04/04/2025
'Bijhu' is coming…
The forest is waking up — wildflowers are blooming, painting the hills in color. For the Indigenous communities of the CHT, this is more than spring. It’s a sacred time of renewal, of reconnecting with nature and tradition.
Once, Nature Was Enough for celebrating this kinds of festival, but the scenario has changed a lot nowadays.
Before the rise of consumerism and urbanization, the Indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) lived in harmony with nature. Their lives were deeply rooted in the forests, hills, rivers, and skies. They didn’t just rely on nature — they respected and worshipped it. Every tree, every stream, every patch of fertile earth held meaning. Food wasn’t something to buy, it was something to gather, grow, or hunt — guided by wisdom passed through generations.
They protected the land because it protected them.
But today, that balance is broken.
Urban expansion, deforestation, and the spread of a consumerist mindset have pushed them into a corner. The forests are shrinking. The wild vegetables that once grew freely are no longer accessible. Many indigenous families now have to buy the food they once foraged — even the most basic vegetables. And for those who don’t have money? Often, they go without.
The disconnect is painful — not just in terms of survival, but identity. When you live with the land, losing it is like losing a part of yourself.
It’s time to recognize and support Indigenous peoples rights to land, nature, and culture — not just for their survival, but for the health of the Earth we all share. 🌿