Conclusion

A religion is not known by its preachers, or sacred texts, or places of worship; but it is known by its followers. This is very much apt to the idea and perspective on ‘Tribal Religion’ as well.

It is observed, generally by the Anthropologists, that the consequence of contact and weak resilience has been the present ‘marginal’ character of tribal religions.

Today, the ‘Tribal Religion’ represents the ‘marginal religions’, a no-man’s territory between ‘magic’ and ‘religion’, between ‘pseudo-science’ and ‘science’. However, the con­tention of certain anthropologists describing the ‘native tradition’ as the ‘Little Tradition’ and that of the ‘alien tradition’ as the ‘Great Tradition’ cannot be accepted.

Against this backdrop, the proposal mooted out recently by the Chief Minister of Jharkhand Mr. Hemant Soren to include ‘Sarna’ as the indigenous tribal religion of Central India and the resolution made by the State Assembly of Andhra Pradesh by its Chief Minister Mr. Jeganmohan Reddy to include a column for the ‘Tribal Religion’ within the module of Socio-economic Survey of Household at Andhra Pradesh are construed as a couple of silver linings identified in the present gloomy sky of ‘Tribal Religion’.

The discussion above, that the tribes have religion; that tribes demand distinct identity for their religion, and that there is no option to mention their religion in census records; suggests that the time has come for the Government of India to consider tribal demand to include a column for the ‘Tribal Religion’ as and when taking up the ensuing Census opera­tions due for the year 2021 (now when the Census of 2021 is held) so as to nurture the indigenous tribal religions and continue their existence in the long run. Otherwise, the tribal communities will have no choice except enrolling themselves in any one of the six religions provided under the column ‘Religion’.

In this connection, the Government of India is urged upon by ‘tribal representatives’ drawn from 19 States to consider the fact that the tribals firmly believe in the religious practices of their respective communities which are similar to a large extent, as most of them are worship­pers of Mother Nature and further they all share a similar ethics regarding their religion(s).

Despite the clear scenario presented above as the clinching evidence, it is quite shocking to see, in Tamil Nadu, the authorities of Revenue Department are in the habit of adding the attribute ‘Hindu’, along with the tribal name while issuing the ‘Community Certificate’ to the Scheduled Tribes. We should bear in mind that such ‘attribution’ is unwanted and unnecessary as well and should be curtailed at the earliest, for it goes against the rights of tribes as envisioned in the constitution.

Notes

1 As the societies which lack hierarchy within their social structure are construed as the ‘Simple Societies’, the human societies such as ‘Tribal Societies’ and ‘Nomadic Societies’ are entitled to have their place within this.

2 The other quintessential domains identified within the ‘Culture complex’ are ‘language’, ‘biodiver­sity’, ‘economy’, and ‘polity’, as observed by the Cultural Anthropologists.

3 It is noted that the Sarna is a belief system which rests exclusively with the Central Indian tribes.

4 To the author of this paper, this ‘statement’ appears to be an ‘over claim’ and it is expressed with subjectivity.

5 While the term ‘adivasi’ endorses the ‘antiquity’ to the tribal people of India, the term ‘vanvasi’ belittles them merely as the ‘forest dwellers’, pruning their autochthonous nature.

6 But, unfortunately, in Jharkhand the ‘non-tribals’ who were part of ‘adivasi construct’ have also been included under this term ‘moolnivasi’.

7 And that is why, even the ‘religious converts’ among the tribal peoples are given the benefits of reservation earmarked for the ‘Scheduled Tribes’.

8 It is the main resolution of Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Mahasabha held at Ranchi on 29 and 30 December 2016 (Personal discussion with Mr. C.R. Bakshi, President of Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Mahasaba). The Census of 2021, however, is deferred.

9 See Kukreti 2020a, 2020b and Ranjan 2020.

10 As the voice of the tribal peoples is feeble and consequently unheard by the so-called mainstream society, it is regarded that the tribal people are ‘voiceless’.

11 For the opinion included in this section kindly see Gauri Lankesh News Desk 2020 and Markam 2019.

12 By including the option ‘aboriginal’, the erstwhile British Indian Government was able to carve a distinct ‘niche’ for the tribal peoples and thereby able to convey that these tribal peoples did not possess the religion of the so-called mainstream society and further the religion of tribal peoples is quite distinct as well.

13 The ‘Mael Seeme’ (Lit. Upper land territory) is one of the two traditional land divisions main­tained by the Alu Kurumba at the Tribal Nilgiris, the other being the ‘Keeye Seeme’ (Lit. Lower land territory).

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