Former MP and National President of Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan, Salkhan Murmu, has declared that the Sarna Dharma Code will have to be achieved and implemented in 2023, irrespective of the circumstances.
KOLKATA – During the Vishwa Sarna Dharma Code public meeting at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Hul Day, Murmu announced that there would be phased protests for the implementation of the Sarna Dharma Code.
He asserted that 13 crore people would only achieve social, religious, and political freedom when tribal rights outlined in the Indian Constitution are effectively executed.
Murmu highlighted that during the 2011 census, around 50 lakh nature worshippers had declared their religion as Sarna, surpassing the 44 lakh individuals who identified as Jains. He questioned why the Sarna Dharma Code had still not been recognized for tribal communities, despite these numbers.
Around one lakh tribal people from seven states – Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh – reportedly attended the public meeting.
Planned Protests and Activities
The Adivasi leader Salkhan Murmu announced that on September 1, protests would be staged in about 400 blocks across these seven states. Furthermore, a nationwide strike would be organized on October 1, and a grand gathering would take place in Dumka on December 22, celebrating the local language.
For the months of July and August, an intensive public awareness campaign will be conducted in five tribal villages within these 400 blocks, he said.
The campaign aims to contact 1000 students, 1000 women, 1000 employed tribals, and 1000 tribal self-governance heads between July and August.
The campaign will also seek to establish coordination with all tribal mass organizations within each district.
