the liberation war against British and Pakistani occupiers, indigenous communities in independent Bangladesh remain dispossessed and vulnerable, losing their ancestral lands over generations.

They highlighted current efforts to evict indigenous people from their ancestral lands in the Sahebganj-Bagdafarm area under the pretext of establishing an Export Processing Zone (EPZ).

Speakers demanded the immediate return of land under the requisition agreement and urged the state to eliminate discrimination against indigenous people and take effective measures to protect their rights.

"The Santal Rebellion is not just a past event; it is an ongoing inspiration for the struggle to realize our rights," speakers asserted.

The Santal Rebellion, also known as 'Hool', first took place in 1855 against the British. Santal leaders Sidhu and Kanu, along with many others, were killed in the rebellion.

Since then, Santals have observed June 30 as Santal Rebellion Day annually .