Pioneer News Service
Ranchi
Speakers at a seminar on “Tribal Identity and Asmita” in Ranchi on Saturday asserted that tribal identity is rooted in ancestry, culture and customary traditions rather than religion. The event, titled Adivasi Vimarsh, was organised by Adivasi Fighters, the Traditional Gram Sabha Coordination Committee and the Adivasi Area Protection Council at SDC, Ranchi.
Legal scholar and academic Dr Ramchandra Oraon said that, from constitutional, legal and traditional perspectives, religion is not the basis of tribal identity. He argued that the term “Scheduled Tribe” is not synonymous with “Adivasi” and cited a Supreme Court judgment that uses the term “Adivasi.” He also rejected the narrative that “Sarna and Sanatan are one,” stating that tribal communities have distinct customs, traditions and cultural practices.
Researcher and activist Gladson Dungdung said current debates on tribal issues often ignore anthropology, sociology, history, genetics and linguistics while undermining the shared cultural heritage of indigenous communities.
JBKSS president Ashutosh Chero alleged that attempts were being made to redefine tribal identity and claimed Sarna religious sites in the Palamu region were being converted into temples.
Several other speakers, including Sushma Biruli, L.M. Oraon, Vinsay Munda, Jyoti Bhengra and P.C. Murmu, stressed that tribal identity transcends religious affiliation. They urged tribal communities to remain united, saying internal divisions weaken their collective identity and constitutional rights.
The seminar concluded with a call to preserve indigenous languages, traditions, customary institutions and cultural heritage while strengthening unity among tribal communities irrespective of the religion they follow.
