An Account of Tripura by Kulottam Chakma
Photo: Kulottam Chakma (April 2008)
Recently I have been on a visit to Tripura. It was my first visit to the north eastern state of India. Tripura is the 2nd smallest state after Sikkim. Yet the state is culturally and geographically very diverse and a very fascinating place to visit.
For this article please visit Images of Tripura
Agartala is the capital of Tripura. I arrived in Agartala on 4th April’08 by bus from Dhaka. The journey on a good day takes 5 hours from Dhaka. However due to long queue of freight trucks on the Bangladeshi side of the border, the journey took more than 7 hours. The road from Dhaka to Brahmanbaria is paved and comfortable. However the road from B. Baria to Akhaura is unpaved and 20 km journey takes about an hour.
By the time the bus arrived at Agartala terminal, it was already 4:30pm. It feels like dusk. In the north east the sun rises early, it also sets early. India is a huge country. It has only one time for the whole country. Fortunately I did not have to find my way through the maze of traffic. Two of my cousins were waiting for me at the bus terminal.
Agartala is a predominantly Bengali city. People speak in an accent very similar to the Bengalis of Comilla district in Bangladesh. Agartala is becoming home to a growing number of Chakmas. There are some suburbs springing up exclusively owned by the Chakmas. Almost all Chakma children I met in Agartala fluently speak Chakma. It’s a sign that Chakmas in Agartala live in cluster rather than in isolation. Unfortunately same can not be said of the Tripuri community in Agartala. I met two middle aged Tripuri men as travel companions on the bus from Dhaka to Agartala. To my surprise they speak in Bengali with each other and with their wives. I met another Tripuri man in a travel agent where I bought my air ticket to Kolkata. He too can’t speak Tripuri language. Of course the Tripuris outside Agartala proudly speak Tripuri language and are very proud of their culture and language.
People of Tripura are proud of their cultural identity be they Bengalis, Tripuris or Chakmas and they express identity by their dress. Dress distinguishes people in Bengalis, Tripuris and Chakmas. Chakma women in Tripura seldom wear saris, Chakma women’s dress is almost always pinon-khadi.
Chakma community in Agartala has a Buddhist temple. It’s a land mark and tourist attraction in Agartala. It’s one of the most beautiful Chakma temples I have seen. The temple is known as “Buddha Mandir” and everyone in Agartala from rikshawala to shopkeeper seems to know its whereabouts. Few years ago Chakmas invited Dalai Lama here.
Next day on 5th April’08 together with my three cousins we drove to Silachari. Silachari is located in South Tripura district near the Indo Bangladesh border. It’s a 4 hours journey from Agartala. The road from Agartala to Udaipur is well built and takes about 3 hours by car. The road snakes through plantation forests and rice fields. The road is moderately hilly. The road from Udaipur to Silachari is unpaved, winding and mountainous.
Silachari has a mixed community of Chakmas & Marmas. By the way the Marma community of Tripura identify themselves as Moghs. It’s very common for Chakmas in Silachari to know Mogh or Marma language, likewise most of the Moghs can speak Chakma. Silachari is a border town and on the other side of the border is Panchari sub-division of Khagrachari. Silachari is very clean and to my surprise unlike Agartala there are not many mosquitoes.
Most of the Chakmas in Silachari are farmers and laborers. They represent the majority Chakma population in Tripura. I met four Chakma laborers who were building a traditional mud house. I made an overture and asked them the problems they had to face in their lives. They were unanimous in their answer- it was poverty. Then I went to a bazaar in Silachari where Chakmas, Moghs and Bengalis trade their produce. One thing I noticed that Chakmas and Moghs mainly trade in perishable goods like vegetables, fruits, etc. and Bengalis mainly trade in durables goods like umbrellas, rubber slippers etc.
Next day on 6th April’08 we drove back to Agartala. On 7th April’08 my cousin Sritittor and I were again on the road to Pechartal. Pechartal is located in the North Tripura district and 6 hours journey from Agartala. We boarded a Mahindra 4 wheel drive, there were 7 other passengers. After an hour drive from Agartala, all vehicles stopped at a place named Chakmaghat. No vehicle can travel on its own from Chakmaghat. All vehicles have to travel in convoy escorted by Indian Army. There are at least 100 vehicles in each convoy. The reason for traveling in convoy is to protect from rebel attacks. There is rebel group for almost every ethnic group in Tripura. Chakmaghat is the place where plain land of West Tripura ends and mountains of Dhalai district begin. Long ago it must have been a Chakma inhabited region. Otherwise why the name would be Chakmaghat?There are many Tripuri & Reang villages along the road. Along the road Tripuri and Reang boys sell firewood, fruits, tea to weary travelers. Some time the convoy stops for no apparent reason. If a vehicle breaks down or there is a landslide then the whole convoy has to stop until the problem is fixed. Every 10s of kilometers there are road works. When the convoy goes over sandy unpaved road it raises a heavy plume of dust. The road needs constant maintenance. Most of the road workers are tribal people. The road work must provide a constant source of income to the tribal inhabitants.
On the road I met a town named Kumarghat. There is a train station and train from Guwahati comes up to Kumarghat. Not long ago Kumarghat used to be a Chakma town. Now Kumarghat is predominantly Bengali town. After about 5 and ½ hours journey from Agartala, the convoy arrives at Manu. The convoy ends at Manu and vehicles are free to go as they wish. Manu is a mixed town of Chakmas and Bengalis. It’s not hard to spot pinon-khadi wearing Chakma women selling vegetables and dhudi-lungi wearing Chakma men selling bamboos to bargain loving Bengalis.
After ½ hour drive from Manu, we arrive at Pechartal. Pechartal is a predominantly Chakma town. Pechartal is located in North Tripura district almost near the border of Assam. Chakmas settled in Pechartal more than 100 years ago. Pechartal is located on the bank of Manu river, near the railway line that will connect Agartala with the rest of India and on a main arterial highway. The town is guarded by mountains in the west.
In the afternoon I went for a stroll to the Pechartal town. Most of the businesses are owned by the Bengalis. But there are Chakma businesses from groceries to clothe shops along the high way. I went to the Buddhist temple. There was roof work going on, which was broken in an earlier storm. The rikshawallas are predominantly Chakmas. I went to the bazaar. Chakma women wearing pinon-khadi were selling tomatoes, chili and potatoes. Chakma men wearing dhudi were selling pork and fish. They look jubilant and high spirited. Then I went to a local communist party office. Some school aged boys were watching TV.
One of the reasons I visited Tripura was to see how people were living in that state. I stopped at a tailor shop owned by Mr. Abhoy Chakma and asked him the problems they are facing in their lives. He told me it was the poverty among the Chakmas. At night I met a doctor who works at Manu hospital. I asked her if there is high mortality among the tribal people from malaria and other diseases. According to her Tripura government took some initiatives to reduce malaria. For example the government gave free mosquito nets to villagers and it significantly reduced malaria in Tripura.
Next day on 8th April’08, we left Pechartal for Agartala. From my brief visit, I had the impression that Pechartal Chakmas are proud, cheerful and fearless people. Will Pechartal remain a Chakma town in 30 years time? Or it will meet the fate of Kumarghat and Chakmaghat. Hopefully Chakmas had learned the lessons and will stand on their grounds. Only time will tell.
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