Bankura: Adivasis demand verification of ST certificates; allegation of large-scale corruption grows
Bankura (Bengal): A massive gathering of around 10,000 Adivasis in Bankura on November 18 renewed a strong demand for a statewide Special Intensive Revision — not of electoral rolls, but of Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates issued over the past 12 years in West Bengal. The rally, held at Bankura Sammilani College and reported by The Wire, brought together members of the Santhal, Bhumij, Kora and Munda communities from across the Jangal Mahal region, who alleged rampant corruption in the granting of ST certificates under the state administration.
The event was organised by the Adivasi Kalyan Samiti (AKS), which said that widespread misuse of tribal certification has allowed non-tribals to secure educational seats and government jobs meant for tribal communities. According to AKS leaders, the alleged irregularities span not only the tribal-majority districts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur, but extend to several other parts of the state.
Participants at the rally said the issue goes beyond certificates, affecting dignity, identity and cultural survival. Many announced that they were prepared for a sustained struggle. “We have survived after enduring much injustice and suffering. No more…” said Biplab Saren of Raipur, who demanded that the state and Union governments protect the constitutional rights of tribal communities.
AKS state secretary Parshal Kishku alleged that non-tribals had been systematically issued ST certificates due to corruption and political patronage. He pointed out that until 2011, West Bengal had issued around 52 lakh ST certificates. But between 2012 and 2024, the state issued an additional 27 lakh certificates. “Does Bengal have nearly 80 lakh tribal residents?” he asked, noting that population data from the 2011 Census places the tribal population at 52,96,963.
Those gathered questioned how such a sharp rise could occur despite natural population changes through births and deaths. Many saw this as clear evidence of manipulation in the distribution of ST certificates.
There have been several recent instances of alleged misuse. Earlier this year, a fourth-year medical student at Bankura Sammilani Medical College was stripped of her admission after tribal groups flagged her ST certificate as fraudulent. In January 2024, the CBI launched an investigation into alleged certificate fraud in medical college admissions, a probe that has since widened. Another series of cases surfaced in September 2025.
Speaking at the rally, AKS leader Rajeswar Tudu said the problem is far more widespread than isolated incidents. “Fake Scheduled Tribe certificates are circulating across the state… a statewide SIR should be conducted,” he said.
Adivasi leaders also raised concerns about the refusal of the Union government to recognise their indigenous religious identities. “We are worshipers of nature. We follow the Sari and Sarna religions. But the Union government does not want to acknowledge this,” said Nibaran Kishku of Hooghly. Several participants said the RSS has been attempting to portray tribal communities as forest-dwelling Hindus. They also alleged that RSS-run schools in the region are promoting Hindu religious practices among tribal children.
Another pressing issue raised at the meeting was the deteriorating state of education in Jangal Mahal. Locals said many middle schools established during Left rule have shut down as teachers who retired were never replaced. Students must now travel long distances through forests and hills to attend school, pushing many to drop out and migrate for work.
Schools dedicated to teaching the Santali language in the Alchiki script are also struggling due to a shortage of teachers. Residents said the state’s Utsashree transfer scheme has led to a mass relocation of teachers out of the region, worsening the student–teacher ratio.
Tribal hostels, once a backbone of education support in the region, have also declined. Out of nearly 1,000 hostels that once functioned across the four Jangal Mahal districts, residents say fewer than 300 remain operational. “My son had to leave his studies and migrate as a labourer,” said Lakshmi Hansda from Saltora, who came to the rally demanding that the hostels be reopened.
Livelihood issues were also highlighted. Many women said that the collapse of LAMPS — the Large Multipurpose Co-operative Society centres where forest produce like tendu leaves were once sold — has wiped out a crucial income source.
Concerns were also raised about the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Participants said applications for land rights have been pending for years in block and welfare department offices. They accused both the state and Union governments of neglecting Adivasi land rights.
On land acquisition, AKS’s Rajeswar Tudu pointed to the Deucha Pachami coal project in Birbhum, claiming that large parts of the land earmarked belong to tribal communities. He said that similar land transfers were happening in the Ayodhya Hills region of Purulia as well. “Why this double standard by the chief minister?” he asked.
Throughout the gathering, one message resonated strongly: the tribal communities of Jangal Mahal demanded the restoration of their constitutional and cultural rights, and accountability for the alleged misuse of ST certificates.
“Stop depriving us. Restore to indigenous people the rights that rightfully belong to them,” attendees said as the rally concluded.
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Indian visa application centre suspended indefinitely in Bangladesh's Chattogram
Dhaka (PTI): India on Sunday suspended visa operations at its mission in Bangladeshi port city of Chattogram until further notice, according to media reports.
The move comes in the wake of a fresh wave of unrest witnessed in the country following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
His death triggered attacks and vandalism across Bangladesh, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner's residence in Chattogram on Thursday.
Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.
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He was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen at an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area and died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on December 18.
“Due to the recent security incident at Assistant High Commission of India (AHCI) Chittagong, Indian visa operations at IVAC Chittagong (Chattogram) will remain suspended from 21/12/2025 until further notice,” the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) said in a brief statement.
The announcement for reopening the visa centre will be made after reviewing the situation, the statement added. The decision came into effect on Sunday.
There are five IVAC facilities across Bangladesh at Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Chattogram and Sylhet. An IVAC official told PTI that the other four offices have remained operational as of Sunday.
India on Thursday resumed operations at its visa application centre in Dhaka, a day after closing it over escalated security concerns, but closed for a brief period two other identical facilities in Rajshahi and Khulna as anti-India protestors tried to march towards the Indian missions there.
On Saturday, security was strengthened at the Indian Assistant High Commission office and the visa application centre in Bangladesh's Sylhet city.
The enhanced security measures were put in place to ensure that “no third party can exploit the situation,” Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Saiful Islam was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Saturday.
Hadi, 32, was laid to rest on Saturday amid extra-tight security beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University mosque.
Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral prayers, and ahead of the ritual, chanted anti-India slogans like “Delhi or Dhaka - Dhaka, Dhaka” and “brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain.”
Earlier on December 17, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah and conveyed its strong concern over certain extremist elements announcing plans to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka.
“We expect the interim government to ensure the safety of Missions and Posts in Bangladesh in keeping with its diplomatic obligations,” it said.
The envoy was apprised of India's strong concerns about the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh, it added.
