RANCHI (Jharkhand, India): A senior tribal leader from the Indian state of Jharkhand has decried what he describes as attempts to dilute the distinct identity of India’s tribal communities and has called upon the community to unite against such designs.
Surya Singh Besra, who is also a former legislator from Jharkhand, said tribal epresentatives from across the country would march to the national capital New Delhi on June 25 to submit a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking constitutional and administrative safeguards for the preservation of tribal identity. Addressing a gathering here on Saturday, Besra asserted that tribal people constitute a distinct cultural group with ancient traditions, and, therefore, did not belong to any particular religion. “We have our own faith, customs and way of life which deserve independent recognition,” he said. He demanded that the upcoming national census should include a separate religion column for tribal communities instead of classifying them under the “Others” category.
Besra also objected to the use of the term “Vanvasi” for tribal communities, insisting that they should be identified as “Adivasi”, a term that reflects their status as the original inhabitants of the land. His remarks come amid an ongoing debate over tribal identity, religious classification and demands for a separate code for indigenous faiths in official records and the national census
Earlier on Tuesday, several members of tribal communities and representatives of various organizations staged a protest march in here against the use of the term “Vanvasi” (forest dweller). They argued that the term diminishes the historical, cultural and constitutional identity of India’s indigenous tribal peoples.
Addressing the protestors, Amrit Chirag Tirkey, a leader of the Bharat Adivasi Party, said the word “Adivasi” represents centuries of indigenous history, culture, traditions and the relationship of the communities with land, forests and natural resources. Using the term “Vanvasi” amounts to an attempt to erase the community’s original identity and weaken its constitutional recognition, he said. “This is not merely a debate over terminology. It concerns our collective identity, dignity and constitutional rights,” he also said.
Many tribal activists have long argued that the term “Adivasi,” meaning “original inhabitants,” reflects their historical connection to the land, and view “Vanvasi” as reducing tribal identity solely to a forest-based existence.
The dispute over the terms “Adivasi” and “Vanvasi” is not new. For decades, tribal rights groups have preferred the term “Adivasi,” emphasizing indigenous identity and historical belonging. Some organizations use the term “Vanvasi,” arguing that it indicates the close relationship of the tribal communities with forests and nature. The difference reflects competing perspectives on history, identity and representation, making the terminology politically and culturally sensitive.
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