Ranchi (Jharkhand): The Jharkhand Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution seeking the inclusion of Sarna as a separate religion in Census, 2021.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the resolution, passed during a special one-day Assembly session on Wednesday, will now be sent to the Centre for approval.
"For tribals, the Sarna Code is important. The state is committed for it. This is a historic day for tribal people who migrate outside the state and thus their population is not counted. A good message will go across the country if the tribals get the separate religious code. The official figures shows a decline in tribal population, which prevents tribals from getting many government benefits," Chief Minister Hemant Soren said in the Assembly.
He said that the entire country was worried over rising pollution levels and in such a scenario the religion of the tribals aimed to protect the environment.
Also read: Explained: Special religion code for Jharkhand's Sarna tribe
The Assembly session was convened on the demand of several tribal organisations which were pressing for separate code in the census.
The opposition parties gave a proposal demanding a discussion on the resolution, which Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato accepted.
BJP legislators proposed an amendment to the resolution seeking removal of the oblique from 'tribal/Sarna' word in it.
Soren said his government is sensitive to people's sentiments and accepted the amendment, after which all the parties supported the resolution.
(With input from agencies)
