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Editorial on the recognition of tribal Religion –Click here

Editorial on the recognition of tribal Religion and their rights has always been a long-standing social justice issue for the tribals.

Sarna code is associated with this social justice issue of the tribals.

Sarna code for the tribals: It is associated with the religious life of the tribals.

Religion can be seen as the human response to the apprehension of something, or power, which is supernatural.
Tribal Religion, in general, can be associated with Animism, in which ” magic” and ” spirits ” become predominant.
The tribal spirits reside in the trees, mountains, sacred pools etc. That is why protection of nature becomes a part of the religious life of the tribals.
The religion, culture, nature and traditions are entwined with each other in a harmonious way for the tribals.

What’s this code?

This code is an official recognition of the tribal Religion of various tribes of Jharkhand.
The Jharkhand Government had convened a special session for passing a resolution to urge the centre to recognise SARNA religion.
It also stressed that this code is included separately in the Census of 2021.

Why this code becomes important?

This code is being perceived as a great tool to save the religious identity of the tribals.
It is believed that around 50 lakhs tribals in the country had put their religion as SARNA in the 2011 Census, although it was not a separate code then.

The issues around this code:

Many tribals have converted to Christianity in (Jharkhand Region especially) .
{ Around 4% of the population in Jharkhand is of Christians}.
The converted tribals are taking the benefits of Reservation ( Both minority and the Scheduled Tribes) , whereas other tribals are getting deprived of such benefits.
The Tribal population in Jharkhand has declined from 38.3% in 1931 to 26.02% in 2011, primarily due to migration.
Tribals face a lot of problems in other states where they are not recognised properly. This code would help them get recognition and benefits from government schemes.
Also, between 1871 and 1951, the tribals had a different code, which was done away with around 1961-62.

Potential benefits of this code:

Preservation of tribal identity would go a long way in the empowerment of tribals psycho emotionally.
It would help in the preservation of rich religious heritage and diversity of the country.( Which is a part of our Constitution’s Fundamental duties).
This would send a positive signal to other states and even countries to bring forth such positive measures for their indigenous population.

Conclusion :

Integrating the tribals into the emotional framework of nationalism is a vital task for the Policymakers of the country, which would do great justice to the tribals. The recognition of the tribal rights – Jal, Jangal and Jameen would go a long way in fostering an inclusive tribal Indian identity, which is rooted in Constitutional values of India.

Question for Mains:-

Integrating the tribals into the emotional framework of nationalism is a vital task for the Policymakers of the country, which would do great justice to the tribals. Discuss.