The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (save democracy campaign) — a collective of rights outfits — has urged the Jharkhand ruling coalition to release ‘Jharkhandi’ manifesto at the earliest to counter BJP’s “communal manifesto” with barely two weeks left for Assembly polls in the state.

The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan, which had campaigned for INDIA bloc candidates extensively during the Lok Sabha poll earlier this year in almost all the 14 parliamentary seats, in a statement issued on Wednesday expressed concern over the ruling coalition comprising INDIA bloc partners (JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI-ML) silence on their manifesto so far.

“The election agenda of the BJP is clear — to divide the Jharkhandi society by spreading communalism and diverting attention from the basic issues of the state. Unfortunately, INDIA bloc parties have not yet released their manifesto for the next five years. Amid the divisive and hateful election campaign of the BJP, there is hardly any discussion on the basic issues of the people and the state,” said a statement issued by the Abhiyan in Ranchi.

The Abhiyan members had last month released the ‘People’s Manifesto’ and raised many issues to create the Abua Raj (own government in Santhali) fulfilling dreams of the Jharkhand movement.

“We demand the INDIA bloc parties to immediately release a common manifesto and distribute it to every household in the state aiming to solve the pertinent local issues,” the members said.

The statement of the Abhiyan claims that the issues of water, forest, land, existence, tribal autonomy, identity and freedom from exploitation for which the state was formed, should be acted upon in the first six months of the formation of the new government.

“The Land Acquisition Act (Jharkhand) Amendment 2017 and the Land Bank Policy should be cancelled. A Displacement and Rehabilitation Commission should be formed and land should be given to landless, Dalits and poor farmers,” the statement claims.

The statement further demands that Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996 (PESA) rules should be implemented in earnest in tribal-dominated areas. All pending private and community forest leases should be distributed within three months of the formation of the government.

“The new government should implement a Khatian-based (land survey) local recruitment policy (with special arrangements for the landless) as per public expectations within three months. Also, laws should be made to ensure adequate participation of local people in leadership and decision-making positions in private and government jobs at all levels. The process of making caste/residential certificates for landless Dalits and displaced people should be simplified and certificates should be distributed by organizing camps,” the statement further adds.

It suggests improving the poor public education and health system in the state by filling up all vacancies in the department within six months of the government.

It also suggests the distribution of eggs in mid-day meals at schools and anganwadis in three months of the formation of the new government.