Congress Slams Centre for Ignoring Tribal Identity, Demands Sarna Religion Code

Ranchi: Accusing the central government of systematically sidelining tribal identity, Congress MP from Lohardaga, Sukhdeo Bhagat, criticized the Centre for refusing to officially recognize tribal religions. “The government is keen on counting animals and tigers but turns a blind eye to the religious identity of tribal communities,” he said at a press conference.

Bhagat alleged that by removing the “Other Religions” column from the census form, the Union government is violating the fundamental rights of tribals. “In previous censuses, over 90 lakh people marked themselves under ‘Other Religions’, with nearly 50 lakh identifying as Sarna followers. Now, in a deliberate conspiracy, this column has been removed to erase tribal faith,” he said.

He pointed out that while smaller communities like Jains (40 lakh), Buddhists (80 lakh), and Sikhs (2 crore) have their own religion codes, the 15 crore Adivasis who practice nature worship are still denied formal recognition.

Bhagat accused the BJP of trying to erase tribal identity under the guise of development. “They don’t even call us ‘Adivasi’ anymore—they prefer ‘Vanvasi’, which shows their mindset,” he said. He further added that he raised the issue of a Sarna religion code in both the Jharkhand Assembly and Parliament on July 22, 2024, but received no reply. “This government is in a Kumbhakarna-like slumber,” he said.

Congress deputy leader in the state assembly, Rajesh Kacchap, said that the BJP had initially rejected the idea of a caste-based census but had to yield to pressure from the Congress and other opposition parties. “Now that a caste census is underway, the Sarna faith must also be officially recognised with a separate code,” he asserted. He estimated that the tribal population could exceed 15 crore if correctly recorded.

Kacchap alleged that the removal of the “Other” religion option is part of a broader BJP strategy to marginalize tribal voices. “The Jharkhand Assembly passed a resolution for the Sarna religion code and sent it to the Centre, but it has been deliberately ignored,” he said. “If the Centre doesn’t act, we will bring this fight to the streets and to Parliament.”

Former MLA Jaiprakash Gupta emphasized that the demand for the Sarna code is not new. “This isn’t just Jharkhand’s issue—it’s a national tribal movement. Recognition requires no constitutional amendment or funding, only a Cabinet decision, but the government lacks the will,” he said.

Present at the press conference were state Congress spokesperson Sonal Shanti, Kamal Thakur, party office in-charge Abhilash Sahu, and district president Rakesh Kiran Mahato.