The Jharkhand legislative Assembly on November 11, 2020 passed a resolution that would allow tribals in the state to identify with a ‘Sarna Code’ for tribals.
- If the Centre approves the new Sarna code, Census 2021 would have to make space for a new religion.
- Currently, citizens can choose from only six religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism.
- A separate column for tribe as a religious identity was included in the census from 1871 to 1951, but was subsequently dropped.
- ‘Sarna’ followers are nature worshippers who do not consider themselves Hindus and have been fighting for a separate religious identity for decades.
- So far, the census surveys have included them as “others” in the religion column.
- Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, while addressing the special session of the assembly, said the Sarna dharam of tribals worshipped nature, forests, mountains and can teach a lot to a world facing problems such as pollution and environmental degradation.
(Source: Down to Earth and New Indian Express)
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