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Tribal activists call for boycott of ‘RSS-backed’ convention in Delhi
Tribal leaders in Jharkhand call for a boycott of the May 24 "Janjati Sanskritik Samagam," claiming it undermines tribal identity and autonomy.
Several prominent tribal leaders, activists, and intellectuals from the state issued a joint appeal on Wednesday, calling for a complete boycott of the upcoming “Janjati Sanskritik Samagam” on May 24 in New Delhi, people aware of the development said.
The convention is expected to draw nearly 1,50,000 tribal participants from across India. While the event’s official objective is to display and celebrate tribal heritage, local leaders strongly argue that the organisers’ underlying agenda is inherently anti-tribal.
The core opposition stems from the organisers’ close affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. Signatories of the appeal point out that these groups view tribals as an extension of the Hindu caste hierarchy, consciously substituting the term Adivasi (original inhabitants) with Janjati or Vanvasi (forest dwellers) to dilute their distinct identity.
“These organisations are attempting to erase the independent existence of Adivasis by promoting slogans like ‘Sarna-Sanatan Are One’. Concurrently, they are creating divisions within the community by demanding the delisting of Christian Adivasis from the tribal category,” the joint statement reads.
The RSS-backed bodies are also accused of actively opposing long-standing tribal demands, such as official recognition of the independent Sarna religious system and a separate code in the national census. Furthermore, tribal activists highlighted that these right-wing organisations had consistently stayed absent from grassroots struggles defending tribal land, water, and forest rights (Jal, Jangal, Zameen). They allege the BJP-led central government is systematically eroding the constitutional autonomy and land protections guaranteed to indigenous peoples.
Condemning the Delhi event as a political conspiracy to subvert tribal autonomy, the leaders urged the people of Jharkhand to completely shun it. Instead, they urged citizens to organise local seminars, public discussions, and peaceful protests across the state to assert their sovereign cultural identity.
The joint appeal has been signed by over 130 prominent figures, including Geetashree Oraon (former minister and chief of Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad) , Mangal Singh Bobonga (Ex-MLA, West Singhbhum), Devkinandan Bedia (Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha), Prabal Mahto (filmmaker), Aloka Kujur and Siraj Dutta (Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha).
