The fate of the Santal people still hangs in the balance.

It has been almost three weeks since the Santals were forcefully evicted from their land. When will the government settle this?

The Santals have been living under despicable conditions in abandoned houses and some in ad hoc homesteads. A lack of food and poor living situations have added to their plight.

This is a clear violation of human rights.

Not only is it the government’s responsibility to ensure that their daily needs are provided for as a result of this unfair eviction, but to settle this dispute once and for all.

It is clear that the Santals were cheated out of their ancestral lands, and those involved with this duplicitous act are brought to book.

Though it is encouraging that some have been arrested in connection to the eviction drive, the pace at which proceedings are taking is not ideal. The authorities cannot let bureaucracy get in the way while the Santals continue to live in deplorable conditions.

These lands are a crucial aspect of the Santal culture and heritage, and allow them to be autonomous, as they would utilise them for the harvesting of paddy.

Though new homes have been promised for the Santals, the dispute needs to be dealt with in a satisfactory and sustainable way.

The Santals want their own lands back.

The government needs to come to a solution that is acceptable to the Santals. As it stands, and the longer this goes on, the more people suffer. This is a complicated issue that needs to be solved, and it needs to solved with the utmost urgency.