Bashundhara Shuvosangho’s Thakurgaon district unit on Sunday organised a discussion aimed at improving the living standards of the marginalised Santal community and preventing the school dropout of their children.
Held at an indigenous settlement in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, the event witnessed the participation of about 25 indigenous Santal women.
At the event, indigenous woman Deepali Tigga said their socio-economic condition has not changed a lot, though people across the country have seen progress.
“Our living standards are the same as they were 20 years ago. We have not benefited much from different NGOs’ activities,” she said.
Another participant, Estela Toppo, focused on how financial hardship forces many indigenous children to drop out of school after primary education and work as labourers. Only a few manage to reach high school or college, and even they are often prevented from continuing by economic constraints. “If the government or any other organisation provides support, our children will be able to continue their studies,” she added.
Stressing the need to improve the socio-economic fate and education of Santal families, Tapas Deb Nath, former president, and Rashedul Alam Liton, former general secretary, of Shuvosangho's Thakurgaon district unit, said that long-term and coordinated efforts are required, along with special government initiatives.
With Jespina Khalko, a member of the National Indigenous Council’s Thakurgaon district unit, in the chair, the event was attended by indigenous women, local residents and Kaler Kantho’s District Correspondent Partho Sarathi Das.