Sarna Tribe Jharkhand India 
Catholic tribal leaders in India are worried over a move by Jharkhand’s government to take away tribal status from people who have left their traditional Sarna religion to join other faiths.
The eastern state’s move will deprive thousands of tribal people of social benefits meant for their advancement.
“It is a deliberate attempt to divide tribal people on grounds of religion ahead of the state and national elections next year,” said Bishop Vincent Barwa of Simdega, who is based in a tribal Christian stronghold.
A state election is due at the end of next year, while national elections are due in April.
Religions
The state government, run by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), wants the BJP-led federal government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declassify the tribal status of tribal people who have adopted other religions, media reports said.
“The government move is disastrous and we are keeping a close watch on all developments,” Bishop Barva, chairman of the Indian bishops’ office for indigenous people, said.
Secular leaders like Dev Kumar Dhan, who leads a pan-India group of tribal people following the Sarna religion said government is looking for political gains.
He presented a memorandum earlier this month to state governor Draupadi Murmu, a representative of the federal government, asking her to stop the move “to divide tribal people on religious grounds”.
