This chapter aims to do a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of ethnic tension in Bangladesh and the constitutional provisions on the Santal Indigenous community in establishing social justice. First, why are Indigenous groups instead ethnic groups in Bangladesh, and how many are groups? This chapter then tries to answer who is justifying whose social justice in ethnic tension, and, essentially, what is the guiding philosophy. This chapter picks education policy and the constitutional provision of state inventions policy on ethnic groups in Bangladesh the Santal's space in it. Along with CDA, the argument leans on bio-politics, historical ontology (Foucault), Indigenous research paradigm. The findings show that this community is historically subjugated under ontological guidance and understanding. So, it recommends adopting Santal Indigenous standpoint for establishing a right-based harmonized society.
TopIntroduction
Bangladesh was born in 1971 by fighting against the severe disparity and wanted to establish equity, freedom, and economic affluence in Independence country (Ali, 1998, Debnath 2010, Tripura,2015,2020). After a few months, then-president Sheikh Mujibar Rahman appealed to all indigenous people”তোরা বাঙালী হয়ে যা,” i.e. ‘you should become Bangali' (Mohsin, 2012; Tripura, 2015, 2020, Nasrin,2017). Just after birth, the Indigenous people got shocked and started a fight to get liberty instead of becoming Bengali, and many found this armed reaction is a counter-hegemonic activity (Tripura,2015). The Santals, the second-largest Community (second in the country) in plain land, is our focus today. The Indigenous people are in Bangladesh not as Indigenous but relatively minor ethnic groups(see, Small Ethnic Groups Cultural Organization Act-2010, Bangladesh Biodiversity Act 2017). The National Education Policyaims to establish social justice for all, including the Indigenous people, and the Constitution secures equality for all citizens. We may focus on these two development components to conclude by doing a Critical Discourse Analysis centering on the Santal situation. M.K. Debnath, a Canadian Based Bangladeshi scholar, has been focusing on the Eduction of Santals (Debnath, 2010, 2012, 2020) from an anti-colonial perspective that is not only opening a new horizon in the Indigenous research tradition. However, our recent studies (Roy, Siraz, H.A. Wahab, R.Saad, 2021) also exploring that many non-indigenous scholars are not empathic to the Santals to exploring their tensions, leading us to know the actual cause. Scholars are inserted pro-policy provoker, which is in other sense, following HomiBhabha, mimicry of academicians.
Let us briefly note the recent research activities that will reveal Santals' situation in the social science domain.
Table 1. Treating terminologies for Santal
| Authors | Referring Santals are: |
| Sur (1977) | Santals are Indigenous of Bangladesh |
| O’Malley (1916, p. 3) | The people are not all Bengalis, for there are many settlements of Biharis and Santals.” |
| Sarker, Khan &Musarrat (2017) | Not Indigenous but Tribal, mentioned 12 times |
| Karim (2012 | Small Ethnic Group 24 times |
| RAHMATULLAH ET AL. (2012) | Tribal |
Source: Authors’ compilation