Ranchi: Jharkhand is well known for two things: rich mineral wealth and oldest tribes. Much has been said about the development of this backward region but no party has come up with a clear vision to take the state forward.
We spoke to students, young executives, writers and people from all walks of life and found that several issues have been neglected by the mainstream media and national parties.
Here are the top 10 issues dominating poll-talk in Jharkhand:
Domicile policy
Nobody is ready to take risks regardless of political fallouts over the tribal state's oldest issue. Former CM Babulal Marandi was shown the door by the BJP over domicile policy. JMM-BJP breakup was a fallout of the differences on this issue. And none of the parties mentioned domicile policy even once in their manifestos.
Strong leadership and a stable government
Politics, bureaucracy and development are intertwined. Unstable governments, a change of governments makes changes at top level of bureaucracy inevitable, thereby affecting strategies, priorities and developmental works. Many major projects are halted sine die just because a new government has come. "Jharkhand can't tolerate a fractured mandate this time. A stable government is what everybody wants, from people in bureaucracy, police to the aam aadmi," said a young bureaucrat posted in Hazaribagh on the grounds of anonymity.
A strong leadership is most highly in demand among people from the lower stratum of life. "In earlier elections we voted for Aam Aadmi Party because we wanted change. This time we will vote for BJP because we want stability and a strong leadership," said Mohit Sahu, a 53-year-old autowallah from Ranchi whose auto still displays cutout of Kejriwal installed during Lok Sabha polls.
Land policy and corporate houses
There is conspicuous silence over this issue. Other than the cities, most parts of Jharkhand will decide votes on this burning issue. Most of the candidates are said to be either sponsored or their parties funded by corporate houses like Jindal, Mittal and Tata.
"It seems the mainstream media and politicians both have forgotten the real issues of Jharkhand. The policies of the governments allowing MNCs to directly deal with farmers for land acquisition has angered the locals," Khagendra Thakur, a popular local Hindi writer said.
Corruption and Naxal rehabilitation policies
Naxal menace is a household topic in the state. Everybody loves talking about it. Corruption in Naxal rehabilitation policies is a burning topic in tribal areas. Thousands of misguided youths want to join the mainstream, but the police stations allegedly charge Rs 25,000-50,000 for rehabilitating a Naxalite. In the interior regions that are going to polls in phase one, Naxalism is a topic more talked about than jobs and development.
Vibrant legislature
The only purpose of assembly seems to pass annual budgets. Crores have been spent on the functioning of the assembly in the last five years but the legislature has met only on 107 days in the third Assembly. "Now we want a vibrant and efficient legislature. Tribal vs non-tribal is not an issue for us," said an young executive working with Arcellor Mittal India Ltd.
Right of locals over resources
Resources are not being utilised potentially in Jharkhand. The state is wasting them by unlawful allocations of mines. The government is yet to bring clear policies on the functioning of PSUs, involvement of locals in mining activities by providing jobs. So far, the main anger among workers in industrial areas of Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ranchi and Jamshedpur is over this topic. Trade unions that play a major role in Jharkhand polls have raised this topic emphatically again.
Agriculture
Agriculture in the state is devoid of policy protection, irrigation facilities and capital investment. The traditional agriculturists of Jharkhand -- Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Ho, Kharia, Kharwar -- don't find this job anymore lucrative and are adopting other professions due to poverty and droughts. Even Hemant Soren's Santhal community whose main occupation was agriculture is disenchanted by the government. These people who constitute a major population of Jharkhand will support any party that promises them protection and better future.
Jobs and migration
The state should have more technical institutions. Students have to go to Maharashtra, Bhubaneshwar, Karnataka for admissions. Private colleges are still not there and government colleges are too less in number.
For the last few years the local industries and PSUs are hiring engineers from local colleges through campus placements. But that is not enough seeing the rising local needs.
Primary health, sanitation
Primary health care in remote areas, sanitation has failed to draw attention of political parties. The state that has state-of-the art hospitals are too far from areas that decide the fate of Jharkhand politics. Dumka, Pakur, Chatra has hundreds of villages that haven't seen doctors and still believe in black magic and tantrics to cure diseases.
Human trafficking
The United Nations has already alarmed the state on this. Most of the 24 districts are stuck in the vicious circle of trafficking where young girls are lured by placement agencies and forced into prostitution. Garwah, Sahibganj, Dumka, Pakur, Chaibasa, Ranchi, Palamu, Hazaribag, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Girdih, Kodarma and Lohardaga are worst affected.
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