Jharkhand People’s Party (JPP) today criticized the Jharkhand government for overlooking tribal issues while appreciating the newly-formed Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in neighbouring West Bengal for granting due recognition to tribal languages.

In a memorandum faxed to Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda recently, JPP has served an ultimatum to the state government to grant state language status to Santali and other tribal languages as well as Bengali under Article 345 of the constitution.

JPP President Surya Singh Besra also demanded that the state government should initiate action to implement article 350 (A) to ensure that the medium of education in primary schools be imparted in mother tongue and also implementation of Panchayat (extension to schedule area) Act,1996 (PESA act), which provide autonomous status to Gram Sabha in the state.

Besra said 113 blocks under 13 districts of Jharkhand were under the 5th schedule of the constitution but unfortunately the PESA act was not yet implemented despite Jharkhand High Court’s January 2010 directive.

The tribal leader threatened to launch direct action from September 1 if the demands were not met by 15th August.

Besra appreciated the new West Bengal government for granting second official language status to five languages in Santali within 30 days after Banerjee became the Chief Minister dismissing 34-year old Left front government.

Besides, TMC government has also appointed 1800 Santali teachers for 900 primary schools and set up Santali Sahitya Academy in the state.

Referring JPP’s direct action programme, Besra said "we will chalk it out soon but the programme will begin with locking all primary schools in the state and boycotting of government schemes".