RSS-linked outfit seeks Bill to delist converted tribals from from reserved ST categories

Among the speakers was a sitting judicial officer from Madhya Pradesh, Prakash Kumar Uiekey. Addressing the gathering of hundreds of tribals, who were brought in from various parts of Gujarat for the event, Uiekey said that tribals who converted to either Christianity or Islam are depriving the children of other tribals from accessing benefits of reservation.

He added, “Either you can be Christian, or Muslim or you can be a Scheduled Tribe… Our children don’t get to be IAS or IPS officers but a converted person gets to and they are snatching our rights… We (tribals) are going to be 12 crore (in number) and we get 7.5 per cent reservation.”

Referring to the Lokur Committee report of 1965 that had defined the criteria of who tribals are, Uiekey said, “The Lokur committee said that to be considered as tribals, they need to qualify in five criteria. One was that they should have traditionally followed tribal customs and character. A converted person doesn’t do it. Second is, they (tribals) stay in far-flung places. We are unable to mix with society quickly. Third is our own culture, which is our existence and pride. Converts have ended their culture and want to end our culture…”

“If our demands are not met, this rally will go to Delhi from Ahmedabad… Some say adivasis are not Hindus, to put them under a different religion code. They are misleading our community. For 70 years, they have been misleading us… I will tell you how adivasis are Hindus. We are people of the sanatan sanskriti. We are the ones who made Ram Lord Ram and the divisive forces want to separate us from our proud history to extinguish our existence,” Uiekey added.

Sant Prasad Swami from Halol, associated with the Nishtha Swaminarayan Gurukul, in his address equated religious conversion to a disease like cancer.
Claiming that over 50 per cent of the population of Tapi district in Gujarat is made up of converted Christians, he said, “Today in Tapi district, Christian population is shown as 1-2 per cent in government records but in reality, more than 50 per cent people there have become Christian stealthily, in conspiracy…”

“Religious conversion is a hidden disease like cancer and when it is detected, you realise its in fourth stage and the patient cannot be saved… Religious conversion is not only a problem for adivasis, it changes the society, the faith of the society, the society’s ideals and cultures…,” he added.