NEW DELHI — Ahead of the Census process scheduled to begin in March, leaders of the All India People’s Front (AIPF) on Friday demanded that Tribal communities should not be classified under the Hindu fold and called for the inclusion of a separate “Tribal Religion Code,” including Sarna, in the religion column of the Census.
Raising the issue at the highest level, AIPF leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The memorandum was signed by AIPF founding member Akhilendra Pratap Singh and National President S.R. Darapuri, and was submitted at the President’s Secretariat by National Treasurer Dinkar Kapoor and National Executive Committee member Rajesh Sachan.
The memorandum stated that more than 120 million Tribals live across the country and follow religious beliefs and practices that are distinct from India’s major religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. It noted that Tribal communities are primarily nature worshippers with their own social systems, traditions, languages, dialects and cultural practices.
To support their demand, AIPF leaders cited constitutional and legal provisions. They referred to the Supreme Court’s observation in Madhu Kishwar vs State of Bihar, which held that Tribals are not a “Hindu sub-group” but an independent community with distinct traditions and legal identity. Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees Tribals the freedom to practise their own religion, while Article 366 recognises Scheduled Tribes as a separate social category. The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution also acknowledges the socio-cultural distinctiveness of Tribal society and provides special protections. In addition, Section 2(2) of the Hindu Succession Act explicitly excludes Tribals from its applicability to Hindus.
The memorandum further pointed out that a separate code for Tribal religions existed in Indian Censuses from 1851 to 1951, but was removed in the 1961 Census. Since then, various Tribal and democratic organisations have been demanding its restoration.
Drawing attention to the 2011 Census, AIPF leaders said that nearly 1,200 religions and sects were listed under the “Others” category, highlighting the need for formal recognition of Tribal religions through a distinct code.
The AIPF urged the President to issue necessary directions to the Government of India and the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to include a separate “Tribal Religion” code in the forthcoming Census. Such a step, the memorandum said, would help restore constitutional justice and safeguard the identity, dignity and rights of millions of Tribal citizens across the country.
