• Source:JND
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Tribal organisation Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan (ASA) on Wednesday announced a “symbolic” nationwide strike on December 30 to press for its long-standing demand for the recognition of Sarna religion in the census. Sarna is the indigenous faith of tribal communities, who worship natural elements.

ASA president Salkhan Murmu said that the Sarna religion code is the identity of 15 crore tribals of the country and accused both Congress and the BJP of denying them their constitutional right and freedom of religion. Forcing the community to embrace other faiths was like "compelling them to accept the slavery of religion", he said while adding that ASA will vote for whichever party recognises Sarna religion.

Salkhan Murmu also stated that as part of the protest, tribals will take to the streets and block road and rail movement on December 30, with several other organisations. 

Murmu said that the 1951 census had a separate code for the Sarna religion but it was later removed by the Congress, while the BJP is now trying to convert the tribals to Vanvasis and Hindus. He claimed that around 50 lakh adivasis had enlisted their faith as 'Sarna' in the 2011 census compared to 44 lakh for Jainism, which has a separate religion status.

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The ASA president expressed his disappointment that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor President Droupadi Murmu spoke about the recognition of Sarna religion during their recent visits to Jharkhand and Odisha, respectively. 

"As ASA has left with no option, it has decided to call a day-long symbolic Bharat bandh with the support of like-minded organisations on December 30," he said.

Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan urged the political parties who had supported the Sarna Religion Code Bill in the Jharkhand assembly in November 2020 to back ASA’s demand.

Notably, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) suggested that the Sarna religion be accorded an independent category in the religion code of the census. Several tribal organisations and Christian missionaries are also demanding a distinct census code for Sarnaism.