Guwahati: The Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has made a significant appeal to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, urging for the official enumeration of indigenous faiths in the forthcoming national census. In a letter penned by AARM Chairperson Jitendra Chaudhury, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Tripura Assembly, the organisation highlighted that Adivasi communities follow distinct belief systems and traditions that do not conform to the six major religious categories currently in the census: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain.
The communication, dispatched on Wednesday, proposed the inclusion of a dedicated column titled “Scheduled Tribe/Janajati/Adivasi Faiths.” Chaudhury argued that this step is crucial for ensuring justice and accurate representation for the varied spiritual practices of tribal communities nationwide. “The census framework must reflect India’s social and cultural diversity. Presenting only six major religions excludes the lived faiths of millions of Adivasis,” he wrote. The demand is part of a broader, nationwide movement advocating for the formal acknowledgement of indigenous faiths in official records, a measure proponents believe is vital for strengthening constitutional protections and facilitating effective policy formulation for tribal populations.
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