Separate Religious Code not acceptable, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram delegation raises concerns with the Home Minister

New Delhi: A high-level delegation of Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram called on the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh on October 31 and urged him to ignore the illogical and misleading demand of separate religion code in census by some misguided persons. The delegation was led by Kalyan Ashram president Shri Jagdevram Oraon and included joint general secretary Shri Vishnukant, Delhi Pradesh president Shri Shanti Swarup Bansal, Dr Deepaklal Kujur and senior leader Shri Sureshrao Kulkarni.

Shri Vishnukant also pointed out that a memorandum to this effect was presented to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister Shri Jual Oram and Chairman of the National Scheduled Tribes Commission also on October 30 and 31. A copy of the memorandum is to be submitted to the Census Commissioner of India soon.

Bharat has a long history of Census. There are references in Rigveda, Arth Shastra of Kautilya and Ayin-e-Akbari about census of contemporary period. Present form of Census to be taken simultaneously at a time across the country with a definite interval of ten years commenced in the year 1881. This task was being done in British India by Home Government Circular No. 2 of 23rd July 1856; there was no enactment for it. The Census Act was passed in the year 1948 only after independence. Seventh Census of the country and the first after independence was conducted in the year 1951and the subsequent censuses are being conducted under this Act.

Any sovereign, democratic and welfare state would count the population of its citizens along with collecting information regarding their health, education, socio-economic condition during Census and would make a planned effort to develop them. Along with this, the data collected during Census are used to study and analyze its effect on internal and external security and take necessary steps for security of the nation.

A few people belonging to Janjatis have been demanding for a separate Religious Code during the last 2-3 Censuses. Some non-Janjati forces having vested interests are fanning air to this demand from outside. There is a need to identify these forces too. But it is necessary to understand what actually the Religious Code is. During Census, enumerator visits house to house, fill up the Performa with required information like number of people residing in the house along with their gender, their age, number of infants, information about education, electrification, toilets, phone, TV like facilities etc. Along with this, the caste and religion of the particular person are also to be marked. It is essential for the enumerator to note down the information which is being provided to him. But, in case if a member belonging to SC/ST community, the enumerator has to satisfy himself by checking the relevant documents before filling in the form. But so far as religion is concerned, enumerator has to note down the religion whatever he is being told by the person.

Finally, at the time of publishing data regarding religion at national level are classified in 8 categories. These categories are known as Religion Code. These 8 categories are 1. Hindu, 2. Muslim, 3. Christian, 4. Sikh, 5. Buddhist, 6. Jain, 7. Other Religious Persuasions (ORPs) and 8. Those who didn’t state Religion (RNS).

Census Data published from 1881 to 1941 says that more than 90 to 95 % of the members belonging to Scheduled Tribe entered themselves as Hindus. Till then, only 4% among STs, most of them inhabiting in N.E. Region, recorded their religion as Sengkhasi, Rangfraa, Donyipolo/Syi-Donyipolo, Batho etc. Some STs had been mentioning themselves as Buddhists. Church could convert only 1 to 2 percent people of STs to Christianity by then. The nomenclature “Schedule Tribe” was first introduced in 1950 when new constitution came into existence. But British Government tried to give them separate identity such as animists, nature worshippers, tribe/criminal tribe etc to separate them from rest of the society, but they failed this direction.

The populations of STs as per the Census of 2011 was roughly 10.5 crore in which 80% mentioned themselves as Hindus, 10% as Christians, 7.3% as ORPs, 1.5% as Muslims, 0.75% as Buddhists and 0.17% did not mention any religion (RNS).

Unity in diversity is our specialty and we are proud of it. Even if 10 people in a village mention their separate religion, then it is recorded and kept secured in the Census Registers of the State, District and the Village; and it is there in the notice of one and all in the country, state and the society.

Is it wise to accept demand of 5/7 thousand of members belonging to ST communities to bring STs under one Religious Code? Would adherents amongst STs like Donyipolo, Sengkhasi, Rangfraa, Batho etc be ready to accept this demand? Would Scheduled Tribe members who have been converted into Christianity and Islam be ready to accept the demand of including themselves into the Category of Tribal Religion such as Sarna, Gondi, Bheeli, Santhali Etc? When they won’t be ready to accept the demand, then why 80% of the Scheduled Tribes, who are Hindu can accept it?

This demand is not only nonsense but irrational, illegal and also illogical. It is illegal because everyone has right to record religion of his/her own choice according to his/her belief. This right cannot be taken away either by Census department or by Government. It is impractical because, at present, more than 110 faiths are being followed by Janjatis. Is it possible to allot 110 different Religion Codes for them?

The word Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are constitutional nomenclature, they are already counted, tabulated and published separately. If they, the Janjatis are to be given only one single Religion Code, then what is the need of counting their religion in Census?

This is also being propagated that if anybody returns his/her religion as Hindu, he/she will lose status of being ST and won’t be able to enjoy benefits of reservation. Did any member belonging to ST community who converted to Christianity ever lost his ST status, in spite and in the light of Supreme Court’s judgment in Kerala State Vs Chandramohanan and the Jaiantia Hills Autonomous District Council’s case? Then how ST status will be cancelled of those who enroll as Hindus?

Forces indulged in religious conversions of Janjatis are creating confusion not only by conspiring to reduce the number of those who follow Sanatan Hindu Dharam, but also to separate the STs by attempting to increase number of ORPs and to weaken them so that they can be an easy target for conversions in future, as these agencies have been doing in the provinces of North east in the last 50 years.

Keeping all aforesaid things in mind, KKM of Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram would like to alert all the Janjatis of this conspiracy. KKM further calls upon all those Janjati communities who themselves or whose forefathers have been entering them as Hindus should continue to enter themselves as Hindus in the coming Census as usual.

KKM also demands the Central Government to ignore the demand of a few perverted persons belonging to Scheduled Tribe Communities who place this irrational, illegal and impractical demand, which is against the interests of their own Scheduled Tribal communities, against the interests of all Janjatis as well as national interest; as it would bring a far reaching adverse impact.