The demand for separate religion code for Sarna is once again going to become a political issue in tribal state Jharkhand, after State Congress president and minister Rameshwar Oraon has raised the issue.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples popularly known as Adivasi Diwas, Oraon who holds finance ministry in State cabinet said that a proposal will be passed in Jharkhand assembly and sent to the Centre demanding declaration of separate Sarna Religious Code.

Oraon, the Lohardaga MLA who defeated former State Congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat who switched sides to BJP, months before the Assembly election is optimistic that Centre will pave way in passing Sarna code.

The BJP, which had earlier promised Sarna code, has said that the party will sit and discuss the issue. Former Chief Minister Raghubar Das in April last year ahead of parliamentary election in Gumla had assured to adopt the Sarna code, a long pending demand of tribals for separate religion code for tribals. State BJP president Deepak Prakash said, “The Sarna code is more social, cultural issue of tribals than political. We don’t want to do politics on the issue. We will sit and discuss the issue.”

Sarna, an aboriginal "religion" based on the concept of nature worship, is followed by tribals in several Indian states including Jharkhand. Tribals in Jharkhand have long been demanding a separate Sarna religious code in the Census.

JDU state president and Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan president, Salkhan Murmu has welcomed Oraon’s statement saying that both national parties Congress and BJP should show seriousness in having separate Sarna code.

Murmu, the former MP said, “The process of national census 2021 has started and in this regard the Soren government should get a cabinet nod on Sarna religion code as assembly proceedings are halted due to coronavirus pandemic. The resolution after getting a cabinet nod should be sent to the centre for its approval.”

Murmu also said that senior Congress leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi too should have discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. 

The demand for a separate Sarna religious code in the Census has been pending for a long time. Sarna followers are worshippers of nature. Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups, of which eight tribes are from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). These tribal groups are Hindus. However, few have converted to Christianity.

Sources said that tribals are demanding for Sarna Code as they want to "save their religious identity". Under the Census 2001, there were six options under the religion column -- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh -- which were given 1-6 code numbers. People from other religious groups were asked to mention their religions but not to highlight the code numbers. Likewise, in the 2011 Census, the same procedure was followed. Tribals said that in the 1951 Census, the ninth column for religion was "tribe", which was later removed. Due to its removal, the tribal population embraced different religions, causing major loss to the community.