Lesson 5: We Lost Our Home

A. Look at the image and discuss in groups the possible answers to the questions.

[Image of Kaptai Lake]

1. What do you see in this picture?
2. Do you think this lake is natural? Explain.
3. What are things that you know about Kaptai Lake situated in Rangamati, Bangladesh?

Hakkonchandra village was situated to the east of Kaptai dam, in the Ran-gamati district of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). A family in that village who belonged to the Boro Hambe clan had a son who was an ivory craftsman and was later recognized and appreciated as one of the very first craftsmen among the Jumma population in the CHT region. His niece is the mother whose story is given here.

It is difficult to say exactly when she was born, but she thinks she is over eighty years old now. She is my grandmother and one of the eyewitnesses of the discussed episode in the history of CHT. Her family was relatively affluent. She had six siblings—three brothers and three sisters. Their family was well-respected in the neighborhood since their father was a schoolteacher. Sushama Chakma was not acquainted with paucity and poverty in the early years of her life. When the northern parts of CHT were submerged permanently due to Kaptai dam, not just the Chakma population but some Hajong, Marma and adi-Bangali residents who had lived for long among us also lost all their possessions. The wealthiest families became displaced people. They had to constantly move from one place to the other. About 50,000 Chakma, Hajong, and Tripuri people had to leave the country and migrate permanently.

Like many others, she lost a secure life and her homeland with her relatives. Her husband had to leave his public service to live like a refugee. Her only possessions were memories of better times and the determination to survive. While moving from one location to another for resettlement in the reserve forest, they spent countless sleepless nights thinking about their uncertain future. Despite the constant struggle to find happiness in pain, the sun never shone for her family.

B. Match the words in Column A with their correct meanings in Column B.

| Column A | Column B | |-----------------|-------------------------------------------------| | 1. Affluent | A. To leave one's country permanently | | 2. Paucity | B. A feeling of uncertainty or anxiety | | 3. Displaced | C. Wealthy or having an abundance | | 4. Refugee | D. A lack of something, scarcity | | 5. Permanent | E. Forced to leave one's home | | 6. Resettlement | F. Lasting or intended to last forever | | 7. Possessions | G. A process of establishing a new residence | | 8. Migration | H. Items owned or held by someone | | 9. Struggle | I. A difficult fight or effort | | 10. Uncertain | J. To move from one place to another |

C. Complete the paragraph by the clues given below.

flee, resettlement, east, refugee, flooded, ivory

Hakkonchandra village, located _______ of the Kaptai Dam in the Rangamati district, was home to a family from the Boro Hambe clan. Their son became a renowned _______ craftsman among the Jumma community. His niece, Sushama Chakma, my grandmother, is now over eighty and witnessed significant historical events. Her family was prosperous, with six siblings, thanks to their father's work as a schoolteacher. However, when the Kaptai Dam _______ northern CHT, many, including Chakma and Hajong people, lost everything. About 50,000 individuals had to _______ to India, including Sushama, who lost her stable life. Her husband became a _______. And all they had were memories and a will to survive. They endured sleepless nights during their _______ in the forest, struggling with an uncertain future, and happiness eluded them.

D. Answer the following questions.

1. How many siblings did Sushama Chakma have?
2. What happened to the land when the Kaptai Dam was built?
3. What did Sushama and her family lose after they had to move?

E. Find out if anyone from your family have visited the Kaptai Lake in Rangamati? If so, listen to their experience and share it with the class.