Jashpur: As demand for delisting (a proposed exercise to de-list those from tribal community who have embraced any other religion by leaving tribal customary practices) grows in tribal (Janjati) dominated pockets of Bharat, many tried terming it as an attempt to divide the community on religious lines.
However, despite stiff opposition from a section of people, a shocking revelation from Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district has once again underscored the need for a nationwide de-listing exercise as demanded by a major chunk of people from the Janjati community who have been continuously hitting the streets, demanding the same.
According to a ground report of Dainik Bhaskar, Sai Tangartoliof Jashpur, the last village Panchayat of Chhattisgarh on the eastern side of border, adjoining Jharkhand has undergone a complete change in religious demography in the last five decades.
The village reportedly had around 50% of its population from the Janjati community in the year 1970, as around both Janjatis and Muslim community had around 30 houses each in the village. However, the village at present has no Janjati family in actuality.
The report reveals that out of the 1760 registered voters 90 are Christians while the rest are from the Muslim community. What is more surprising is that the village panchayat which was declared a Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved seat in the year 1999 is still reported to be under reserved category.
Read this one:
A village in Chhattisgarh, which once had a 50% Hindu population, has a reserved seat for tribals in the Panchayat elections.
But now, the entire village has converted to Islam. Out of 1760 voters, only 90 are Christian; the rest are Muslim in the Saitangertoli… pic.twitter.com/HIzzoWEXL3
— Treeni (@treeni) February 8, 2025
The ground report further reveals that only one family of the village belongs to ST community, who too has converted to Islam, though the members are still keeping their janjati identity on papers, largely to fought elections as the seat is a reserved one.
According to the details, Dubraj, the current sarpanch (panchayat head) belongs to the said ST family whose father Prasann Ram alias Baris Ali had migrated to the Sai Tangartoli almost around five decades ago.
Prasann Ram who now is a practicing Muslim and wishes to go on Haj, originally belongs to Janjati Gond community. His wife Jaimuni Bai was elected as sarpannch in the year 2009. He informed that his wife Jaimuni Bai and one of the daughters will be fighting the upcoming panchayat elections as the seat this time is reserved for the women candidates.
The other candidates in the fray are Sumanti Bai, wife of Jabbar and Marshal Ekka wife of Ahmad. Ekka got married to Ahmad in the year 2004 and had already won the elections in the same year, while Jabbar’s first wife Praveen Kujur was elected sarpanch in the year 2013.
In all a total of six Muslim men have married to Janjati women in the village and only the said tribal women and family of Prasann Ram contests elections in the panchayat.
Located in Jashpur, the home district of incumbent CM, Tanagrtoli village is also notorious for cow smuggling. According to media reports, the village was an alleged hub for cow smuggling till recent and cows from all over the state were brought up and kept there before the smugglers supplied them to Bangladesh.
It was only in August last year that the Jashpur police in a surprise move raided and apprehended as many as 10 cow-smugglers from the village which was earlier considered a no-go zone for police. The police during the raid also freed 37 cattle and seized 18 vehicles used for smuggling purpose.
The police recently have also arrested a few cow-smugglers under the special drive aimed at curbing cow smuggling in the region, namely operation Sankhnaad. According to the police, a total of 700 cows progenies were rescued under the drive so far while 109 people associated in smuggling business were also apprehended since the launch of the operation.
Demand for a nationwide de-listing exercise
The demand for a nationwide de-listing exercise has gained momentum in recent years with a large number of people from the tribal community hitting the streets, demanding exclusion of those among the community who have embraced any other religion other than those originated in Bharat by leaving their age-old traditional practices.
Notably, over 200 de-listing rallies were organised across separate states in recent years, signifying the growing demand to separate those who left following traditional practices. Recently, the Janjati communities from across the country have also carried out a special postcard campaign under which lakhs of postcards, demanding a nationwide de-listing exercise were sent to Prime Minister Modi.
Those in favour of the exercise often refers to the provisions made for the Scheduled Castes (SC) community which clearly states that those who converts to any other religion will lose the benefits exclusively reserved for the SC community.
The leaders of the community opined that a similar provision in regard to the ST community is the need of hour, owing to the fact that the community is facing an existential threat from the ever-growing menace of conversion in many pockets across the country.
They claim that those who converts to any other religion by leaving traditional practices should be debarred from availing the benefits of reservation and other facilities immediately, as it will not only curb the menace of conversion but will also ensure that the rightful people will be given benefits of the arrangements made exclusively for the Janjati communities.
