Friendly Chat with Chakmas of Nankya village in Arakan

I arrived at Chakma aka Daignet village Nankya in Mrauk U township of Rakhine state in Myanmar on 25 January 2011. The village is about 6 miles from Mrauk U city. The villagers hosted me in a frontyard of a house. Villagers squated on ground and sat on traditional stools 'pira'. We had discussion on various topics like their livelihood, education, language and culture.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Chakma
• Daignet
• Arakan
• Rakhine

[dipu75137]

These ppl dont liked to introduce as Tangchangya , may be because it was given by the Rakhaine ppla. I can sse the similarities the situation in BD. Some ppl and official are not allowing the CHT ppl to declare them as Indigenous ppl. They r calling The tribes UPOJATI. but CHT ppl r trying to declaring themselves as Indigenous ppl.

I think u have got my point .

[kchakmaofoz]

@dipu75137

According to english dictionary, swidden cultivator is a slash and burn farmer who practice nomadic farming in hills and mountains. Unlike the Rakhines, majority of the Chakmas used to practice swidden or jhum farming. The Rakhines named the Chakmas Taung Tangya, which literally mean swidden or jhum farmer.

[dipu75137]

Thank you. But the chkma ppl in BD can communicate with the chitagoian without any hesitation as there are some similarities in laguage . But the Chkma ppl in BD are not claiming themselves as Chitagonian. If they claim themselves , i have nothing to say.

Another point , though the Ausse , British and Yankees speak in English. But they never introduce themselve as English or British .

[kchakmaofoz]

@dipu75137

Chakmas in BD do not speak with the Chittagonians in Chakma language. Majority of the Chakmas speak with the Chittagonians in Chittagonian language. Chakma and Chittagonian are completely two different languages. Chittagonian is a dialect of Bengali. According to your logic Chittagonians are not Bengali, they are ethnically different.

Australians, Americans or Canadians do not introduce themselves as British. But they do not deny the fact that the language they speak is English.

[dipu75137]

I just watched the clip and  being a member of Tanchangya community in Bangladesh i discovered that the person with whom Major conversation took place , actually belongs to Tanchangya community. The Language accent of that person is exactly simmilar to the accent used by us .

However thanks for posting the clip

[kchakmaofoz]

They themselves don't identify themselves as Tanchangyas, they identify themselves as Chakmas. They may have different accent, but we don't have any problem communicating in Chakma language. Accent may be different, but language is the same. Australian, British and American accents are different, but they all speak in English. Tanchangya is an exonym given by Rakhines to Chakmas who live in the hills. In Rakhine language Taung means hill and Tangya means swidden cultivator.

[CHAKMAMANTOSH]

@ dipu before pointing toward others 3 fingers are pointed toward you.. so before judging on somebody character you should ask urs mind and heart how good is urs character?? it is regret that u dont even know the geography of ur peoples so u comes to talk baseless .. we the chakmas are not responsible wat u peoples are today? we are not against urs community but we will not tolerate any anti-chakmas element which i can figure out clearly in urs eyes.....you peoples are ungrateful furniture.

[dipu75137]

I m happy that BD Govt has washed my brain(if they do so). Thnks they done it . otherwise we were sleeping in deep sleep. though u mentioned some tangchangyas in Mizoram , i never heard of them. But in BD there were nobody from our community to hold such a position . Time has changed . so pls dont try to speak in such language .

YOUR CHARACTER IS BEING EXPRESSED BY SUCH WORD.

But io must thank u for exposing ur own , real face .

Good day

[dipu75137]

Thank you for ur realization that BD govt has washed our Brain. But though they washed my brain, i am happy that they had done it. some of the Chakma's like u ppl wanted to abolished my identity. But however we got it back. listen to me and copy that WE NEVER CAN RE-SUPRESS US if u had that mentality. i m taking this oath while my baby is on my lap.

Thank you for intruducing your actuall character.

[CHAKMAMANTOSH]

@dipu75137 YOU ARE NOT THE ONE WHO GOING TO GIVES THEIRS IDENTITY,RELATING TO THIS VIDEOS YOU GOT TO HEAR FROM OWN MOUTH WHO THEY ARE?? TANCHANGYAS IN CHAKMA AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT COUNCIL OF MIZORAM ARE HOLDING SOME PROMINENT POSITION IF THEY ARE NOT CHAKMAS THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO IN THE CHAKMAS COUNCIL. ITS ONLY YOU TANCHANGYAS OF BANGLADESH SEEKING FOR DIFFERENT IDENTITY ITS BECAUSE OF BANGLA GOVT. YOU PEOPLES HAVE BEEN BRAIN WASHED BY BANGLA GOVT.

[dipu75137]

excuse me . What is Swidden cultivator ?

[rafael64534]

Je ne comprend toujours pas, mais jaime bien.J'ai bien compris que c'est une région en Birmanie et que se sont des Chakmas (comme au Bangladesh). Ici dans la Loire 42, il fait froid, et j'irais bien là-bas au soleil, loin du système de consommation, pratiquer la méditation Bouddhiste, et parler avec les gens(vivre tout simplement).