On November 11, 2020, Jharkhand Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on ‘Sarna Code’ during a special one-day assembly session on November 11, 2020. The resolution seeks inclusion of Sarna as a separate religion in the 2021 census.
i.Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren tabled the proposal in the Jharkhand Assembly.
ii.The bill will now be sent to the Central Government for approval.
‘Sarna Religion’:
i.Sarna Followers are worshippers of nature; they do not consider themselves as Hindus.
ii.They pray to trees and hills and believe in protecting the forest areas.
Key Points:
i.Around 50 Lakh Tribals in India had put their religion as ‘Sarna’ in the 2011 census, even though it was not a code.
ii.The separate religious code will present an exact number of tribal communities, help in documenting their population, preserve tribal languages, culture and history and help them to avail their constitutional rights under the 5th Schedule.
iii.So far, surveys have included them as “others” in the religion column.
iv.From 1931-2011, the population percent of tribal people in the state has declined to 26.02 % from 38.03 %.
v.If the Central Government approves the Sarna code, the 2021 census will have a column for a new religion for tribals.
vi.A separate column for tribe as a religious identity was included in the census from 1871 to 1951, but was subsequently dropped.
Recent Related News:
i.On 4th May 2020, In Ranchi, Chief Minister,Hemant Soren launches three schemes, Birsa Harit Gram Yojana(BHGY), Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana (NPJSY) and Veer Sahid Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme (VSPHKVS) to prove wage employment for the workers in the rural area devised in convergence with the MGNREGA.
About Jharkhand:
Governor – Draupadi Murmu
Capital – Ranchi
