Underlining that Sanatan Dharma was rooted in tribal culture and its beliefs, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday that ‘Sarna’ was a form of worship, and not a separate religion.
Bhagwat’s remark came at the Janjatiya Samvad Karyakram here, where the RSS chief was the chief guest and which was attended by members of the Scheduled Tribes community, besides other stakeholders of society.
Addressing various issues raised by members of the tribal community, Bhagwat stated that the problems of the Adivasis are the problems of the entire nation.
“Sarna is a form of worship and not a separate religion. Any division would lead to fragmentation. Hinduism is not the name of a particular worship system but a way of living together,” Bhagwat said.
The remark comes amid a growing demand from within the tribal community in Jharkhand to provide a separate ‘Sarna’ religious code in the upcoming national census. In November 2020, the Jharkhand assembly had also passed a unanimous resolution on the issue and sent it to the Centre as a sense of the House, which included members from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
At the interaction, participants said several issues related to the tribal community were raised by speakers, including religious conversion and its social impact, lack of access to quality and affordable education, substance abuse among tribal youth, illegal encroachment and grabbing of tribal land, disadvantages and weak implementation of the PESA Act, and erosion of traditional and cultural identity.
{{/usCountry}}At the interaction, participants said several issues related to the tribal community were raised by speakers, including religious conversion and its social impact, lack of access to quality and affordable education, substance abuse among tribal youth, illegal encroachment and grabbing of tribal land, disadvantages and weak implementation of the PESA Act, and erosion of traditional and cultural identity.
{{/usCountry}}Addressing these issues, Bhagwat described the tribal communities as trustees of forests and land, whose consent, participation, and accountability are essential.
“Societies are weakened through division, which allows exploitation by external forces. Foreign aggressors historically benefited from internal conflicts. While the Sangh does not seek power or material gain, its work focuses on keeping society organised, aware, and strong,” he added.
The RSS chief also spoke about governance and constitutional processes, stating that governments function within constitutional and electoral frameworks, requiring consensus and responsibility. He assured that tribal concerns would be communicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that efforts would be made to find solutions.