A coalition of human and tribal rights organisations have reminded Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren about longstanding problems of Dalits (scheduled castes) in the state and demanded it be addressed during the ensuing monsoon session of the state’s Assembly from July 28.

The letter written on Tuesday evening to the chief minister and shared on Twitter under the banner of the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha tagging both chief minister, tribal welfare minister Champai Soren bears signatures of 15 representatives of various tribal and human rights bodies.

“Solving the problems of the most oppressed-deprived society should be the topmost priority of any right government. But it is a matter of sadness that the commitmentof the state government towards the issues of Dalits is not visible.

“The Mahasabha is also meeting various MLAs to discuss these issues and demand for its solution,” the letter states.

“There is widespread landlessness and homelessness among the Scheduled Castes. In many places, many families have land, but with the connivance of the influential persons and administrative officials, efforts are on to evict them from their own land,” the letter points out.

“Scheduled caste people have to face huge difficulties in making caste certificates — often it is not made at all.Due to the lack of caste certificates, they are completely deprived of many schemes, education and employment,” the letter states.

“Still some sections of Dalit are forced to clean septic tanks and sewage with their own hands. Cleaning of clogged drains is being done physically instead of machines. It isillegal, inhumane, unhealthy and deadly,” the letter informs.

“Scheduled Castes have not got reservation in proportion to the population in Jharkhand. The reservation that is available is also not being given fully,” the letter further states.

In Jharkhand, there is presently a 26 per cent reservation for STs and a 10 percent quota for SCs whereas the population of SC (as per 2011 census is over 12 per cent).

“Dalit entrepreneurs apply for grants and loans in the Scheduled Caste Development Corporation, but their applications remain pending. The Scheduled Caste Development Corporation remains inactive and ineffective,” the activists’ letter claims.

“There is a reluctance to register cases under SC/ST Act in police stations. Even if some cases are registered, they are not given priority,” the letter adds.

The letter urges Soren to give strict and specific instructions to the administration to solve these problems.

The letter also attaches a list of demands which includes house for every SC family, some agricultural land of its own, encroachment onthe land of scheduled caste people should be freed, punishment to criminals and administrative personnel involved in illegal possession of SC land.

The letter also suggests an easy, simple and permanent method of giving caste certificates so that needy persons are given caste certificates smoothly and wants that there should be no shortage of loans and grants to any enterprising person belonging to Scheduled Castes. It also calls for a complete ban on engaging human labourers in cleaning drains and toilets and cleaning of clogged drains should be done with machines and making the Jharkhand State Scheduled Caste Commission active by appointing officials.