Tribal activists vow to self-immolate before PM Modi visits Jharkhand

On Saturday, tribal activists threatened to self-immolate if Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not address the long-standing demand for the Sarna religion’s recognition during his planned visit to Jharkhand on November 15.

According to ‘Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan’ (ASA) president Salkhan Murmu, the activists will also fast on that day from 10 AM to 1 PM throughout Jharkhand and other states in support of the demand.

On November 15, the day of the Jharkhand Foundation, Modi is set to visit Ulihatu, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda in the state’s Khunti district. According to Murmu, two ASA activists issued the threat, but they decided to act on it separately.

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“We anticipate the prime minister will proclaim our long-standing request for the establishment of a distinct ‘Sarna’ religion… The two activists have vowed to commit suicide at 4 p.m. in Ulihatu and Bokaro if he does not clarify the Center’s position on our demand,” stated Murmur, a former lawmaker.

On November 8, the ASA staged a protest in Ranchi, calling for the Center to acknowledge the indigenous Sarna religion. By the way, since 2021, November 15 has been recognized by the Center as “Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.”

Murmu stated that the majority of the nation’s states, including West Bengal, Punjab, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, were created based on linguistic distinctions in order to preserve their cultures, identities, and languages. However, Santhali, which was separated from Bihar after a protracted tribal movement for statehood, has never been officially recognized as the official language of Jharkhand, even though it was included in the Constitution’s 8th schedule in 2003.

At a meeting on Friday, ASA leaders from Assam, Bengal, and Jharkhand agreed to stage a road and rail blockade on December 30 in support of the Sarna religion.

Jalpaighat Hemant Soren, the chief minister, stated earlier this week that while Modi is welcome in Jharkhand, the Centre has not yet decided whether to recognize the “Sarna” religion. “We have previously forwarded to him all the documents pertaining to the requests for a distinct Sarna religious code for tribal people. Soren stated on Thursday that he must now make a decision on the matter.

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According to him, the Sarna religion must be acknowledged in order to distinguish tribal people from adherents of other faiths and to guarantee the preservation of their constitutional rights.

In September, Soren wrote to the prime minister requesting the adoption of the “Sarna” code for tribal people. He also stated that the percentage of tribal people in the area has decreased from 38% to 26% over the previous eight decades. The Sarna religion is practiced mostly by native populations in the Chota Nagpur Plateau region of the Indian subcontinent, which includes states like Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. It is unique in that it is the most prevalent tribal religion in India.