About WeSantal – Why WeSantal Exists
Community Protection · Governance Visibility · Cultural Integrity
WeSantal is a registered, community-led coordination body that works with villages—never above them. We support Manjhi Pargana councils, Santali institutions, and traditional governance so they remain respected in the modern system.
The council helps connect village decisions with regional, national, and legal processes, ensuring Sarna Dharam, customary law, and cultural responsibility stay visible, documented, and protected.
WeSantal exists only to strengthen what already belongs to the community: village authority, living heritage, and self-governance.
Who We Are (Short)
WeSantal – Self Government Council is a non-political, non-profit Santali institution. It brings together registered community councils, traditional leaders, educators, and researchers across Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and beyond.
The council operates in alignment with the PESA Act (1996), village sabhas, and Sarna Dharam values. We do not create parallel authority; we document, coordinate, and protect the existing system so that state, central, and global bodies can recognize it clearly.
Every initiative is carried out with the consent of village leadership, ensuring that Manjhi Sabha decisions remain the foundation of justice and development.
Why WeSantal Exists (Core Section)
1. Preamble
The Santali community has a living Manjhi Pargana system rooted in Sarna Dharam, reconciliation, and collective responsibility.
It weakened not because it failed, but because it became invisible, undocumented, and replaced by external dependence.
WeSantal was formed as a protective framework to make Santali self-governance visible, functional, and respected.
2. The Ground Reality
People know national leaders, yet many cannot identify their own Pargana or Desh Manjhi.
Escalation routes for village justice are unclear, causing confusion and erosion of trust.
3. Consequence of Invisibility
- People directly approach police, RI, Tahsildar, and courts.
- Customary reconciliation is bypassed.
- Youth lose respect for traditional authority.
- External systems decide without cultural understanding.
A governance system that cannot be found cannot deliver justice.
4. Risk to PESA Act (1996)
PESA recognizes tribal self-governance but it does not execute automatically.
Without visible councils, recorded decisions, and recognized authority, administration ignores customary systems.
If governance is not functional, PESA remains symbolic.
5. Educational Fraud & Certification Chaos
Unverified Ol Chiki schools and fake certificates harm Santali children.
WeSantal exists to verify institutions with village consent, standardize certification, and protect genuine teachers.
6. Media & Film Misrepresentation
Santali people are often portrayed as primitive or inaccurately religious.
WeSantal reviews cultural accuracy, raises objections, and protects Santali dignity in media.
7. Purpose of WeSantal
- Strengthen Manjhi Pargana, never replace it.
- Make governance visible and reachable.
- Reduce unnecessary dependence on police and courts.
- Ensure PESA works in reality.
- Protect culture, education, and governance.
8. Governance Flow
1. Village decision (Manjhi Sabha)
2. Pargana-level resolution
3. Desh-level guidance
4. Government authority only if unresolved
WeSantal documents and protects this flow without interfering.
9. Declaration
If Santali governance is not strengthened today, tomorrow neither Manjhi Pargana nor PESA will shield us.
WeSantal exists as a shield, not a ruler; as a bridge, not a replacement; as protection, not power.
10. Vision Statement
“Village decides. Tradition guides. WeSantal protects.”
What WeSantal Does & Does Not Do
- Village-first decision making
- Documentation of Manjhi Sabha outcomes
- Verification of institutions through community consent
- Cultural accuracy in public platforms
- Respectful engagement with government agencies
- Replace Manjhi Pargana authority
- Issue decisions without village approval
- Interfere in statutory government processes
- Engage in political campaigning or party work
- Claim control over land, temples, or village property
WeSantal stands between tradition and modern systems—not to control, but to protect. We ensure that village wisdom can speak in today’s administrative language without losing its sanctity.
Village decides. Tradition guides. WeSantal protects.