Ranchi: A tribal outfit has come down heavily on an RSS-backed one for trying to bring tribals in the Hindu fold by equating Sarna and Sanatan philosophies.

Former Mandar MLA of the Congress and Adivasi Sarna Mahasabha chief convener Deo Kumar Dhan on Wednesday told the media at a news meet at Line Tank Road that his outfit and other tribal outfits would lay siege to the office of RSS-backed Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra at Arogya Bhavan in Bariatu on December 16.

Dhan told journalists that Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra in its Rashtriya Shakti Sammelans in districts of Gumla and Ranchi were equating Sarna and Sanatan, which endangered the very identity of tribals.

"Can Sarna and Sanatan be called the same? Who gave Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra the authority to use the word vanvasi (forest-dweller) for adivasi (tribal)? This is an attempt to end tribal identity. We take strong exception to these efforts and have planned to lay siege to the Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra office on December 16," Dhan said.

But, Sandeep Oraon, state convener of Janjatiya Suraksha Manch, a wing of Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra, accused Dhan of having Church backing. Oraon added Dhan was miffed with the BJP for giving Gangotri Kujur and not him the Mandar Assembly ticket.

Oraon stressed there was nothing wrong in uniting Sarna and Sanatan. "Sanatan is a way of life. Like Sarna, Sanatan also worships the forest, mountains and rivers."

"Had Dhan been interested in protecting tribal identity, he would have invited an intellectual discussion instead of threatening protests."