12/05/2026
The image itself feels deeply symbolic — surrounded by darkness, with only a faint flicker of light in the middle. In many ways, this reflects the current reality of our Indigenous communities. Among the 15 Indigenous communities living in Joypurhat, almost all of the younger generation are gradually losing their mother tongues. Nearly 95% of the Indigenous population has become landless and forced into migrant labor. These people have not only lost their ancestral homes, but also their traditions, way of life, food culture, and the roots of their identity.
Today, almost everything connected to Indigenous peoples has been commercialized. On top of that, there is the constant pressure of religious conversion.Yet, our struggle continues. It is a struggle against the current. Deep inside, we still carry the belief that one day this society will rise again. Indigenous children will once more speak in their mother tongues, sing songs, and write poetry in their own languages. No one will be forced to leave their homeland because of the traps and pressures of the modern world.
Now this journey has become something like an addiction for me. After working all day, I spend my evenings wandering through Indigenous villages, listening to people’s joys and sorrows. From a distance, these villages feel like home to me — as if my aunts, uncles, and relatives all live there.
I dream of a future where the sons and daughters of the soil can live with pride in their heritage — holding onto their language, culture, and identity with dignity and strength.