Ranchi, Aug. 18: Over a thousand tribals today marched some 5km across the heart of the capital to demand a separate Sarna religious code in the Census so that they are not included as Hindus.
This apart, the two-and-a-half hour rally from 1pm, which started from Morabadi's Mahatma Gandhi statue Albert Ekka Chowk and finally Raj Bhavan, also demanded the government scrap the recent land acquisition Act and continue with the 2013 law.
A delegation from the rally, where students, farmers, activists, professionals, among others, took part under the banner of Sarna Samanvay Samiti, gave a memo of the twin demands to the office of governor Droupadi Murmu.
Outfits under the Samanvay banner were Kendriya Sarna Samiti, Raji Pahad Sarna Prarthana Sabha, Adivasi Sena, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, Jharkhand Adivasi Vikas Samiti, Adarsh Sarna Samiti and Jharkhand Ekta Manch.
"A separate Sarna code in the population Census has been our long-pending demand. Tribals worship nature and they have nothing to do with Hinduism," said tribal leader Ajay Tirkey, the president of a breakaway faction of Kendriya Sarna Samiti. "In the Census, even Jainism, with not more than 45 lakh followers across India, is accorded a separate identity, but Sarna or Sarnaism is not. In the Census, followers of Sarna are always mentioned as Hindu or Others," he added.
Protesters said that in 2011 the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes had recommended to the Centre that a Sarna code be added in the 2011 Census, which did not materialise. But, massive campaigns of tribal outfits in Jharkhand revealed to some extent the Sarna numbers.
"We told tribals they should mention Sarna as religion in the Other Religion category of the Census. So, in the 2011 census report, 42.35 lakh tribals of Jharkhand mentioned Sarna. Tribals have a 12 crore-plus population across India. Their distinct religious and cultural identity can't be ignored," said Santosh Tirkey.
Going beyond the identity question, the absence of Sarna code denies its followers government welfare benefits meant for tribals, he added.
Members at the rally also seethed with rage against the newly passed Jharkhand Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Act-2017.
"The new land Act is much more draconian than the scrapped CNT, SPT amendment bills. In fact, it nullifies the central land act (Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act 2013) that has stringent provisions for acquisition. The state Act is immune from judicial scrutiny and the social impact assessment clause has been dropped. This government is adamant about pleasing corporate houses at the cost of tribal marginalisation," fumed Ranchi University student Dipti Oraon.
