Bengal to push for giving 'Sarna' status to tribals

Kolkata: The Bengal government has decided to take up with the Centre the issue of the tribals demanding their religion as 'Sarna' and ensure their enumeration under this category during the upcoming census.

The matter was discussed at the Cabinet meeting held at Nabanna on Wednesday where it was decided that an approval will be taken at the next cabinet meeting and accordingly, the state will write to the Centre seeking acknowledgment of the tribals' religion

as 'Sarna'.

A large number of people from various tribal communities of states, including Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam, have been vocal about this in the recent past.

India is home to over 12 crore tribal people.

They have been recognised as Scheduled Tribes but unfortunately their religion has not been recognised even as it is fundamental under the Constitution. In the last census, majority of them have been categorised as 'Others'.