<i>Santal: A neglected indigenous community </i>

The Santals, who live scattered in Khagrachhari hill district, are deprived of their fundamental rights like education and healthcare.
The indigenous community depends largely on natural forest resources and they hardly enjoys the rights as people of plain land have.
Absence of their representation also makes the community's condition more deplorable as they have no platform to speak out their problems and demands.
As a result, more than 90 percent of Santals in Khagrachhari are illiterate while the remaining 10 percent just completed their primary level and always live under the margin of poverty, sources said.
Divisional Statistics Department here said there are around 6,000 Santal people in five villages in the district. Of them, around 3200 are male and about 2600 are female.
Only one percent of them work in government and non-government organisations as 3rd and 4th class employees earning very little and as such battling everyday to manage their families, they said.
They couldn't afford to send their children to schools due to their financial constraint. They engage their children at work so that they (children) can contribute to their families, sources said.
The community also lacks sanitation facilities and pure drinking water.
Ghunu Santal, a Karbari (village chief) of Bara Santal Para, Pujgang under Panchhari upazila said they are not properly evaluated both by the government and the non-government organisations in the hilly areas.
He said they are not getting recognition neither as indigenous nor as tribal like Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Khumi, Banjughi, Lusai, Pankhuya, Tancyanga, Murang, Bom and Chak,” he said.
Referring to Section-3 of chapter 'Ga' of CHT Peace Accord 1997, he said there are 22 members in regional council in CHT with two third members from tribal communities and one-third from non-tribal communities.
Of tribal communities, five elected from Chakma, three from Marma, two from Tripura, one from Murong and Tainchanga and one from Lusai, Bom, Phankhu, Khumi, Chak and Khiyang while one woman from Chakma, one from other communities while seven are from Bangalees, including one woman, he said. There is no representation from Santal community according to the peace accord, he added.
On the other hand, Santals have also no representation in three hill district councils.
Ramdash Santal, the village chief of Damdam Santal Para, said no development work was done during the last 50 years and no local government representative has visited their areas for several years although they were enlisted as voters, a fact which, he said clearly shows the negligence towards their community.
Referring to the high illiteracy rate in Santal community, he said their children do not know how to read, write or debate with others, and how to play volleyball or handball.
Mongal Santal, Purtib Para village chief, requested this correspondent to write about them and project their story of manifold deprivation.
He said they are neglected in all sectors. Government can take some special measures to improve their socio-economic condition.
Mongal said they are not evaluated properly in any government sector.
Khagrachhari Hill District Council Chairman Monindra Lal Tripura admitted the fact, saying most of the Santal people in Khagrachhari are illiterate, which is a major barrier to get jobs.
He, however, said considering their poor condition they will take a project and submit it to ministry concerned for approval soon. He said if the ministry approves it hopefully be able to bring about some development activities and qualitative changes for them.