New Delhi: Concerned over ‘converted’ tribals seeking reservation benefits, the Janjatiya Suraksha Manch (JSM) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bar those who abandon tribal faith, customs and culture after conversion.
The JSM is an organisation backed by the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA), the tribal welfare wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Over the past several years, it has advocated for the Sangh’s campaign to delist converted tribals from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.
“We submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister and the President. We received an assurance from the PM that justice will be done. We apprised him how conversion has become rampant and this is dangerous for society as well as the country,” Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram president Satyendra Singh said, regarding the meeting with the PM and the President on 28 May.
“The idea behind the forces indulging in this is to ensure they provoke people and plant ideas of breaking away from the country in their heads,” he alleged.
The organisation submitted three demands: a clear statutory definition of ‘Scheduled Tribe’ in line with the Lokur Committee criteria, updated to reflect present-day social realities, a necessary amendment or clarification in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to address the issue of those who have converted, and effective protection of the cultural identity and constitutional rights of tribal communities.
To a query on whether the issue of delisting came up during their interaction with Modi, the delegation said they have been raising this issue for quite some time. The delegation further said that discussion was also held on the need for an anti-conversion law.
“Though ideally, we would want a central law, it seems more feasible at the state level. One such law exists in Chhattisgarh and we hope more states will adopt it,” Singh told ThePrint.
The Manch said that of the total tribal population of nearly 12 crore (Census 2011), an estimated 1.5 to 2 crore have converted to Christianity, and in many instances, converted tribals avail both ST reservation benefits and minority welfare schemes simultaneously, which contradicts the constitutional principles of equity and social justice.
A memorandum to the PM and the President also suggested that a Scheduled Tribe person who converts and gives up traditional tribal religion, culture and customs should no longer be treated as an ST, as highlighted in the 1969 JPC recommendation and Supreme Court rulings.
It also urged the government to refer the issue to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) for further examination and action.
JSM national co-convenor Rajkishor Hansda told ThePrint that the delegation briefed Modi on the pressing legal and constitutional issues concerning tribal welfare.
Hansda said the discussions centred on the three core demands, including a clear statutory definition of ‘Scheduled Tribe’.
“Effective protection of the cultural identity and constitutional rights of tribal communities across India, a question the Hon’ble Supreme Court has addressed in Chandramohan v. State (2004) and most recently in Chinthada Anand v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2026 INSC 283),” he added.
“As the late Dr. Kartik Oraon had noted in Parliament in 1970, at that time merely 10% of converted tribals were cornering nearly 70% of ST reservation benefits, while 90% of the genuine tribal population received only 30%. This imbalance has only widened since.”
The delegation also urged President Droupadi Murmu to direct that the matter be referred to the NCST for examination and recommendation, and that the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 be suitably amended so that ordinary tribals are not compelled to litigate each case individually before competent authorities.
“This is not merely a question of reservation or legal interpretation, but one that goes to the heart of the cultural identity, tradition, and existence of crores of tribal people. The tribal society has waited patiently for over 75 years; the time has come for a prompt and positive decision,” Hansda added.
The JSM also touched upon the matter of tribal rights that has come to the fore in Andaman and Nicobar Island over the proposed Great Nicobar Infrastructure (GNI) Project, saying that there is a need for the government to engage in a dialogue with the people there.
The reality, Singh said, is that the project will affect the families living in Andaman. Because of that, the government must ensure security, he added.
“The people raising their voices have legitimate demands, but before the nation, before the country, there are some national issues too. Those issues also need attention. One is the Nicobar area — the stretch between it and Lanka is an international sea route where China also pays special attention,” the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram president said.
“India has so far established its main presence in Sri Lanka, in Colombo port. They have maintained that with cooperation from Singapore. The Indian government’s view is that we must secure our own borders; therefore they have selectively chosen this area. There is discussion about making an international port, an international airport, and a township.”
Singh also urged the government to engage in dialogue with the local community, consult them, and carry out development based on that discussion. “The government should also try for this, and so should the local community there,” he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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