Mon Mar 24 08:49:26 UTC 2025: **Chakma Community Demands Linguistic Rights in Mizoram**

GUWAHATI, March 24, 2025 – The Chakma National Council of India (CNCI) is demanding official recognition of the Chakma language in Mizoram and an end to its misidentification as Bengali. The council, following a two-day conference, criticized the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities for repeatedly classifying the Chakma language as Bengali in its annual reports.

Rasik Mohan Chakma, an Mizo National Front (MNF) MLA, highlighted the Chakma language’s rich history, including a script and written texts dating back at least 500 years. He expressed disappointment over the continued misclassification, noting that the issue was raised with the President of India nearly two decades ago. The CNCI stated that the exclusion of Chakma from Mizoram’s recognized languages is unacceptable.

The Chakma community, comprising approximately one-tenth of Mizoram’s population, also holds significant numbers in Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The CNCI’s conference also addressed nationwide protests against the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, voicing support for Buddhist control over the Mahabodhi Temple’s administration. The recent village council elections in the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) saw the Bharatiya Janata Party securing a landslide victory.

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