Tripura: Tribal NGOs oppose Hindu right-wing body’s rally

Agartala: A joint body of several Tripura NGOs working for the tribal welfare on Sunday condemned the rally called by Janajati Suraksha Mancha, an independent right-wing organisation to withdraw the ST status of tribal people who converted to Christianity. The body under the banner Joint Action Committee of Civil Societies (JACCS) vehemently opposed the rally slated on December 25, the day of Christmas, stating that the cause of the rally was against the state’s secular fabric.

According to a press statement issued by JACCS, it is a non-political and secular platform constituted in 2011 with the participation of NGOs and student organisations for working cohesively for the interest of indigenous people.

The constituents of the body include the TSF (Twipra Students Federation), the UTF (United Tiprasa Forum), the TDWS (Tripuri Doctors Welfare Society), the TEST (Tipra Engineers’ Society, Tripura), the TILA (Tripura Indigenous Lawyers Association), the BPHRO (Borok People Human Rights Organization) and the PSS (Pantwi Sporting Society).

“The indigenous people of Tripura have believed in Hinduism, Christianity and Animism for a long time but still live peacefully together without any clash among them on the religious ground. This is the first time in our state any organisation has raised such sensitive religious demand and sought the delisting of converted indigenous people. This is nothing but one kind of serious propaganda to divide the indigenous people of Tripura on religious lines”, the press statement further added.

“India is a secular and democratic country and all citizens have the right and liberty to choose their beliefs and faith. A person does cease to be an ST automatically followed by his conversion. Criteria for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe does not depend on a specific religion,” the statement claimed.

Citing Article 342 of the Constitution of India, the body tried to argue that tribal status was accorded considering parameters such as historical backwardness, primitiveness, geographical isolation, educational and economic condition etc.

“Article 342 (1)of the Indian Constitution mandates to specify the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within tribes or tribal communities as Scheduled Tribe in relation to that State or Union Territory as the case may be. Thus the list of Scheduled Tribes in State/UT specific and a community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a State need not be so in another State. The Presidential notifications under Clause 1 of Article 342 of the Constitution are issued as the Constitution Orders. Two Constitution Orders were initially issued in relation to two distinct categories of States as existed at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of India. These are (1). The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Part C States) Order, 1951(Constitution Order 33) Date of Notification, 20.9.1951 (2). The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1951(Constitution Order 22) Date of Notification, 06.9.1951,” the press statement added.

JACCS also claimed that the converted Christians are not receiving dual benefits from the state government as “falsely” propagated by some groups.

“ST Christians of Tripura are not provided dual facilities as Religious Minority Community & Scheduled Tribe because the ST Christians are excluded from Religious Minority Community vide Notification No-996-1120/ F.10-5/SCW/GL/RM/03 Dated, 18-04-2007 of the Commissioner & Secretary to the Govt. of Tripura. And, most importantly, there is no loss of traditional culture for following a particular religion,” the press handout concluded.

This article is originally published on  https://www.eastmojo.com/tripura/2023/12/18/tripura-tribal-ngos-oppose-hindu-right-wing-bodys-rally/