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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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
