Author: IANS
Publication: NewKerala.com
Date: August 24, 2006
URL: http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=11538
Jharkhand tribal leaders and priests want
immediate stripping of reservation facilities of past members of their community
who are now converted Christians
The tribal group, known as Sarna, has demanded
that the reservation facilities provided to tribal Christians be stopped immediately.
The Kendriya Sarna Samiitee (KSS), one of
the prominent organisations, has taken the lead in making the demand.
"The tribals who have converted to Christianitygovernment
jobs
"The Supreme Court ruling says that the
converted tribals can enjoy reservation facilities only when they practise
the Sarna tradition. Here converted tribals follow the Christian traditions,"
Tirkey said.
The Sarna Samiti cites the examples of the
difference between the converts and original tribals.
Supporting the view, Arjun Oraon, another
tribal leader, said "The Christian missionaries convert our people allurement
and then force them to follow their culture, tradition, mode of prayer
He said, "The tribal Christians should
not clubbed with us as it will pose danger to our existence. They are provided
all facilities by the missionaries and we cannot compete with them. If this
continues then the spirit of reservation will not work in our favour."
The tribals also cited the Supreme Court ruling
in case of a tribal girl marrying an upper caste Hindu.
"While the child of that woman loses
all facilities provided by the government to tribals, the same should be applied
in case of converted Christians as well," they argued. . and educational
institutions," said Ajay Tirkey, president of KSS. should be stripped
of the scheduled tribe category status. They should not be given reservation
facilities in and other things."
