Campaign group urges INDIA alliance to release Jharkhand manifesto to counter BJP’s 'divisive' agenda

By A Representative 

The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan, an advocacy group, has issued a press release urging the INDIA alliance to release a Jharkhand-specific manifesto to counter the BJP’s "divisive" electoral agenda. With just two weeks remaining before the assembly elections, the INDIA coalition has yet to announce its plans and priorities for the state. Meanwhile, the BJP's campaign, according to the press release, is centered around communalism, divisiveness, and distraction from Jharkhand's core issues.

In a statement, Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan highlighted the BJP's attempts to polarize society and called on the INDIA alliance to outline its vision for Jharkhand’s future, addressing real issues affecting the people. This plea follows the campaign's own release of a public manifesto a month prior, calling for a transformative vision aligned with the aspirations of Jharkhand's founding movement.

Key issues emphasized by Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan include tribal autonomy, sustainable management of natural resources, land rights, and social welfare. The group demands swift action from any incoming government within its first six months, including repealing the 2017 amendments to Jharkhand’s Land Acquisition Act and Land Bank policy, establishing a Displacement and Rehabilitation Commission, and prioritizing local representation in government and private sector jobs.

Additionally, Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan stresses the urgent need for reforms in education, healthcare, and nutrition to address malnutrition and to enhance access to quality public services. They call for a policy to ensure all children in anganwadis and schools receive a nutritious meal daily and suggest discontinuing the centralized kitchen system for midday meals. Corruption in welfare schemes and alleged bias in the administrative and police systems were also highlighted, with demands for a law against mob lynching and the release of under-trial prisoners in cases involving marginalized communities.

The campaign concluded with an appeal to the INDIA coalition to swiftly release a joint manifesto demonstrating a commitment to Jharkhand’s needs and aspirations for the next five years.