- By Kumar Gaurav
- Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:15 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Jagran Correspondent, Ranchi: A six-member delegation of the Tribal Students Union, led by Central President Sushil Oraon, met Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at Lok Bhavan. They submitted a memorandum demanding that during the proposed delimitation in 2027, the protection of political representation for Scheduled Tribes, constitutional protection of Fifth Schedule areas should be kept in mind along with the implementation of a separate Sarna Dharma Code in the upcoming census.
The delegation demanded that the historical, social and constitutional rights of the tribal society should be kept in mind in the delimitation process and the current structure of Scheduled Tribe reserved seats should be preserved on the basis of the 1971 census.
The delegation said that if delimitation is done on the basis of the 2027 census, then about 6 seats in the Assembly reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 1 Scheduled Tribe reserved seat in the Lok Sabha in Jharkhand are likely to be affected.
This will weaken the political representation of the state's tribal community. In view of this constitutional concern, the Tribal Students' Union is opposing the proposed delimitation process. The delegation stated that the state of Jharkhand was formed based on the tribal community's historical struggle, sacrifice, and commitment to protecting water, forests, and land.
Therefore, the political representation of tribal communities should not be weakened solely on the basis of demographic change. Sushil Oraon stated that the tribal political representation granted to Jharkhand's tribal communities under the provisions of the Bihar State Reorganisation Act, 2000, is fully intact and must remain so forever. Any abridgement or interference with this constitutional right will not be tolerated.
He stated that tribal communities should not be subjected to political damage due to demographic changes caused by development projects, mining, industrialisation, and displacement. He added that demographic changes resulting from unauthorised occupation of tribal lands, indigenous lands, and state government non-cultivable lands, as well as outside commercial activities, commercial expansion, forced labor, and industrial labor populations should be taken seriously.
Such changes should not be made the basis for constituency delimitation and political representation. He said that it is essential to protect the democratic rights, cultural identity, and rights related to water, forest, and land of the indigenous people of Jharkhand.
He called on the tribal community to remain vigilant, alert, and united regarding their constitutional rights. Jaleshwar Bhagat, Central Treasurer and Convener of the Tribal Students' Union, said that the demand for a Sarna Dharma Code is decades old and a separate Sarna Dharma Code should be implemented before the 2027 census.
He said the Tribal Students' Union will launch a public awareness campaign in Jharkhand, as well as Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. Sushil Oraon, Dr Jaleshwar Bhagat, Manoj Oraon, Vidyasagar, Sanjay, and Ravi were present in the delegation.