Push for Sarna, Sari status: Apprise tribals about state's letter to Centre, directs CM

KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the public representatives belonging to the tribal areas of the state to apprise the tribal population about her government's decision to write to the Centre for their enumeration under 'Sarna' and' Sari' category .

The tribal people have been demanding Sarna and Sari status as acknowledgment of their religion for a long time.The state Cabinet has already passed a specific proposal about this at its last meeting and the final resolution is expected to be taken in the next Cabinet meeting scheduled on July 28. The state government will also table a Bill in this regard in the next Assembly session.

Banerjee in her letter has stated that the state government has great respect for the sentiments of the tribal people and has expressed her hope that the state' government's efforts for this 'religion' acknowledgement of the tribals will yield fruitful results. Banerjee had written a letter to the Centre earlier in December 2020 to press for the tribal population's demand but there has been no response. 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.