Streets of tribal dominated pockets across the nation have been buzzing with demands for a nation-wide delisting exercise over the recent few years. In such Organiser representative Pankaj Kumar Singh had a brief interaction with regional co-convenor of the Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), Indrajit Bhagat on the issue of de-listing and other concerns of the tribal community.
Demonstrations echoing a demand for a nationwide de-listing exercise have been making the headlines from the tribal (Vanvasi/Janjati) dominated regions of the country lately, what is this all about, what’s in its root?
To understand the demand of de-listing one must need to visit the root cause of the issue which was first highlighted by the then Member of Parliament from Lohardaga, Baba Karthik Oraon Ji in 1967. He had rightly stated that those who embraces any other religion by leaving its customs and tradition shouldn’t be allowed to avail any benefits i.e. exclusively reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
He also had submitted a memorandum carrying signatures of 248 MPs to the then government leading to formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which later supported his demands.
Further one also need to see the amendments done in the article 341 in the year 1956 which clearly states that those members of the Scheduled Castes (SC) who embraced Christianity or Islam will be automatically get debarred from availing the benefits reserved for Schedule Castes, all we want a similar definition in the article 342 which is for the Scheduled Tribes.
What stopped the implementation of the JPC report on issue of de-listing?
See, the JPC after holding 22 meetings had unanimously recommended that converted individuals should not avail the benefits of reservation reserved for STs. Though the recommendation of the JPC was later rejected in pressure of the foreign mission groups and the then CMs of Ngaland and Meghalaya.
Further Baba Karthik Oraon had also submitted a memorandum carrying signature of 388 MPs, though unfortunately it succumbed to the pressure exerted by the missionaries.
Why this discrimination about embracing any other religion other than those originated in Bharat?
Firstly, our demand is clear that whoever opts to leave his/her conservative practices should be debarred from availing the benefits exclusively reserved for the Vanvasi community, secondly we do not consider Sikhism or Buddhism as any other religion as both have been originated in Bharat, we consider them as separate streams of Sanatan.
You see what happened with the Red Indians in the United States of America, so you need to see and examine these things thoroughly, our demand is very clear all we want that a similar definition should be added in the article 342 and whoever opts to leave the age-old traditions of the Janjatiye society should be debarred from getting the benefits reserved for the community.
You talked about reservation benefits that have been being availed by the converts, how bigger is the impact of this issue on the Vanvasi community.
You see, around 18 per cent people in the community have either converted to Christianity or some other religion such as Islam and others, these converted people are the ones who have been availing 80 per cent of reservation benefits provided to the community and only 20 per cent are being availed by the remaining 82 per cent people, our battle is against this injustice being carried out against a significant section of the society i.e. the Janjatiye community.
Whoever opts to leave the age-old traditions of the Janjatiya society should be debarred from getting the benefits reserved for the community.It’s painful to witness that even in the ‘Amritkaal’ of the country, the ST community’s rights are being snatched by the converts
The Constitution has clearly established that Christians and Muslims are minorities, now a section of those who have embraced these religions are also availing benefits reserved to Janjatiye community, this is against the very soul of the constitution which guarantees reservation benefits for the STs. It’s painful to witness that even in the ‘Amritkaal’ of the country, the ST community’s rights are being snatched by the converts.
A significant section among the said 82 per cent identify themselves as non- Sanatani such as the Sarna believers, followers of Gondi religion, how do you see them?
We (Janjati community) are bonafide Hindus, you tell me one who worships the Sun, the earth, the rivers, the forests, one who first started to worship Mahadev and Parvati who is bigger Hindu than them. Secondly, as far as Sarna, Gondi, Mundari, Chala, Addi, Aadi religions has concerned, this is nothing but a conspiracy to divide the Janjatiye community.
There have been demands of Sarna religion code, Addi and Aadi e.t.c in Jharkhand and a similar demand of separate religion code in Chhattisgarh, our constitution has already provided 7 religion codes, what if tomorrow a handful of people started demanding for another separate religion code, it doesn’t work like this.
Additionally, one should understand that wherever the missionaries have gone they have converted the masses into Christianity within 100 years, though they are still around 3 per cent in Bharat, that convince them to hatch a conspiracy to alienate the Janjatiye community from its roots. See what happened in northeast where initially a sudden rise was witnessed in Other Religions Persuasions (ORP) which later shifted to Christianity in decades to come.
The idea is to attack on the cultural identities associated with the Sanatan Dharma, so if Bhagwan Ram is the binding force of Hindus, efforts have been made to popularise Ravan worship through the means of fallacy, they tried setting up a narrative that the “Aadivasi (tribals) are not Hindus, what about Adivasi are not Christians or Muslims,” do you ever have heard this, this is nothing but a collective effort of missionaries, communist and radical elements to break the Janjati community in phase wise manner.
How grave is the threat of illegal conversion in Chhattisgarh?
There has been an unprecedented rise in cases of conversion and erection of Churches in the State and astonishingly majority of those who have converted have not followed the constitutional procedure, despite embracing Christianity the converts have remained practicing Hindus on paper. These number could be in lakhs, that is how it’s been unfolding in the State, we have always demanded that if anyone wants to embrace any other religion he/she should follow the constitutional procedure that is to inform the concerning authorities about it in advance, that is the law of the land and everyone should abide by it.
The JSM was formed in the year 2006, a few groups alleged that it is working to eradicate the so-called theory of separate identity of tribal community other than the Hindus, how you see this?
We always have believed that the Janjati community is an unalienable part of Hindu society, as far as animism is concerned Hindus have always been worshippers of Banayan, Peepal, Tulsi trees, rivers and land. See, the Janjati community is aligning with the JSM across the country, this has frustrated them (breaking India forces), we have already organised more than 20 state level rallies, we will be soon holding rallies in other states as well. As far our goal is concerned its very vivid Jo nahi Bholenaath ka Wo nahi hamare Jaat ka (Those who are not of lord Shiva are not of our community).
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