ST commission summons Jamtara DC, SP over tribal atrocities in Santhal

Kumar Prabhat, Dumka

Expressing profound concern over the rising instances of atrocities against tribals and illegal encroachment on their lands in the Santhal Pargana division, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) member Dr. Asha Lakra stated that tribal land is being treated like a plaything, pushing the entire region into a state of unrest.

Presiding over a crucial two-day camp in Dumka to hear tribal grievances across the division’s six districts, Dr. Lakra reviewed 15 out of 20 scheduled cases on the opening day. A major chunk of these complaints pertained to heinous crimes against women and systemic land grabbing. In total, the Commission is slated to deliberate upon 38 cases during this intensive camp.

The first day of the hearings brought to light nine extremely severe cases of atrocities, including rape, harassment, abandonment after false promises of marriage, and a disturbing trend of alluring tribal girls into marriage with the ulterior motive of usurping their ancestral properties. Visibly distressed by these findings, Dr. Lakra made a fervent appeal to the state government to immediately step in and protect the ‘Mati, Beti, and Roti’ (Land, Daughter, and Livelihood) of the tribal populace to secure their future.

Beyond land disputes, systemic and infrastructural gaps facing the tribal communities in Santhal Pargana also came to the fore. Highlighting the plight of students in Sahibganj, Dr. Lakra pointed out the lack of basic amenities, forcing poor tribal youths to live in expensive rented accommodations due to the absence of a dedicated government hostel. Meanwhile, a highly sensitive socio-religious dispute from Jamtara district caught the Commission’s attention, involving allegations that members of the Muslim community are forcibly constructing a graveyard on land designated as ‘Jaherthan’—the sacred place of worship for tribals.

Taking a grim view of the religious encroachment in Jamtara, the Commission had ordered the Jamtara Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) to appear in person to clarify the ground reality. However, both top district officials failed to attend the hearing. Condemning this non-cooperative attitude, Dr. Lakra declared that the national apex body would soon issue official summons to haul both officers directly to New Delhi for an explanation.

Earlier, upon her arrival in Dumka, Dr. Asha Lakra was accorded a grand welcome by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district unit. Led by BJP District President Rupesh Mandal, party office-bearers and workers greeted the NCST member with bouquets.