India, Sept. 30 -- ]For the Santhal community in Dumka's Leto village, this year's Dasay festival carries a special memory. On Monday, members of the Disom Marang Buru Yug Jaher Akhra gathered at the Manjhi Than, offered prayers, and shared sweets - not just for tradition, but for a rare recognition they had long sought. Their cultural appeal had reached the highest office in Jharkhand, and Chief Minister Hemant Soren responded with a public message of greetings.
The Department of Information and Public Relations, Dumka, swiftly put up hoardings across the town carrying the Chief Minister's festive message. The move was prompted by the villagers' request, made through local media a day earlier, that Santhals also be included in state greet...