Agartala, Nov 19 (PTI) An RSS-backed organisation on Sunday said it will hold a rally in Agartala demanding withdrawal of benefits enjoyed by those Scheduled Tribe (ST) people who have converted to Christianity, on December 25, Christmas Day.
The Constitution should be amended to delist these converted people belonging to the ST community, the convener of Janajati Suraksha Manch (JSM)’s Tripura unit, Santi Bikash Chakma, said.
The JSM is backed by the Banabasi Kalyan Ashram, the tribal wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), ideological parent body of Tripura’s ruling BJP.
"We will organise a massive rally at the Swami Vivekananda Ground on December 25 demanding delisting of converted people from ST status by amending Constitutional provisions," Chakma told a press conference.
Asserting that the JSM is not against any religion, he said Christianity did not spread in Tripura during the British era the way it is now because of conversion.
Chakma said the number of people practising Christianity has increased from 138 in the 1911 Census to 46,472 in 1991 and 1, 59,582 in 2011.
"A section of the tribal people who were originally Hindus have embraced Christianity and even after that, they are getting all benefits given to ST people. The Indigenous tribes were listed as ST because of their own tradition, culture and customs," Chakma said.
The ST status must be withdrawn from converted people as they no longer practise old culture, tradition and custom, he claimed.
"To protect and preserve indigenous culture, tradition and custom, we want delisting of converted people from ST category," he added. PTI PS NN
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