MP calls for delisting converted tribal people from ST category

Time of India

4 days ago

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Jaipur: In a significant move, Udaipur MP Mannalal Rawat has brought attention to a controversial demand in the Lok Sabha, calling for the removal of religious converts from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.
Speaking in Lok Sabha Monday, the BJP MP advocated for applying the same criteria to STs as currently applicable to Scheduled Castes (SCs), where conversion to non-Hindu faiths leads to disqualification from constitutional benefits.
Rawat, who has strong ties with the RSS-affiliated Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), highlighted what he termed a "legal loophole" that has persisted for 75 years. Quoting studies and reports, Rawat said converted tribals continue to receive reservation benefits in education, employment and welfare schemes despite abandoning traditional tribal customs and practices.
"This is a direct blow to the rights of genuine tribal communities in Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh and across the country.
Limited resources are being diverted to those who no longer preserve tribal identity, weakening socio-economic development efforts," he told TOI. Referring to Article 342 of the Constitution, which governs Scheduled Tribes, Rawat noted that currently does not include any disqualification clause related to religious conversion.
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The MP, who took voluntary retirement from a Rajasthan govt service to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleged that Christian missionaries and other groups have been conducting forced conversions in tribal areas through financial inducements.
"They have devised a formula: change your belief system but not your legal identity. This poses a serious threat to tribal culture and traditions," Rawat said. According to the 2011 Census, Rajasthan has approximately 97,000 Christians, primarily concentrated in Jaipur, Ajmer, Dungarpur and Banswara.
As a key strategist for JSM's nationwide campaign, Rawat has been instrumental in organising rallies and outreach programs across several states with significant tribal populations, including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Rawat was hand-picked by senior
RSS
members from Udaipur to address several long-pending issues, including the contentious demand for the de-listing of converted tribal people from Scheduled Tribe benefits. The demand for de-listing converted tribal people has been a long-standing agenda of RSS-affiliated organisations, though it faces complex constitutional and social implications.