Is It Bharat Bandh On December 30?

Tribal organisation Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan (ASA) on Wednesday announced a ''symbolic'' Bharat bandh on December 30 in advocating for the recognition of the Sarna religion, a longstanding demand of the tribal organization.

ASA president Salkhan Murmu emphasized that the Sarna religion represents the identity of 15 crore tribals in the country. He labeled the denial of recognition to the tribal community's religion as a ''constitutional crime,'' stating that coercing the community to adopt other faiths equates to ''enslavement through religion.'' Murmu accused both the Congress and BJP of undermining tribal freedom of religion.

He highlighted that the 1951 census initially had a distinct code for the Sarna religion, which was subsequently removed by the Congress. He also accused the BJP of attempting to categorize tribals as Vanvasis and Hindus.

ASA stands firm in safeguarding the interests of the tribal community and expressed willingness to support any political party that acknowledges the Sarna religion.

Sarnaism, the indigenous religious belief of tribal communities, primarily venerates natural elements like mountains, forests, and wildlife. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) proposed that Sarna religion should have an independent category in the census religion code. Multiple tribal groups and Christian missionaries are advocating for a separate census code for Sarnaism.

Murmu highlighted that in the 2011 census, around 50 lakh adivasis identified their faith as 'Sarna,' surpassing the 44 lakh count for Jainism. Despite this, while Jainism obtained separate religious status, Sarnaism continues to be denied recognition.

He pointed out the absence of acknowledgment for Sarna religion in speeches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Ulihatu, the birthplace of tribal leader Birsa Munda, and President Droupadi Murmu's visit to Baripada in Odisha.

''With no other option, ASA has decided to observe a symbolic Bharat bandh on December 30, supported by similar organizations,'' Murmu stated, detailing plans for protests involving street demonstrations and blockades of road and rail movements to reinforce their demands. He urged political parties that backed the Sarna Religion Code Bill in the Jharkhand assembly to support ASA's plea. The Jharkhand Assembly had previously passed a resolution advocating Sarna's recognition as a distinct religion in the census back in November 2020.