Socio-economic Baseline Survey of Chittagong Hill Tracts - chtdf

HDRCSocio-economic Baseline Survey of Chittagong Hill Tracts55major setback in mid-1950s with construction of the Kaptai Lake (affecting about 33% of thehouseholds), and third time between 1978 and 1997 (affecting about 19% households).Therefore, understanding of the magnitude of land dispossession incidents, time of theirdispossession, and its mechanism is needed to design and implement socio-economicdevelopment in the region. The current sub-section presents the findings of the survey on theabove aspects.Table 6.6: Inter-generational Scenario of Land dispossession in CHTDispossessed/reasonsIndigenouspeople: AllBawmChakChakmaKhyangIndigenous peoples and BangaleeHH reported everdispossessed of land (%)21.8 10.2 40.6 2.1 10.4 7.2 21.7 10.1 14.8 18.7Who is dispossessed (%)Self 5.7 10.2 9.4 2.8 4.3 8.3 3.5 6.3 6.0Father 14.4 28.5 2.1 6.2 2.9 13.3 5.0 7.9 11.5Grandfather 4.5 8.9 1.9 3.3 2.0 1.2 3.0Amount of landdispossessed (decimal)115.1 26.1 234.9 2.6 36.2 24.3 67.7 49.4 58.3 89.7Reasons of dispossession (%)Bangalees engulfed 18.0 6.1 36.2 7.5 4.3 10.0 6.0 3.4 11.4Indigenous peopleengulfed2.1 3.3 2.1 1.2 1.4 8.4 1.0 7.7 4.6Local elites engulfed 1.1 1.0 0.8 5.0 2.0 .08 1.0Land acquisition byGovernment3.4 2.0 7.0 1.4 1.7 1.0 2.9 3.2N 1786 54 49 731 47 43 15 469 69 50 60 199 1452 3238The survey reveals that about 19% rural households irrespective of indigenous and Bangaleehouseholds have ever been dispossessed of their lands (Table 6.6). Among the indigenoushouseholds, about 22% percent lost their lands. A large proportion of the Chakma households(41%) is reportedly being dispossessed and is followed by the Tanchangyas (22%). A 10%household each from among the Marmas, the Chaks and the Tripuras has ever experiencedthe same. The Mro and the Khyang households are relatively less affected by suchdispossession (7% and 2%). It is to note that none from among the Bawms, Khumis, Lushaisand Pangkhuas households has reported of ever being dispossessed (Table 6.6). The surveyhas depicted that there is a inter-generational scenario of loosing land applicable for allhouseholds: (i) majority of dispossession incidents have taken place during the life time offathers of the current owners (11%), (ii) about 6% lost their lands during his/her ownershipperiod, and (iii) 3% have been reportedly dispossessed during the ownership of his/her grandfather. This pattern is the same for indigenous and Bangalee households. It is to observe thatthe reported incidents of dispossessions took place during 1970-2007, and majority of theincidences took place during 1978-1997. Moreover, the survey has also depicted that some ofthe households – although a smaller proportion of the respondents –have been dispossessedmore than once. For example, an overall 22% of the households of indigenous communitieshave reported of loosing land, while if reported instances of intergenerational dispossession isadded, the proportion rises up to 25%. The authors found during informal interaction withvarious stakeholders that the difference between the above-cited figures is the instances whenthe household (family) had been dispossessed of their properties during the ownershipperiods of different generations (self father and grandfather).KhumiLushaiMarmaMroPangkhuaTanchangyaTripuraBangaleeAll CHT