RSS-Linked Assam Tribal Group Holds Protest Against Religious Conversion

Thousands of people from tribal communities in Assam took out a big rally in main city Guwahati today demanding a ban on religious conversion of tribals across the state.

Held under the banner of the  Janajati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch, an affiliate of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the participants came from at least 30 districts in Assam.

Their key demand is to de-list tribals, who have undergone religious conversion, as Scheduled Tribes (ST), which entitles them to reservation in jobs and other government benefits.

The organisation demanded an amendment to Article 342A of the Constitution.

"Religious conversion in India has continuously posed a threat to ST since pre-independence. The conversions of tribals of Assam by foreign religions is not a new event," said Binud Kumbang, chief of the umbrella body of the tribal communities.

"In the last few decades, the rate (of religious conversion) has increased drastically. Particularly, ST people are the easiest prey of conversion in India, mainly targeted by the highly communal theocratic foreign religious groups," Mr Kumbang said.

Political analysts say this could be an attempt by the RSS-affiliate to create a buzz for an anti-conversion law in Assam.

The tribal organisation said the north-east has emerged as a major region of Christianity in India. Of 2.78 crore Christians in India in the 2011 census, some 78 lakh are from the region, including Assam.

"The share of Christians in Meghalaya has continued to rise decade to decade and reached nearly 75 per cent in 2011. It seems some of the tribes in Meghalaya are still resisting conversion," Mr Kumbang said.