Submission Date: 9th December, 2009

Assignment on

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 Table of Content

Introduction

Definition of Indigenous People

History of Indigenous People

o Australia

o Africa

o Asia

o Bangladesh

Khumi indigenous People

 Who are Khumi Indigenous People

 Location of Khumi Indigenous People
 History of Khumi Indigenous People
 Language of Khumi Indigenous People
 Religion of Khumi Indigenous People
 Educational Condition of Khumi Indigenous People
 Economic Condition of Khumi Indigenous People
 Social Condition of Khumi Indigenous People
 Health Practice of Khumi Indigenous People
 Women condition of Khumi Indigenous People

• Conclusion

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Introduction
“The dead, it is said, do not live to tell the tale, but this is not true in ethnic cleansing. The dead do tell
the tale; it is the living, who are reluctant to speak”. Horowitz, Donald (2001): The Deadly Ethnic Riot.
University of California Press, Los Angeles.

Indigenous Peoples are a significant and important portion of humanity. Their heritage, their ways of life,
their stewardship of this planet, and their cosmological insights are an invaluable treasure house for us all.
The word Indigenous has many meanings. In every region of the world, many different cultural groups
live together and interact, but not all of these groups are considered indigenous or inherent to their
particular geographic area. In fact, it is only in the face of a collective or shared sense of identity that the
term indigenous peoples have been internationally recognized. Indigenous Peoples live in every region of
the world. They live in climates ranging from Arctic cold to Amazon heat, and often claim a deep
connection to their lands and natural environments. For many indigenous peoples, the natural world is a
valued source of food, health, spirituality and identity. Land is both a critical resource that sustains life
and a major cause of struggle and even death.

Each indigenous culture is distinct and unique. While many peoples may express similar worldviews and a
common indigenous identity, their cultures are nonetheless based on different histories, environments, and
creative spirits. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the inherent dignity, equality, and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family. The rights of all members of indigenous
populations are included in this declaration. However, Indigenous Peoples also have rights as distinct
cultural groups or nations. "Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." (Chief
Seattle, 2008).

The situation of the indigenous people in the world is not encouraging. According to an estimate, there are
about 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries. Individual groups practice their
uniqueness, different from those of the dominant communities they live in. They are the descendents of
those who originally took up habitation in a geographical location. Other settlers, who came through
conquest, occupation, encroachment, or other means, gradually joined them. Ultimately, when and where
these intruders and occupiers became more dominant than the original population, the indigenous people
were displaced and driven away from their ancestral homelands. Today, these indigenous populations

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throughout the globe, including Bangladesh, are facing similar problems and are fighting for their land and
way of life.

Bangladesh has quite a few varieties of indigenous communities living in various parts of the country.
Though the total indigenous population is about one million, or less than 1% of the total population, it
consists of 45 indigenous communities using about 26 different languages. Most indigenous people live in
the rural settings of Chittagong Hills and in the regions of Mymensingh, Sylhet and Rajshahi. Most of the
tribal people are of Sino-Tibetan descent, and have distinctive Mongolian features. These indigenous
people differ in their social organization, marriage customs, birth and death rites, food, and other social
customs, from the people of the rest of the country. In the mid-1980s, the percentage distribution of tribal
population by religion was Buddhist 44, Hindu 24, Christian 13, and others 19. Each indigenous
community, however small it may be, has a distinctive culture and heritage.

The leaders from those communities express concern that those are fading away due to lack of
government patronization and aggressive activities by sections of local people. They complain that their
rights are often violated both by the government and by Bengalis. These can be protected only if the
government shows more awareness and sensitivity to indigenous causes and comes forward and take
steps. Bangladesh is a poor country. But, it may not be wrong to say that, with very few exceptions,
Bangladesh's indigenous peoples are by and large the poorest among the poor. It cannot be denied that
they face discrimination in education, employment, and civil rights. Decades of violence between
indigenous-led insurgencies and government security forces in the Chittagong Hill Tracts gave rise to
social tensions there which still persist despite the signing of a peace accord nearly ten years ago.
Allegations of serious human and civil rights abuses against members of indigenous communities surface
every now and then.

The diversity of our culture due to the presence of indigenous communities is providing extra vigor to the
national fabric of Bangladesh. Moreover, indigenous people are the original inhabitants of our country.
So, they have the same right we have over Bangladesh, if not more.

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Definition of Indigenous People

The term indigenous peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any ethnic group of people
who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest known historical connection, alongside
migrants which have populated the region and which are greater in number.[1] However, several widely
accepted formulations, which define the term indigenous peoples in stricter terms, have been put forward
by prominent and internationally recognized organizations, such as the United Nations, the International
Labor Organization and the World Bank.
The indigenous people are defined from the various conditions and specialists. So the definition of
indigenous people can be found various differences. Now we should focus some of the definitions that are
given various specialists and organizations. Some of them as follow- -
Indigenous people are the people living in an area prior to colonization by a state or the people living in
an area within a nation state, prior to the formation of the nation state, but who do not identify with the
dominant nation or the descendants of either of the above.

• David Maybury-Lewis, in his famous book “Indigenous Peoples, Ethnic Groups, and the
State”(1997,p 99) defines- "Indigenous peoples, though they are difficult to define..., in fact make
up about 5% of the total population of the globe. They are the descendants of peoples who were
marginalized by the major powers and especially the expanding empires in their regions of the
world--the European overseas empires in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, and the
Russian and Chinese land empires in the heartland of Eurasia."

• The United Nations Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Rights has adopted the
following definition:

“Indigenous Populations are composed of the existing descendants of the peoples who inhabited the
present territory of a country wholly or partially at the time when persons of a different culture or ethnic
origin arrived there from other parts of the world, overcame them and, by conquest, settlement or other
means, reduced them to a non-dominant or colonial situation; who today live more in conformity with
their particular social, economic and cultural customs and traditions than the institutions of the country of
which they now form a part, under a state structure that incorporates mainly the national, social and

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cultural characteristics of other segments of the population that are predominant. (U.N., UNESCO, ref:
E/Cn.4./Sub.2/L.566, 1982).

Although they have not suffered conquest or colonization, isolated or marginal groups existing in the
country should be regarded as covered by the notion of "Indigenous Populations" for the following
reasons:

a) They are descendants of groups which were in the territory of the country at the time when other groups
of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived there;

b) Precisely because of their isolation from other segments of the country's population they have preserved
almost intact the customs and traditions of their ancestors which are similar to those characterized as
indigenous;

c) They are, even if? Only formally, placed under a state structure which incorporates national, social and
cultural characteristics alien to theirs.

• The UN Commission on Human Rights has provided the following definition:

“Indigenous people are composed of the peoples who inhabited the present territory of a country
wholly or partially at the time when persons of a different culture or ethnic origin came there by
conquest”. (UN minorities.com)

History of Indigenous People

The history of indigenous people all over the world is not same. It has different colors and history. So it is
not possible to draw history from the one slide. We have to search based on the continent or country. Now
we can focus some of the selective continent and countries which are more popular for indigenous people.

Australia
Aborigines are Australia's indigenous people. Recent government statistics counted approximately
400,000 aboriginal people, or about 2% of Australia's total population.
Australian Aborigines migrated from somewhere in Asia at least 30,000 years ago. Though they comprise
500–600 distinct groups, aboriginal people possess some unifying links. Among these are strong spiritual

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beliefs that tie them to the land; a tribal culture of storytelling and art; and, like other indigenous
populations, a difficult colonial history.

When Australia was “discovered” by the Europeans it was declared to be terranullius. This notion of
international law with respect to acquisition of new lands presupposed that the land discovered was not
inhabited by humans and could thus be claimed by the crown as “settled” rather than “ conquest”. Even
though the discoverers and the first settlers had some contact with Aboriginal people in the first years-
which some cases developed into violent fights- these indigenous Australians were not considered to be in
possession of the land. On the contrary, the British held that since the aboriginal cultures had no obvious
social structure, there was no requirement to seek permission to use their land. Thus, the Australian
continent and Tasmania were settled by force without even raising the question of a possible contract or
even by lawful conquest.

As a result, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander were killed, families and tribes became dislocated
and the survivor had to withdraw from the coastal areas, into the center of the continent, i.e the desert
areas. The notion of Terra nullius was maintained for more than 200 years. Some attempts to challenge
the application of this doctrine in the 1970s and 1980s remained fertile. It was not until 1992 that the high
court of Australia for the first time renounced the doctrine of terra nullius as being applicable to Australia
and recognized that the Australian continent was in fact inhabited when the white setters arrived. This
Marbo decision was a major turning point in the relationship between indigenous Australian and settlers of
the land. Hence, no treaties have been concluded between the indigenous people of Australia and the
white settlers during the time of colonization. Instead, it is only since the Marbo decision that the legal
ownership of Aboriginal and Terres Strait Inlanders people with respect to land and waters have been
subject to negotiations and legislation.

The legal status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is not explicitly recognized in the
Australian constitution. On the contrary, it is argued that until 1967 the original Australian constitution
excluded indigenous people from its definition of Australian citizens. According to sec.51(26) if the
constitution the Federal Parliament has the power to enact legislation with respect to “ the people of any
race, for whom it is deemed necessary to make social laws”. While a number of statutory laws are devoted
to the rights and special needs of indigenous Australians, this legislative power has not yet been employed

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to establish a comprehensive system of indigenous self- determination or self-government in Australia.
The same holds true for state legislation.

Africa
In the post-colonial period, the concept of specific indigenous peoples within the African continent has
gained wider acceptance, although not without controversy. The highly diverse and numerous ethnic
groups which comprise most modern, independent African states contain within them various peoples
whose situation, cultures and pastoralist or hunter-gatherer lifestyles are generally marginalized and set
apart from the dominant political and economic structures of the nation. Since the late 20th century these
peoples have increasingly sought recognition of their rights as distinct indigenous peoples, in both national
and international contexts.
Although the vast majority of African peoples can be considered to be indigenous in the sense that they
have originated from that continent and middle and south east Asia, in practice identity as an "indigenous
people" as per the term's modern application is more restrictive, and certainly not every African ethnic
group claims identification under these terms. Groups and communities who do claim this recognition are
those who by a variety of historical and environmental circumstances have been placed outside of the
dominant state systems, and whose traditional practices and land claims often come into conflict with the
objectives and policies promulgated by governments, companies and surrounding dominant societies.

Asia
The vast regions of Asia contain the majority of the world's present-day Indigenous populations, about
70% according to IWGIA figures.
The most substantial populations are in India, which constitutionally recognizes a range of "Scheduled
Tribes" within its borders. These various peoples (collectively referred to as Adivasis, or tribal peoples)
number about 68 million (1991 census figures, approximately 8% of the total national population).

The languages of Taiwanese aborigines have significance in historical linguistics, since in all likelihood
Taiwan was the place of origin of the entire Austronesian language family, which spread across Oceania.
Indigenous peoples of Iran include the Bakhtiari, Laks, Lurs, and Qashqai. The Assyrians and Marsh
Arabs are also indigenous to areas of the geocultural region of Mesopotamia which includes parts of Iraq,
Syria, and Turkey. The Lurs also inhabit parts of Iraq close to the Iranian border with the provinces of

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Lorestan and Ilam.
Ainu people are an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. As
Japanese settlement expanded, the Ainu were pushed northward, until by the Meiji period they were
confined by the government to a small area in Hokkaidō, in a manner similar to the placing of Native
Americans on reservations.
The Bahrani are the indigenous people of the archipelago of Bahrain and the oasis of Qatif on the Persian
Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia (see historical region of Bahrain).

Bangladesh
In Bangladesh there are about 45 tribal communities. In 1991 there were about 1.2 million,
Which is about 1.13 per cent of the country’s total Population. Tribal forums claim about 2.5
Million as the current population size. Assuming a decadal growth rate of about 1.47 the
Current estimated tribal population based on 1991 Census, would be about 1.9 million.
Proportion of tribal population in the 64 districts varies from less than one per cent to about
55.6 percent in Rangamati district in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Khagrachhari (48.9 %)
and Bandarban (48 %) are the other two districts in CHT accounting for sizable tribal. According to 1991
Census about 82 per cent of tribal were living in rural areas and 18 per cent in urban areas. Very high
proportion of tribal follows Buddhism (37 %), followed by Hinduism (21 %), Islam (18 %), Christianity
(11 %) and other belief system (13 %) (Census1991). They speak a variety of languages, have their own
distinct cultures and bound by their own customary laws.

Tribal community representatives dispute the census figures in 1991. Some of the scholars and
Private census carried out by missionaries’ show that for some groups’ census figures falls far
below than the number estimated at the community level. The 1991 Census Report under
"other" might include the smaller sections or sub-divisions of some of the Tribal communities
as well as the ex-tribal groups. These additional groups (cf. Maloney 1984) could be: “Banjogi
(similar to Pankho and Kuki,), Dalu or Dulai or Dalui (a section of Garo), Hadi (a Hinduized
group), Ho (a section of Munda), Kachari or Kacari (a Hinduized group), Mahili (a subdivision
of Santal), Mikir (a Hinduized group), Paliya (a branch of Rajbansi), Pathor a Hinduized group), Pnar (a
sub-division of Khasi), Riang{ a section of Tipra), and Shendu (a
branch of Khami). The list of ethnic communities given by Maloney (1984) includes another

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10 groups: Bede, Bhuimali, Bhuiya, Ganghu, Jaliya (Kaibartta), Kukamar, Kurmi, Mahto,
MalIa (Mallo), Namasudra. These groups are, in fact, ex-tribal groups. Maloney is aware of
this fact, but he has included them in the list of tribes to identify the Indo-Aryan speaking small
ethnic groups”. (Khaleque, 2002).

Khumi Indigenous People

The Khumi Indigenous People are the people who most marginalized among the indigenous people. They
are more disadvantaged, more uneducated, and more economically vulnerable. They may said as the
bottom of indigenous people in many respects. I have desired to discuss about the khumi indigenous
people in details.

Who are Khumi indigenous people

Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT), situated in the South Eastern part of Bangladesh, is known as indigenous
dominant area from time immemorial. This has been home to 11 heterogeneous minorities - Chakma,
Marma, Tripura, Mro, Tanchangya, Lushai, Hyow (Khiyang), Pangkhua, Chak, Bawm and Khumi. Out of
them, the Chakma, the Marma and the Tripura minority communities are considered as majority groups
whereas the Mro, the Khumi, the Hyow (Khiyang), the Chak, the Pangkhua, the Lushai and the Bawm are
comparatively small in terms of population and disadvantaged in many respects as well. Their language
and culture are in extreme danger and facing extinction as there is no proper initiative to save the
livelihood of these groups. The purpose of this writing is to focus on the current status and identity of the
Khumi minority people, one of the most endangered minority groups. Khumi is a small tribe of
chittagong hill tracts.

The Khumis are also called Khami, which means the best race. Kha in the Khumi dialect means man and
mi means the best. The Arakanese call Khumis Khemi, which implies a race of very low social hierarchy.
Khe in the Arakanese language means dog and mi denotes race. Khumis have Mongoloid features. They
migrated from Arakan towards the end of the 17th century. In Bangladesh they live in Ruma,
Rowangchhari and Thanchi upazilas of bandarban district. The Statistical Pocketbook of Bangladesh
(1999) reports their population in Bangladesh as 1,241. ( Bangla pedia,2008).

The Kuki group in the CHT is, today, known as Chin in Burma and Mizo in India. The Mizo hills are
inhabited by a group of tribes including Lushais, Hmars, Pawis, Lakhers, Paihtes and Raltes. They are

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generally known as Mizos. Mizo is a generic term meaning a high Lander (A.Biswas 1985). All the Chin
or Mizo groups are known as Kuki by the Aryans. According to R.Vanlawma 'The Mizo group of people
who occupy the hill areas between India and Burma are called by Burmese as Chin and by the Bengalese
or Indian as Kuki. Chin or Mizo people in the CHT are consist of six tribes introducing themselves as
various names viz. Bawm (Lai), Pangkhua, Lushai, Khumi, Mru, Khyang. In the recent past, all the Mizo
or Chin people in the CHT were known as Kuki by the Bengali and the Chakma. Although they have, in
course of time, been split into various septs and segregated from the main heartland, they still live closely
with each other in harmony. The Bawm people always comprise of all Kuki group( Sunthla and
Panghawi). According to them (Bawm), the Bawmzo or Bawm comprised of all the Kuki group or the
ethnic group people who belong to Chin or Mizo and who are linguistically described as Kuki-Chin.

An ancient historical noted that the similar tribes of Lai, Pang, Lushai, Mro, Khumi, Khyang are
belonging to both Sunthla and Panghawi clans. So, the Bawm has been comprised of tow main clan of
Sunthla and Panghawi .The term 'Bawm' means unity or united tribes and 'Zo' means highland. The term
Bawmzo, therefore, means the united people of highland. In fine, the people of highland who have, from
various septs belonging to the Chin, become in oneness or in unity are, in fact, called Bawmzo or Bawm.
The all tracts of the Bawm populated or dwelling region are (were) known as Bawmram (former Lairam)
or Bawmland by the Bawm people.

The Kuki tribe scattered throughout the CHT, but a majority of them live in Bandarban district. Most of
the Kuki group can now be found in the upper most and the eastern most hill region of the entire CHT
such as Kiukarotlang (Keokradong), Chimbuktlang, Chinchirmoitlang (Tajindong), Sippitlang
(Ramjumpahar), Tatpawngtlang, Sajek Valley and etc. The hill dwellers include the Lushai, the Pangkhua
and the Bawm. They are never attracted to the valleys and their villages are nearly always found on the
hill tops and the spurs of hll. The Mro, The Khumi, the Khying are generally found in the traditional areas
on the lower crests of hills (Loffler,1986).The Kukis were in the past, wandering about one tract to
another in search of the fartile land and to get rid of mautam famine. The Bawm litterateur Pu Zirkung
Shahu designated them as forest wandering tribe. The Kukis are designated as free hill tribe, Bawm,
Pangkhua, Lushai are particular by Lorenz G. Loffler and as Tongtha (child of hill) by Cap. T. H. Lewin.
they were also known as head hunting tribe by intruders. They never pay the tex that levied by the British
administration. Lewin mentioned that Mru and Khumi pay tribute to Bohmang. But The reports of the
British administrator like T.H.Lewin and his successors in the hill areas contained several ethnographic

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errors regarding the minority Kukis. Since the British could not contact directly and had no good relation
with the Kuki group, The administration tried to contact with the Kukis through the majority group so-
called Arakanese group and their chiefs. So, Lorenz G. Loffler asserts that both authors (T.H. Lewin &
Hutchinson) dealt mainly with the larger groups residing in the major valleys: The Chakma, the Marma,
the Tripura. Less information is offered on the smaller groups: the Mru and the Khumi, the Bawm and the
Pangkhua, the Khyang and the Sake.

Location of Khumi Indigenous People

The Khumi people have been living in three upazilas (sub-district) - Ruma, Rowangchchori and
Thanchchi- in Bandarban district for hundreds of years. They usually live in these areas on the mountain
sides. The oral literature of the forefathers of the community shows that they have been living in these
areas for eight generations. They claim themselves that they came from Chin (part of Arakan) state of
Burma during the 17th century where there are still lots of Khumi. The Khumi society is patriarchal. Intra-
clan marriage is prohibited in the Khumi society. In the Khumi society, bride price system exists where
groom party has to give certain amount of money to bride’s parents or her blood kin. In a Khumi family,
father or older man who looks after family members generally has more power to control over his family.

History of Khumi Indigenous People

The Khumi people belong to Tibetan Kuki-Chin family. In Burma, the Khumi is known as a group of the
collective term of ‘Chin’ whereas in India, the term ‘Chin’ is used for ‘Mizo.’ However, in Bangladesh,
the Mizo or Chin people were (are still sometimes) known as ‘Kuki’.’ The Kuki people of CHT are the
following six ethnic groups - the Bawm, the Pangkhua, the Lushai, the Khumi, the Hyow (Khiyang) and
the Mro. There were huge similarities between these six communities especially in terms of linguistic
patterns and cultural values. Despite the similarities they are now apparently different from each other due
to the conversion into different religions, demographical distance and the impact of other global forces.
However, the traditional inter-clan relationship, linguistic phenomenon and cultural norms amongst these
groups still clearly prove that their origin or root is the same. ( Lelung Khumi,2009)

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Language of Khumi indigenous People

Before we have discussed that the khumi indigenous people are the more undeveloped group among the
indigenous people. They live in the Southern part of Bangladesh. They basically came from the Barma(
Myanmer). The last century, they came to Chittagong and settled here. In 1983 Mr. B.H. Hodson wrote
about them. He wrote-
“The race of people, of which there are two divisions called themselves kami vel kimi and kumi, and by
Arakanese respectively Aara kumi and Aphya kumi, inhabited the hills bordering the river which is named
by the Arakanese kuladan. It is probable that the kamis and kumis have not been settled in their present
seat for more than five or six generations. They gradually expelled there from a tribe called Mro or My.
The kami calns are now themselves being disturbed in their possessions by more powerful tribes, and are
being driven west ward and south ward. They state that they once dwelt on the hills now possessed by the
Khyengs, and positions of the tribe have been driven out by the latter within the memory of man. The
number of kamis within the British territory amounts to 40129 routs” (B.H. Hobson, on the Indo-Chinise
border and their connection with the Himalayas and Tibetans J.A.S.B, vol-22;p1-25, Calcutta 1853).

It is true that the Khumi indigenous people, has the separate unwritten language that is similar to the Mro
and other chin groups. It has no similarities with Bengali language. It is not also possible to know by
Bengali without learning. As far as known, the khumi language is mostly different in the sense of
pronoun, verb, words, and pronunciation. We can see an example of using pronouns in comparing with
Bengali language.

Khumi language Bengali language

1. kai ami
2. na tumi
3. hunilo shei
4. kassi amra
5. hunilossi tahara
( book: Parbotto chattagramer upojatider bhasa, Sugota Chakma,1988,70-71)

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There are some examples of khumi’s language in the sense of verb. This is as follows-

Khumi language Bengali language

Kai be cha be ami bhat khai
Kai be cha bo ami bhat khelam
Kai be cha oi ami bhat khabo

(Source:ibid)

Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Bandarban has
done work with khumi language. They noted about the statement of Professor David Peterson, an
American linguist and Tibetan kuki-chin expert. Lelung khumi worked with him in formulating the khumi
dictionary as “khumi to English dictionary” since 1999. Peterson note about the khumi language as
follows—
“The etymology for 'Khumi' which Ken VanBik, Lelung Khumi, and I came up with one morning a few
years ago is as follows: the -mi part is unsurprisingly the widely attested Kuki-Chin element that means
'person'. The first part is more complicated, but is related to the explanation that I gave for 'Hyow'
(=Khyang) in a post on the Khyang (Heou) indigenous group discussion board. There I suggested that the
original root that is involved here is actually 'hyow', like the Khyang's name for them. In some languages
hy- became z- (Lai, Mizo, Bawm, etc.), but the original sound at the beginning of this root was hy-. The
hy- sound in Bangladeshi varieties of Khumi usually just became h- (cf. 'fan'= Khumi ho~Hyow hyap~Lai
zap; 'follow'=Khumi huy~Hyow hyul~Lai zul). The k- at the beginning of 'Khumi' came from something
we Tibeto-Burmanists call a 'prefix' even though it doesn't really have a clear meaning like prefixes
usually do. We can also see this particular prefix in the name for another group from southern Chin State,
the K'cho (Mindat area.) (Note that the -cho part of this name is actually just the same 'hyow' root.) “ They
do not want any non-khumi person to learn their dialect. Neither do they wish to learn the language of any
other people.

Religion of Khumi Indigenous People

Khumis are generally Buddhists. However, their beliefs and practices reveal animistic and polytheistic
views. They pay homage to Pathian, the Creator. The other two gods they honor are Nadag, the household

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deity, and Bogley, the god of water. Khumis have similarity with the murongs in the observance of cow
slaughter puja. They use plung flute of Murongs, although they do not dance in a group as the Murongs
do. A Khumi man dances with a woman by his side during this ceremony. Nadag puja is observed before
jhum cultivation and also before the harvest. A dog, a boar and an odd number of cocks and hens are
offered as sacrifice on the riverbank during this festival. People ceremonially dance and sing. Sacrificial
flesh is cooked and a morsel of stewed flesh is placed on the riverbank before consuming the sacrificial
meat.
Khumis cremate their dead and then gather the bones and ashes, wrap them with a piece of cloth and keep
the pack for a certain period before burying them in the jungle with festive rituals. They preserve the
weapons of the dead man in a house built in the place where the corpse is burnt. [Selmon H Dio].

The dominant religion of the indigenous peoples is Buddhism (Chakmas, Marmas, Tanchangya,and
partially the Mru). Some of them belong to the Hindu (Tripuras) and Christian faiths (Lushais, Pankho and
Bawm and some Mru), while others have retained their traditional religion. However, nearly all the
indigenous peoples also include traditional indigenous elements in their formal religious beliefs and
practices. The Khumis claim to be Buddhists, but their beliefs and religious rites are mostly animist. Their
chief god is Pathian. They also pay homage to “Nadog” the household deity, and “Bogley” the water
deity. They are divided into “wife-giving” and “wife-taking” clans. The eldest son inherits all the
property.
They have an oral language which belongs to the southern branch of the Kukish section (Shafer
1955:105). Once upon a time the khumi people were worship to nature. In the course of time, they
converted to Buddhism, Crama, Christian and nature worship. For this reason, it is interesting to know
that, in the same it can be found the multiple religions believers in the same family. They perform their
religious duty as their own. They have no conflict on the basis of religion in the family. They practicing
religion as their will. But now most of the khumis are Christian. ( Mohiuddin,field data, 2009).
They still practice the animal dedication to God . Though they are different on the basis of religious belief,
they are united in the birth, death and marriage unitedly. They practice these three together. They also
arrange worship to god for the welfare of village, jum cultivation (Swidden), happiness and for various
reasons with animal, wine, promises and other various gorgeous festivals. Still there found the God, sub-
god, nature worship and many other things as the social practice. ( Manusher Jonno,2007)

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Educational Condition of Khumi Indigenous People

It is very strange to know that at the current situation the educational status of khumi indigenous people is
very worse. The most people of that group are illiterate and they never go to primary school. There was a
survey (Mohiuddin 24 January,2009) on the khumi indigenous people. In this survey showed that among
the 120 people of khumi group, none of them ever goes to school or other informal educational institution.
The people, who are surveyed, do not know the language of others. Like, Bengali is also unknown to
them. They only know their language that is not written. It is also matter of interesting that, they have no
interest to know the language of others. They also always try to hide their language from other outer
people. They were asked “Do you able to write your name?” They surprisingly answered that, they
absolutely do not know any language except their own language.

When they were asked - “Are you interested to learn Bengali?” They replied that, we are more satisfied
with our own language. Among the 120 respondents, only one people can understand the Bengali poorly.
The current education level of that group is approximately zero percent (0%). The government of
Bangladesh, including education ministry, and other ministries do not publish any report on the education
level of the khumi indigenous people. Among the three villages Langtong para, Aongtong para and
Shangking para, none of the people can speak in Bengali or other language. The son of Karbari (village
head) simply understands Bengali. In this situation we can ask one question to the civilized state of
Bangladesh that,” now, where is the humanity and the universal right of education and Millennium
Development Goal, 2015? “ Everything is failed to ensure the basic right of these disadvantaged group. As
the basic right, they have no light of education. So, how can we think a development of Bangladesh by
leaving these indigenous groups.

Economic Condition of Khumi Indigenous People

The economic condition of khumi indigenous people is a matter of interesting. Interesting in this reason
that, they have no economic vulnerability. And their average income is not more that 300-500 per month.
They are self-sufficient and what they need in everyday, is available over there. Simply we know, as
Bengali, most of the people of this country depend on the rice. Khumi indigenous people produce
everything; they need for their daily life. Their main profession of that group people is undoubtedly

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Swidden (Jum) cultivation. Irrespective of male and female, all are Swidden cultivator. They are mostly
dependent on the Swidden cultivation. Besides Swidden, they produce other important products what they
need for survival.

At they survey ( Mohiuddin,24 January,2009), when we were in the participant observation, we found
that, their houses were full of fruits and various products. We found mostly Sweden, rice, banana, guava,
various vegetables, orange, coconut, black pepper(Gulmorich), jute and others fruits and vegetables. By
their statement, it is also known that, they also produce jam (syzizyum camini), ada( zingiber officinalis),
bamboo, bel( aegle marneles), kocho(alocasia anliguarune), karala(momordica) mango, neem, onion,
papaya, potato, tulshi, tejpata, tal (borresus flabelifat), and many other products and vegetables that are
needed for their livelihood.

We saw that, though most of time they eat vegetables, their main attraction to shukor(pigs). These are
found all over the area of our research area. Their houses are lifted on bamboo and under their houses,
their found the house for shukors. This seems that it is like hen/cocks of Muslims Bengali villages. In rural
Bengalis mostly nurse the animals like hen/cocks more. Like this scenario was observed for the Khumi
Indigenous People.

By the FGDs ( Focus Group Discussion), we can understand that these people worked in their field from
dawn to dusk. The average work time of these people is about 12-15 hours a day. They worked together
by male and female with other members of the family. They informed us that, everything they can
manage, still they have to go out for some products like salt, oil, soap and some other basic needs that is
not possible to produce by them. This task is most of time is done by the karbari( village leader) or son of
karbari. The general people hardly go out to the local markets. But ultimately, it is clear that they not poor
and economic vulnerable. They are the self-sufficient in production. They sell their various products to the
retail markets. This task also is done by karbari. Though their more disadvantaged and backward group,
they are not poor and they have no poverty ( Mohiuddin,24 January 2009)

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Social Condition of Khumi Indigenous People

The social system is very diverse and it is mostly surrounding religion and customs. The social system is
more traditional and old. From the various sources, it is known that, they stop work if some one dies. They
say this festival as Lu-Khujana. They stop they work until the death body is fired or buried. At the first
day of Swidden worship (jum puja), they stop work. They say the jum puja as cho-plona. Cho-plana is
done for jum or rice god.and who perform the worship, they have an stone named cho-achi that is used as
medicine of rice and swidden. According the rule of Khumi indigenous society, if new groom or bride is
receipt, they do not work in that day. They name this stopping as na-bo-ja-na and again when the new
born child is born, they stop their work. They stop their work in the day of nerve drying. The name of this
stopping is as ling-goi-ja-na.

It is very interesting in building houses. When they want to build houses, they choose place and wait to
dream at night. If that night, the dream results better about the place, the build houses. And after building
houses, when they decide to enter the house, that day they worship the house. They have logic about the
worship is that, there was a god who is for house, can do good or bad. If the god happy with the members
of the house, the god will save them. The name of this worship is aong –aa-bo-na. This worship is also
two kinds, one for poor and another for rich.

In khumi family is more conservative for women. The house of them is divided with two parts. One for
the bed room and another is drawing room. The bed room is called as Ondormohol . If they have the
young girl, she has to take part in the ondormohol in a specific area. If nay one enter the ondormohol
from outsider, he has to punish in according the rules of their traditional; rule.
There is an important program, that is done after the swidden cultivation. The name of this program is ni
sa- aa-na. To arrange this program, karbari takes fund from the families and after taking fund, karbari
buys animals and after the worship these animals are devoted to god in the jhiri( the place from where they
use water in mountain side).

Another famous program among the khumi indigenous people is the ni-cho-aa-na festival. This is done
for the raining season. In this program, they stop work two days. They collect funds and buy animals.

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With theses animals, they go the jum field and devoted these animals for the welfare of jum cultivation.
After cooking the animals, all together eat these meats and come back to houses with music. That day,
they can not go out from house. Even, they can not collect woods. Before, everything need to be collected.
Between the two days, one is for the villagers and another is for animals so that they could be safe from
the evils and affected things.

If any food it may be new or collected from the forest, before eating, small part of this food is messaged in
the nerve. In this way, they believe that, now this food is safe from evil or infected things. (Manusher
Jonno, 2007, 44).
There is vast program is organized in the khumi village as Aarang cheng which is popularly is known as
Raj Utshob or Raj Mela. It is the vast program for the old khumi religion believers. It is more costly and
limited for the people who are traditionally following the old khumi religion. In the life, one khumi has to
arrange this program once in life. Who can arrange twice or more, he is respected by other khumis. And it
may be understood by seeing their houses and patterns. Because they build their houses in this way that,
this is different from other khumi houses.
They also take worship for the patients who is not recovered for many days. This is called as ee-mona.

It is totally different form other social system of the khumi. If any girl goes to the house of any khumi boy
single, it is determined as social offence. And the girl is certified as bad girl . But a boy can goes to the
house of the girl’s house single. And can stay or gossip in the girl’s house the whole night. It can not be
justified as offence.

Health Practice of Khumi Indigenous People

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare published its annual report on the health of indigenous people in
the name of “Social Assessment and Tribal Health Nutrition and Population Plan for the HNP Sector
Program” (2005 to 2010) (November, 2004). Efforts have been made to collect available literature on
situation of tribal health, nutrition and population. However, information available is limited and available
studies are fragmentary in nature. Regional and national level studies do not provide disaggregated data
for tribal. This provides a limitation on correctly understanding current tribal situation in terms of health,
nutrition and population situation.

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Given this scenario some of the district / divisional level data are presented here. This reflects general
overall low performance of the regions inhabited by tribal on various indicators. Although the infant
mortality and child mortality rates were low for Khagrachhari, maternal health indicators, such as
antenatal care visit, assistance during delivery by medically trained personnel and post natal care for
mother were lower than that of national or divisional figures – 30 per cent, 9.9 per cent and 6.6 per cent.
For Rangamati assistance during delivery by medically trained personnel (15 %) was higher compared to
national (11.6 %) and divisional (11.4%) percentages. Reported antenatal care visit was lower (41.4 %
compared to 47.6 % for the country). Though postnatal care received for mother in Rangamati (16.1%)
was higher compared to Chittagong Division (9 %), it was higher only by a fraction compared to that of
national percentage (16.7 %).(BSS, 2004)

In this report showed that, in Bandarban 48 percent of total indigenous people live. 57.7 poor families are
living there. The proper health practice in this area is very low. Only 10.2 percent people take the
assistance of medical trained personnel at the time of delivery. Any postnatal care received for mother is
6.3 percent. In the Chittagong division the total child mortality rate is 322.

The report though did not publish their report on the basis of different group. But from the reality, it can
be said that, the situation of khumi indigenous people is worse. Because among the 120 respondents,
most of the respondents were khumi spouse. And they never use the contraceptives in their congenial life.
Their family member is average is 5-7 and no child goes to school. Their health practice is mostly
dependent on the customary health practices. There is no hospital in that area and the hospitals that are
situated are about 20-25 kilometers for from them. At emergency, they have no way for doctors or other
medicinal health. They stated that, among them, some people are like that who never go to the hospital in
life. In the total khumi villages, there is no government hospital, clinics, community hospitals and other
health facilities. They reported that, sometimes NGO health workers come to them and ask about their
health. They also said that, they supply medicine and contraceptive (condom and tablets). But they
confessed that, they never use it in life.

From they discussion it became clear to us that, their health is still dependent on the nature. They mostly
depend on the nature for their livelihood, health and other daily needs. The most common diseases that are
available in that area are cold cough, influenza, typhoid, diarrhea, dysentery, measles, pox, skin infection,

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scabies, whooping cough, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, chest pain, stomach
cancer, anemia, paralysis, tooth ache, back pain, abortion, tonsillitis, berry berry etc. There are
uncountable types diseases are found among them. Which cause and reason, they never understand.

As they remedies, they use various types of God worships. Which they think as the result of their sin. By
thinking such, they offer themselves to God helplessly. They also use some remedies based on the nature
and Herbal medicine. They mostly use the medicine from the herbals are like for diarrhea they eat the
roots of shanty tree with fried rice, eat seven drops of juice of afnadi creeper with molasses, eat juice of
jam, eat juice of Helen, drinking sanctified water three times early in the morning, eat infanticide salt with
every meal, use amulets and sanctified rope in the hand, eat warm rosogolla and many other herbal
mdivines.. For the respiratory diseases they eat juice of tulshi with honey, take bath with boiled neem, take
ada juice, take juice of harbakosh leaves, sanctified amulets on the chest, rub mustard oil on the chest and
for the skin related problems they take bathe with boiled neem tree, apply kolakoshidia leaves, apply
joyna seeds oil, sanctified boiler water, drinking certain herbal juice formulated by the traditional
practioners.
For fever paste amashed onion and mustard oil on the king of head, apply on the fore head with smashed
barks of benlna tree, take sherbet of bamboo’s leaves juice, paste smashed potato on the forehead, pour
water of the head, drink sanctified water, stop eating rice. For the aches and pain they use rub kerosene oil
in the pain area, fomentation with warm cloth. For the surgical condition( cut, wound, injury) they apply
smashed dubgrasses on the cut, bamboo dust mixed with turmeric, akanda leaves.
Except these they have many other herbal and traditional practices that list is more long. But it is true that
still they are out of modern medicinal practices.

Women condition of Khumi Indigenous People

The status of women all over the world is low. It is true for Bangladeshi women. Again it is absolutely
true for indigenous women. Though the indigenous women enjoy the more rights and freedom in their
society, they also marginalized among the indigenous male. It is known that the khumi indigenous society
is patriarchal. They have two clans. One is known as Awa Khumi and the other is Aphya Khumi. Both the
clans once lived on the bank of the Koladain River. Khumis do not marry within the same clan. Premarital
sex among the young people is not reprehensible (punishable). The community, however, requires the
couple to marry each other if their premarital intercourse results in pregnancy. The women enjoy freedom

xxii
but they are never elected or selected as village leader, king or circle leader. The khumi village is
absolutely patriarchal. No woman can be the village leader. The women in the khumi people enjoy as the
same as male partner except leadership. If the female is wife of some one, there is assigned some rules for
the husband. Some of them as follows

• The husband of khumi people will restore everything for women after marriage. The house of her
parents has no duty of their girl after marriage.
• The wife will own anything as her own. She may take any gift from her relatives. It will be only
for her, it may before marriage or after marriage.
• The woman will take the recognition of her wife’s house, it does not matter what she was before
marriage.
• If she wants the care and duty from her husband from her husband, she has to live with her
husband’s house. If the husband is cruel or dishonest, she may stay in her parents’ house. In this
sense, she will provide everything from her husband.
• The wife has no right to give obstacle her husband from second or third marriage. Because it is
allowed in khumi society. There a man can marry two or more if he wants.
• As widow, a wife can take all the responsibility of her husband’s property if she does not marry
again.
• If the husband is sexually inactive or attacked by dangerous diseases, she can marry again. That
time she does not need any permission from her husband but she has to leave her husband’s house.

These are the main rights and obligation that a khumi married woman can enjoy. Still they can not enjoy
political right. It is not in the history of khumi indigenous people.

Life style

Khumi males wear lengti (long narrow buttocks clothes). They leave a part of the lengti hanging in the
front and back sides below the waist. They bear long hair and wear white turbans. Khumi women wear
wanglai, a 9 - 14 inches wide piece of cloth. Women do not cover the upper part of their body, but hang
ornaments of silver and puti from the neck.

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Khumis own slaves or a go-for boy. If a Khumi household head does not have a son he may donate all of
his property to such a boy before his death. Most Khumis are farmers by profession. They practise jhum
cultivation. They weave their own dresses, the lengti and wanglai. They prefer building house on top of
trees in the deep forest. They have an oral dialect of the Kuki-Chin language family, but no written script.
They do not want any non-khumi person to learn their dialect. Neither do they wish to learn the language
of any other people.
Their staple food is rice and main drink is wine. Wine is an indispensable part of their culture. They use
wine for worship, household affairs, and as drinks for any occasion. They eat the meat of any domestic or
wild animals such as tigers, deer, cows, boars, dogs, jackals, roosters, bears, buffaloes, and snakes.

Conclusion

The khumi indigenous people who are most disadvantage group among the indigenous people. They are
totally different from the other indigenous group in chittagong hill tracts. They still do not see the light of
civilization. The education, which is the basic need of one, is about zero in them. The health practices,
which is main element for good health is still nature and super natural based. There are many matters that
was not possible to draw out by our research for the reason of time and topic. Much important
information is still unknown to us about the khumi’s social, economic, political, cultural lives and other
issues. So far we know from the research, it also became possible for Lelung Khumi and the son of
Karbari who helped us very much. Because in these three villages only one person, son of karbari, can
speak Bengali. So we are grateful to them. I think in this research, many thing is unexplored. For this I
hope a vast research will be done on khumi indigenous people. We believe that diversity is the beauty.
Bangladesh is an example in the world where we find Hindu, Muslim, Christ and other religion’s group.
Besides it becomes beautiful with indigenous people. We have to ensure the right of all as the citizen of
Bangladesh. Then we think that, the diversity fruitfully will be beautiful.

The end

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References:

1. Bikash Chakma, advocate, khumi Bektigoto o Paribarik ayen (book), published by Manusher
Jonno, 2007

2. Lelung Khumi, Biloptopray khumi Nrigustider Shikkha o Ostitto(article), published in Jum

literature young society(magazine) , Dhaka, 2005.

3. http://khumib.ning.com/profile/zdpydtdk5evg

4. MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE Social Assessment and Tribal Health Nutrition and
Population Plan for the HNP Sector Program
(2005 to 2010) November, 2004( bss)

5. Indigenous People of Bangladesh : Khumi (Banglapedia,) www.banglapedia.com

6. ECDO , Ethnic Community Development (www.edco.com)

7. Sugoto Chakma, Parbotto Chattagramer Opojatio Bhasha(book),1988

8. Survey on “ Khumi Indigenous People” by Mohammad Mohiuddin( 4th year, 2009), done on 24th
January 2007.

The Status and Rights

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