‘Chalo Dispur’ Anti-Conversion Rally In Assam Generates Massive Response

GUWAHATI: The large anti-conversion rally that took place on March 26, 2023, in Guwahati has the potential to have an impact on the sociocultural and political climate of northeast India in the days to come. It also called for the delisting of Schedule Tribe (ST) status held by converted people. 

Almost 55,000 Assamese tribal people from 30 districts took part in the one-of-a-kind march, which was organised by Janajati Dharma-Sanskriti Suraksha Manch (JDSSM-Assam). The participants in the "Chalo Dispur" rally, in traditional clothing and with folk musical instruments, spoke out against religious conversion among the local tribal people and demanded that those ST people who had undergone a religious conversion be removed from the list of beneficiaries under various relevant government facilities.

 The leaders of the Janajati Suraksa Manch (JSM) have asserted numerous times that the ST designation was granted to them in order to preserve their traditional, cultural, and linguistic identities. Nonetheless, a lot of indigenous families have recently converted to foreign faiths like Islam and Christianity.

The national organisation, which has been leading the drive for more than 18 years across the nation, is certain that families that convert to Christianity or Islam should not benefit from reservations or other government-approved amenities intended for ST people. 

They expressed worry that the ST families' constant conversion to religion was ruining the tribal people. They emphasised how alarmingly the rate of religious conversion is rising in Assam, with tribal people emerging as particularly susceptible to the practise.

According to the 2011 census, 87.93% of Nagaland's residents identified as practising Christians. Manturam Kohram, convener of JDSSM-Assam, said the organisation has been sending separate memoranda to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi via Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria outlining their core dissents. 

He added that the organisation has been calling for the delisting of the converted ST families, who have completely given up their tribal culture, customs, rituals, traditions, and original way of life over time after conversion.

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