Tribals stage demonstration over Sarna code demand

Ranchi: The Adivasi Sengal Abhiyan (ASA) on Tuesday staged a demonstration in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Morhabadi before marching to Raj Bhawan, demanding the Centre’s immediate intervention in according religion status to the Sarna community in the upcoming national census.
Though several prominent tribal activists of Ranchi ignored the calls of the ASA to join the agitation, the outfit’s cry was supported by scores of people of the tribal community who gathered at Morhabadi, braving the morning showers.
ASA president Salkhan Murmu handed over a three-page charter of demands to President Droupadi Murmu through Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais, seeking religious code for Sarna practitioners, whose population was around 50 lakh across the country during the 2011 census.
“In all, tribal communities make up for nearly 10% of the country’s population. If other religions such as Jainism and Buddhism can get recognition, why can’t Sarna?” the memorandum questioned.
The ASA, which is also galvanising support from the resident tribal communities of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Assam, also demanded Santhali to be declared as the first official language of Jharkhand, Scheduled Tribe status for the tribal communities in Assam and urgent reforms in the tribal self-governance regulations (Manki-Munda system), which were laid down by the British more than a century ago.