The Seeds of Identity Bloom Beyond the Margins

"You have come with a hoe in your hand; add a little cumin, and then I will serve you rice"�"these were the words of my loving mother's care. Clad in a white cloth between the hips and a loincloth tied at the waist, I tilled the fields with a cow-drawn plough. On windy days, Bai (my grandmother) would chant, "Tistaburi, protect him this time." 

I grew up eating satakha made from banana stems with sajina leaves, pelka made from jute leaves and chheka prepared with taro root and manat leaves. Through its language, clothing, nature worship and food, I grew up in the serene, cool and tranquil village of Rajagaon in Thakurgaon district. I am that Sukanto Barman. Today, I am studying at the Institute of Information Technology, Jahangirnagar University.

When I left home to study at Rangpur Government College, I found myself caught between two worlds. I tried to hide my accent, believing it was my weakness. Only later did I realise it was the voice of a people whose history had rarely been written. Joining the Bangladesh Koch-Rajbangshi-Barman organisation opened my eyes to that truth. Under the guidance of Bakul Chandra Burman and many dedicated elders, I learned that recognition is never gifted; it is earned through persistence.

Our community secured official recognition in 2018, only to see it questioned repeatedly by successive administrations. We organised protests, sought intervention from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and even staged a hunger strike to defend our constitutional rights. We refused to let our language, culture and identity disappear into silence.

Believing that education is our strongest form of resistance, we have spent the past decade travelling from village to village, encouraging young people to study. More than 300 seminars have inspired hundreds of students to enter public universities, carrying our story with them.

Another battle still remains. In my 26 years, I have witnessed only one dowry-free marriage. Too many parents sell their land to marry off daughters, trapping families in poverty. That is why we have formed an anti-dowry movement led by more than 100 young women. Their dream has become mine- a future where no daughter is priced, no identity is denied and no child grows up believing their roots are a burden rather than a source of pride.