Assam tribals march against religious conversion

Tribals from 30 districts of Assam organised a massive rally in Guwahati on Sunday, asking the government to stop “unethical religious conversions”. Wearing traditional attires and carrying folk musical instruments, they congregated at the Khanapara field under the banner of Janajati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch, which is an RSS affiliate.

Organisation also demanded that the government de-list the converted Scheduled Tribe (ST) people “who have completely given up their original tribal culture, customs, rituals, way of life and traditions after conversion”.

Further, it demanded an amendment to Article 342 A of the Constitution (socially and educationally backward classes). It insisted that if any Scheduled Caste (SC) person converts to any other religion, he or she should be automatically de-listed from SC reservation.

The organisation alleged that religious conversion has increased alarmingly in Assam and the tribals have been vulnerable to it. “It is our sincere request to all to save the poor ST people from getting swallowed by the organised, communal and theocratic foreign religions, or else, our identity and traits will be extinct in no time,” the organisation said.