Representative Image: Members of the Janjati Suraksha Manch during a de-listing rally
India was once famous all over the world and known as “Golden Bird”. But this popularity invited trouble. Vasco-da-Gama discovered India and the foreigners started looking at us with envy. From the year 1600, the East India Company started establishing a foothold in the country in the name of trade, when it realised that India is socially, economically, politically weak and full of mutual differences.
Injecting Slow Poison
After trade, from the year 1757, East India Company imposed rules which remained in force till 1858. Ironically, British rule remained in force from 1858 to 1947. In these years, Bharatiya freedom fighters kept on fighting for Independence of the country. But a slow poison injected by foreign forces started spreading across India. However, the people of India could not recognise it till date and remained deprived of its painful consequences. The name of that poison is conversion. The Conversion Mafias are active even today by taking advantage of superiority feeling, theism and mutual differences within society. This matter is no less than a National Emergency. According to reports, almost 8 lakh people are converted to other faiths.
Due to awareness of sentiments of the tribal society to support the Delisting issue and to fight for their rights against injustice, the movement has been organised to hold district rallies and district conventions at more than 225 places in 250 tribal-dominated districts across the country by Janjati Surakha Manch, which was set up in 2006. Furthermore, under the “Sansad Sampark Abhiyan”, the target was taken to contact the MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This campaign was completed in two phases from March 20 to March 31, 2022 during Parliament session in Delhi, in which 456 out of 788 MPs were personally contacted. The rally was held in a total of 1122 blocks and 60,112 villages. On February 10, the Delisting Garjana Rally was organised by the tribal community on BHEL Dussehra Ground in Bhopal as a show of strength. Lakhs of tribal people from more than 40 districts demanded delisting.
On February 10, 2023, the Janjati Garjana Delisting Rally was organised in Bhel Dussehra Maidan, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, which was attended by many eminent people.
“Many people from the Janjati community sacrificed their lives to protect this country. They dreamt of a happy life for their future generations, so that they would stand equally before developed society. However, those who have converted to other religions are getting the benefits of reservation, which was made for the Janjati community. This is unacceptable. The Government must consider delisting them so that the identity of the Janjati community is not grabbed by those who have converted to other religions. Those who left their culture and their original identity, should be deprived of the rights of the Janjati,” said Rajkishore Hansda, co-coordinator of Janjati Suraksha Manch, during the Janjati Garjana Delisting Rally.
Article 341 of the Constitution say that if people from the Scheduled Caste convert, then they will be deprived of the benefits of reservation. we want the same amendment in Article 342, say protesting tribals
He further said, “Christians don’t worship nature and mother earth, therefore they cannot be Janjati. Even India’s constitution, verdict by courts and census clearly point out that Christians don’t belong to the Janjati community. Janjati community is an intergral part of the Hindu community. Even those converted Christians are not counted as Janjati in the census. Moreover, the converted candidates are getting all the benefits of reservations! This is a total injustice. Delisting is a matter of life and death for the tribal society and we will march to Delhi for this.”
“Those, who have left their original identity, are taking away the rights of Janjati community for 70 years. Therefore, the Janjati community has been demanding delisting for decades. Importantly, the bill for delisting was brought in the parliament in 1967 by the then Member of Parliament Kartik Oraon. Despite this, it has not yet been implemented. Tribal people have been struggling for this for decades. Janjati Suraksha Manch was formed in 2006. Subsequently, in 2009, a demand letter with the signatures of 28 lakh people from across the country was handed over to the then President Pratibha Devi Patil,” said Satendra Singh, guest member of Janjati Suraksha Manch.
While addressing the rally, former Rajya Sabha MP Sampatiya Uikey said in Article 341 of the Constitution if people from Scheduled Caste (SCs) are converted to other religions, then they will be deprived of the benefits given to SCs. We want the same amendment in Article 342, which was made for STs. So that those who convert to other religions don’t enjoy double benefits; they should be removed from STs. Ironically, 95 per cent of those who continue to enjoy rights of Janjati have already converted to other religions. Only five per cent of who have preserved their Janjati identity get its benefits.
The matter of delisting has also become an issue of conern among the tribal community. And many rallies have been organised to delist those from Scheduled Tribes (STs) status, who converted to other religions. In May 2022, a total of 12 rallies demanding delisting were organised in districts like Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Bijapur, Raipur, Jagadalapur, Mungeli, Bilaspur, Kanker, Sukma and Pendra. A total of 9,000 people participated in these rallies. Here it is worth mentioning that on May 8, 2022, in Konta, a historical rally was organised by the Janjati Suraksha Manch. In this rally, it was emphasised that the Constitutional Rights and protection plan of tribal society should only be given to STs. And those people who have converted to other religions should not benefit from this. Earlier, in the Narayanpur district of Bastar region, a mega rally was organised on April 26, 2022 by Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), an initiative of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. Thousands of tribal people participated in the rally to create awareness in the community and send a message to the administration to check the conversion activities taking place in the region. The rally witnessed participation of over 110 villages in the district.
Ex-IAS officier Shyamsingh Kumare said, “Injustice has been happening since the country got its Independence. Janjati community has been the flag bearer of Sanatan and Indian culture. However, once a person from a tribal community converts to another religion, his or her basic identity gets lost. Therefore, converted people must be stripped of all the rights given to the Janjati community. If our demand is not fulfilled, we will march to Delhi.”
Prakash bhau Uiekey of the Janjati Community said most of the IAS officers from the North East are converted people, and they have abandoned their original identities and culture. We are fighting for the rights of our future generations. The rights of the children of the Janjati community are being grabbed by others.
On February 11, 2023, in Arunachal Pradesh, Janjati Suraksha Manch held public awareness meeting at Engo Takar Dere (hall) of Central Donyi-Polo Yelam Kebang, Pasighat on the topic ‘Why delisting of Converted persons from ST is Necessary’. Representatives from various blocks of East Siang district like Gaon Burahs, PRI leaders, Indigenous faith believers and Adi Baane Kebang attended this meeting.
According to Tajom Tasung, Secretary General, CDPYK cum Member, Janajati Faith & Cultural Protection Forum (All India), a total of 300 delegates attended the meeting. “We are demanding our legitimate right of tribal community and we are demanding amendment of Article 342 of Indian Constitution as some religious followers are taking advantage of both minority and ST Commission. Our main point is to stop the practices of dual advantage taken by some religious section of our people, Minority should stay as a minority and the Scheduled Tribe should adhere to Scheduled Tribe provisions”, said Tajom Tasung. He also informed that a total of 9 families previously converted to Christianity quit their adopted faith and joined Donyi-Polo, the indigenous faith. Nineteen families, which did not participate in Donyi Polo Gangging, started following Donyi-Poloism.
In the meeting, the house unanimously voiced three points which are to be further submitted to the President of India and Parliament house for amendment. The three points includes any person whoever gets converted from indigenous faith/religion to any other religion shall be de-listed from the ST list, Arunachal Pradesh Religious Act 1978 must be implemented by the government of Arunachal Pradesh and a separate column for religion be included in ST certificate application.
While repeating the concerns raised by other speakers, Narendra Singh Maravi said, “Janjati community fought with both Mughals and British. They sacrificed their lives but never abandoned Dharma and their culture. Our ancestors like Tantaya Bhil, Rani Durgavati and Tilaka Manjhi fought battles for Sanatan Sanskriti.”
“We are their descendants. People belonging to foreign religions killed our forefathers. Therefore, delisting is the only way to exclude such people from the Janjati community. Converted people should not get the benefit of reservation,” Narendra Singh Maravi further added.
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