Her main issue is the delisting of converted tribals from reservation benefits. She argues that those who convert to Christianity or other religions avail of reservation benefits but harm tribal identity.
Ranchi – Nisha Bhagat, a tribal leader from Gumla district of Jharkhand, recently shaved her head. This step is part of her campaign against religious conversions. Nisha Bhagat says that tribals who have changed their religion should not get reservation benefits. She belongs to the Oraon community and is fighting to protect tribal identity, water, forests, and land. Her main issue is the delisting of converted tribals from reservation benefits. She argues that those who convert to Christianity or other religions avail of reservation benefits but harm tribal identity.
Nisha Bhagat is a resident of Gumla. Her father, Handu Bhagat, was a Jharkhand movement activist who spent half his life in jail during the movement. Nisha started working on social issues at the age of 15. She was associated with the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) and contested the assembly elections from Gumla in 2024. However, she parted ways with the party after differences of opinion. JLKM criticized her, calling her “mentally ill,” to which Nisha responded, “There was a time when they called me ‘Didi’ (elder sister), and today they are making baseless statements.”
The demand for delisting is essential for the protection of tribal identity, the Sarna religion, and constitutional rights. This is a fight for existence, identity, and self-respect. — Nisha Kumari Bhagat
In an interview with a local media outlet, Nisha said that the idea of shaving her head came from the inspiration of her ancestors. She says, “I was born into a tribal family, so I have a responsibility to save society, our existence, water, forests, and land.” Her main demands are:
• Implementation of the PESA Act.
• A separate column for the Sarna Code.
• Restoration of the tribal column removed after the 1961 census. • Delisting of converted tribals from reservation benefits.
She accuses missionaries of spreading superstition in the name of healing and insulting the Sarna flag. She has undertaken a foot march to Ranchi against violations of the CNT-SPTP Act and land grabbing. She also protested at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The CNT-SPTP Act (Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act 1908 and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act 1949) are crucial laws enacted to protect the land and identity of tribal communities in Jharkhand, prohibiting the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals and safeguarding their rights. However, there have been controversies surrounding attempts to amend these laws from time to time, as was the case in 2016-17.
Nisha has faced allegations of receiving funding from the BJP-RSS. Her response: “Get it investigated, I am fighting alone. They can’t digest how a tribal girl is surviving.” She has received death threats, against which she wrote letters to the DGP, DC, SP, and Home Minister. Her photo was even sent to the Vatican. She says, “Fear is not in our nature. We are inhabitants of the forest, we are fearless.”
Nisha’s family gave her the opportunity to dedicate herself to society. Her mother was raised in a Christian family, but Nisha is a Sarna follower. She says, “I was born into the Sarna faith, and I will remain so.” She is also facing opposition from her family.
What is the Sarna religious code?
The Sarna religion is recognized by its followers as a distinct religious group, primarily composed of nature worshippers. The core tenets of the Sarna faith revolve around “Jal (water), Jungle (forest), Zameen (land),” with followers emphasizing the conservation of forest areas and worshipping trees and hills. Unlike traditional practices, Sarna believers do not engage in idol worship and do not believe in the caste system or the concepts of heaven and hell. Most of Sarna’s followers are concentrated in the tribal belt of states like Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.
In the 2011 census, nearly 5 million followers of the nature-oriented Sarna religion declared their faith, yet the Sarna religious code is still awaiting official recognition.
The number of Jains is 4.4 million, who have already been recognized as a separate religious community. The Sengel campaign, along with several tribal organizations, held protests and rail and road blockades between 2022 and 2024 demanding the Sarna religious code. A series of demonstrations were also held in Kolkata and Ranchi advocating for the recognition of the Sarna religious code.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News