His Excellency Raja Debashish Roy being welcomed at CADC by Dangu Rasik Mohan Chakma, CEM, CADC.

Kamalanagar, 26 February 2019: His Majesty Raja Devasish Roy, the titular King of the Chakmas, who has set foot in Chakma Autonomous District Council on 22nd February for his historic first visit of the Chakmas of Mizoram has left for home today after a memorable encounter with his fellow community people for 5 days. Chakmas of CHT of Bangladesh and of Mizoram of India today live in two different nations caused by the partition of India.

A warm official reception at Kamalanagar was organized with red carpet on the day he arrived by helicopter. The people became euphoric on learning the Raja visiting the Chakmas of Mizoram and people from far and near came to meet him.

NGOs and Civil societies like the Young Chakma Association, Chakma Mahila Samiti, Mizoram Chakma Students Union, Mizoram Buddhist Association, Chakma National Council of India, Tarum, etc. called on the Raja and discussed a range of issues pertaining to the future of the Chakmas as a community, Chakma language and script, maintaining connection among the Chakmas of the three nations and of the world, social reform and education.

A joint appeal was submitted urging the people of Chittagong Hill Tracts to maintain peace and brotherhood among the different indigenous races of CHT. The appeal categorically stated that the CHT crisis would get resolved with the restoration of right to self-determination and right over land while striving to achieve these by living within CHT and not by fleeing to other parts of the world.

The Chakma language scholars and District School Education Board officials met the Raja and presented him with Chakma language text books taught in CADC schools and it was felt necessary to hold a seminar with all stakeholders from the three nations to come to agree on a common set of Chakma script. Today, Chakmas living in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar use the Chakma script with slight variation in form and numbers of alphabets.

The Raja attending the celebration of birth centenary of His Holiness Ven. Sadhanananda Mahathera (Bana bhante) at Mahamuni Buddha Vihara stressed on the need to develop in spirituality by cultivating the four Brahma Viharas namely Metta(loving kindness), Karuna(compassion), Mudita(sympathetic joy) and Upeksha(equanimity) as professed by the Buddha.

During his stay he visited a number of villages and went to Borapansury and Demagiri.

Earlier, on arrival at Aizawl he called on Pu Zoramthanga, Chief Minister, Mizoram and presented him a number of books on the History, Culture, Customs, Traditions and Administrative system of the Chakmas and other indigenous people of CHT written by him, his late father Raja Tridiv Roy and others. Pu Zoramthanga fondly recalled how he met Raja Tridiv Roy a number of times in Dhaka, Islamabad and Rangamati during his days of insurgency. He also remarked how construction of Kaptai dam across river Karnafuli of CHT tragically affected the Chakmas.