Recording of Religion in Post-Independence Census

In the post-independence period, the concerns and priorities changed. This is evident from the cautious approach adopted with regard to presentation of religion related data in the form of religion tables.

10.2.1 Census 1951

This was the first Census after independence, where the population of tribal religion is clubbed under the category ‘Tribal’. Although the classification of statistics by religion was considered not satisfactory as early as 1921, the difficulty really lay in finding a suitable basis of classification to take the place of religious differentiation. Despite the political inde­pendence won in 1947 and the emphasis laid on the secular character of the Indian Union, classification of religions still remained hazy. Whatever little doubt that existed previously about religious doctrines influenced the determination of the social custom considered so vital for demological studies. Up to 1941, there was focus on classification of population according to religion. Then the focus of attention shifted from religion to economics. In the Census of 1951, therefore, the exhibition of statistics for details of sex, age, and civil condi­tion was done with reference to economic classification and not by religion or community. A separate table D-II showing simply the record of the number of followers of each religion by males and females has been inserted (see Col 1951:413).

After several censuses, it is not necessary to explain what is meant by religion or com­munity or to expatiate on the definitions of the different religions, viz., Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, etc.

Individual’s choice was given importance in the determination of an individual’s religion in the Census of 1951. Obviously, the ground of investigation for the enumeration agency was not the determining criterion. The instruction given to the enumerators in the matter of recording the religion was as follows:

you are particularly cautioned not to have any controversy on religion. Accept the reply as given by the person to be enumerated... if the person says that he does not believe in any religion or has no religion, record him as Atheist.

If a person given the name of a caste or sub caste as his religion, you should enter the religion of which it is a sect. In case of doubt you may record the exact answer as given by the person. If a person is not able to give the name of his religion but appear to be an adherent of some religion, you may ascertain the religion by asking the name of the deities or by making enquiries from co-villagers.

(Col 1951a:392-293)

Evidently, it indicates how people were not concerned about the name of religion; though every person or community followed some sorts of faiths and beliefs without bothering about a name which is now very crucial.

The old classification of population by religions followed up to the 1931 Census was replaced in 1941 by a classification by communities. This change of classification affected the 1941 figures relating to the tribal communities to an extent which had made their com­parison with previous Censuses. The 1951 census being the first census after Independence is crucial to understand post-Independence perspective. Therefore, Table A.10.4 presents the population by tribal religion in the 1951 census.

10.2.2 Census 1961-1971

Table A.10.5 and A.10.6 show the total population return by tribal religion in the 1961 and 1971 Censuses. In the 1961 Census, figures of other religions which were numerically less important are grouped in a ‘Other Religions and Persuasions’ (ORP) category. The faiths in animism were clubbed under this category.

The category of ORP was divided into three sub-categories namely:

(i) animist: faith in animism (i.e. belief in natural objects and phenomena like trees) were proposed to be grouped under the category animists’

(ii) faith/belief/persuasion observed by the tribal communities: Various tribal beliefs, persuasions and faiths based on spirits, deities, rituals, superstitions, etc. which were referred to as indigenous tribal religion in the literatures of previous Censuses were grouped under this category

(iii) unspecified: There were several religions with names which did not denote any specific religion/faith/persuasion

Similarly, in the 1971 Census the same procedure was followed for ‘Others’. Recording of the actual religion was returned fully. Figures of other religions were grouped together in the column ORP. Details of ORP, the strength of which at the country level was 100 and above each appeared in Appendix ‘A’ accompanying the table. In case of each of the remaining faiths the strength of which was less than 100, the total population for each of the States/Union Territories has been given in Appendix ‘B’ (Col 1971:87).

A total of 45 different individual Tribal Religions were returned during the Census enu­meration in 1961.

In West Bengal ‘Others’ names returned as Tribal Religion are Santhal (38), Paharia (six), Marangburu (701) and Saridharam. In 1951 Census, Saridharm, which was hitherto not found a place in the returns for religion in Bengal, was recorded as the religion of 35,928 persons all of whom are tribals chiefly belonging to the Santal tribe who were enumerated in the districts of Bankura and Purulia.

‘Sari’ means truth. Saridharm may, therefore, mean either true religion or religion based on truth. The Special Officer for Tribal Welfare, Purulia, reported that the founder of Saridharm was one Sadhuram Murmu of village Khamarbandi, Pargana Silda in the Midnapore district who sub-divided the Santals into three groups viz., (1) the Um-hor i.e. the Christian, (2) the Saka-hor i.e. the followers of Lord Siva, and lastly (3) the Bonga-hor i.e. the followers of Saridharm. Towards the beginning of 1961, in a meeting he urged Santals to return Saridharm as their religion. A section of the local opinion was reported to be inclined to the view that Saridharm was not essentially a form of religion or belief, but a politically conceived movement directed towards exploiting the separatist tendency amongst the tribals (Col 1961a : 219-226).

In Nagaland the majority of Nagas who were Christians enumerated themselves as Christians; and so they have been presented under ‘Christian’ entry. Other Nagas who were not Christians and who professed their own tribal religion have been shown under ORP (Col 1961b: 154). In the 1961 Census, Konyak (1,452), Chang Naga (3,005), Wanchoo (2,557), Lumbasabo (1,452), Yimchunger (1,255), etc. were returned under tribal religion.

In 1961 the majority of tribal religions were enumerated as Sarna (428,687), Ho (191, 239), Garo (175,236), Khasi (174,052), Santhal (91,063), and so on. The details of popula­tion by Tribal Religion in Census 1961 are at Table A.10.5.

Census 1971 provided a variety of answers on religion, some spurious and some being merely sects of a major religion. The Census enumerators had instructions to record the religion as actually returned by a respondent. For the sake of convenience of recording the answers as well as of subsequent tabulation, abbreviations were prescribed for major religions as 'H' for Hinduism, 'I' for Islam, ‘C' for Christianity, 'S' for Sikhism, 'B' for Buddhism, and 'J' for Jainism and in respect of others the actual religion as returned was recorded. Where a person said that he had no religion, it was recorded accordingly.

In the 1971 Census a total of 93 different followers of tribal religion was recorded. The majority of tribal religions were returned as Sarna (951,558), Saridharam (161,942), Songsarek (951,558), Khasi (138,739), Tribal Religion (108,225), Santal (82,473), Nishang/Nisssi/Bangni/Dafla (78,321), Adi (52,456), Dono Pholo/Doni Polo (36,954), Meitei (33,075), and so on. The details of tribal religion in 1971 Census are given at Table A.10.6.

10.2.3 Census 1981-1991

Table A.10.7 and A.10.8 show the population by tribal religion in the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. In the 1981 census the table gives data for persons, male and females separately for each of the six major religious communities viz., Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, and the combined figures for ‘ORP’ and religion not stated by total, rural and urban for India, States/Union Territories. The figures of other religions have been grouped together in the column ‘ORP’.

In the 1981 Census, 116 individual tribal religions in total were returned, where 44 tribal religions were from Arunachal Pradesh. The majority of tribal population were returned as Swarna (Sarna) (1,391,178), Sari Dharma (221,991), Doni Polo/Sidonyi Polo (218,489), Khasi (148,437), Gondi (127,926), Songsarek (127, 201), Shnong (40,774), Santal (32,252), Adi (27,130), and so on. The details of Population by Tribal Religion as per Census 1981 are given at Table A.10.7.

In the 1991 Census, the same procedure and method were followed for the recording of other religions. The combined figures for ‘Other religions and persuasions’ (including unclassified religion returns) and ‘religion not stated’ by total, rural and urban for India, States/Union territories, districts, etc. were published under C-9 Religion Table of the Census Report.

Compared with the 1981 Census, only 50 tribal religions were returned in the 1991 Census. The majority of tribal population were returned as Sawrna (Sarna) (1,820,454), Sari Dharma (380,007), Doni Polo/Sidonyi Polo (279,450), Khasi (111,750), Songsarek (94,846), Gond/Gondi (67,111), Niamtre (61,599), Tribal Religion (32,718) etc. and so on. The details are given at Table A.10.8.

10.2.4 Census 2001-2011

Table A.10.9 shows the population by tribal religion in the 2001 and 2011 Censuses. In Census 2001, the religion details were collected in respect of every individual and this infor­mation was classified/grouped under six main religions namely Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, and Sikhism. The minor religions, tribal names, or beliefs and other persuasions were clubbed together and shown under the category ‘Other Religions and Persuasions’.

In the 2011 Census, the enumerators were instructed to record the religion of each mem­ber of the household as returned by the respondents in reply to question number seven of the Household Schedule. Religion subject was asked in question number seven of the Schedule. Here it is important to mention that the recording of the name of the religion of each and every individual/respondent was the sole discretion of the respondent itself. The enumerators had to fill the name of religion as reported by the respondents without any argument or dispute.

In Census, religious data are published under the headings: (I) Hindu, (II) Muslim, (III) Sikh, (IV) Christian, (V) Buddhist, (VI) Jain, (VII) Other Religions and Persuasions (ORP), and (VIII) Religion Not Stated. At the time of compilation of religious data the ‘No Religion or Non-Religious’ returns are tabulated under the heading ‘Religion Not Stated’. The details on the population by Tribal Religion as per the 2001 and 2011 Censuses are given at Table A.10.9.

10.3