The Chakmas, who primarily reside in Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar, have a deep-rooted connection to these countries and consider them their homeland. Any place beyond these borders is still foreign to them.
Undoubtedly, the new generation, born in different countries, is experiencing a cultural shift. For them, these three countries are no longer their homelands. Many have embraced their new identities, becoming Japanese, American, South Korean, French, or Australian by birth.
However, this new generation is still led by their parents, who were born in the three countries mentioned above. So, leadership has not changed yet. We may have to wait probably one or two decades.
But I am deeply concerned about the way we are leading this new generation. It’s high time we reevaluate our approach and consider a change. Are we preparing them to face the future, or are we holding them back with outdated perspectives?
Sadly, I do not see any significant change in the Chakmas, even though many live abroad. The ideas and the way of thinking remain the same.
No, I am not talking about culture, customs, or other significant changes. We should not change these because they are our identity. I am talking about the way of thinking.
Chakmas live in many more countries besides Japan, America, South Korea, France, and Australia. Unfortunately, the level of thinking is the same.
Suppose Bengali people live in Japan. They create an organization no matter what party they support. They make a banner and a website. Any function they do can be found on the website.
We know they do not need a separate banner to be organized because they have an embassy. Even the embassy can take care of them, but they still do it separately. That is an excellent idea. This shows a proactive approach and a commitment to community cohesion.
Chakmas are few in number and do not have much power, but I think we can still be organized.
Suppose, Bizu Celebration.
We cannot find out. But locally, some good people who are a little more advanced than us make Facebook groups and keep inviting one another. Somehow, the Bizu Celebration goes well.
That is locally possible.
How about internationally?
ZERO.
We cannot find out how the Bizu celebration was in Japan; people from France cannot find out. Vice versa. On the other hand, from Japan, we cannot find how Bizu was celebrated in America.
It is the age of digital information. Information is very important, especially for a nation like ours, the Chakmas.
A website can solve it.
A website is much more effective than a Facebook group or page. It may be a little expensive, but it does not mean that it is beyond our capacity. A WordPress website may cost a few dollars to 200 dollars per year.
Those who live in Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar are doing better than those who live abroad. But those who are living abroad should have been more advanced in thinking and ideas. Unfortunately, we cannot see it yet.
We remain still on Facebook. We are limiting ourselves to a platform designed for social interaction, not for serious community organization and information dissemination.
There is no difference from where we were in our small villages in 2007 when Facebook came into our countries.
Neither France, Japan, nor America has shown us how to lead our new generation ahead. We need to look at these countries not just as places to live but as models to learn from and adapt their successes to our context.
America not only controls the world but also controls the sky. Japan is not only advanced in technology but also in ideas. But we live in such advanced countries, yet we cannot show others except for those we believe.
We, Chakmas, could neither learn nor change. The future may not be different, whether in the Hill Tracts, Arunachal, Mizoram, or Tripura, wherever we live.
We must think. We must act. The time for passive observation is over.
