In a significant move to press for recognition of indigenous faiths, Jitender Choudhury, Chairperson of the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) and Leader of Opposition, along with Brinda Karat, Vice President of AARM and former Rajya Sabha MP, have written to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, demanding the inclusion of Adivasi faiths as a separate category in the forthcoming Census of India.

The letter, addressed to the Registrar General, follows a meeting held on August 20 on the matter. The leaders pointed out that while the Census currently lists six major religious communities — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains — Adivasi faiths are clubbed under the “Other Religions and Persuasions” (ORP) category, despite constituting 8.6% of the national population as per the 2011 Census.

“Adivasi communities across India have distinct religious and spiritual practices, different from other communities, and their population is numerically larger than some of the so-called ‘major’ communities. Denying them recognition is a travesty of the Census’ stated aim to reflect India’s religious diversity,” the letter said.

The AARM leaders recalled that the Jharkhand Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to recognize a separate column for Adivasi beliefs. They proposed that the Census should include a column titled “Scheduled Tribe/Janjati/Adivasi Faiths” to ensure justice to indigenous communities.

During the meeting, the Registrar General reportedly assured that the “issue will be examined” as the census notification has not yet been issued. Expressing hope, Choudhury and Karat said they expected the Government of India to extend due recognition to Adivasi faiths at par with other major religious communities.