Who is Salkhan Murmu demanding separate religion 'Sarna' for Tribals?

Tribals under the aegis of Adivasi Sengal Abhiyan (ASA) are demanding recognition of Sarna religion, former Jharkhand MP Salkhan Murmu says the natives are nature-worshipers and do not belong to any religion. A community of tribals in India is demanding status as a separate religion. This demand of the people of Sarna religion is turning into a movement.

Former MP Salkhan Murmu is also included in the followers of the Sarna religion. He is one of the foremost leaders of the campaign for formal recognition of this religion. He has demonstrated and protested in many states of the country with a crowd of thousands of supporters.

In the 2011 census, more than 49 lakh people had chosen others in the religion column and wrote 'Sarna Dharma' along with others. The number of followers of Jainism is about 45 lakhs. 

Who is Salkhan Murmu

Salkhan Murmu was born on 2 June 1952 in the small village of Karandih (Bodratola) Jharkhand. After passing high school at St. Xavier's High School Lupunguttu, Chaibasa, he went to Ranchi University where he did his Master of Commerce.

He also holds a bachelor's degree in law from Rourkela Law College. He has worked in various sectors like Life Insurance Corporation of India: LIC, MMTC Limited and Tata Steel.

Murmu is a socio-political activist working for Tribal Empowerment in 5 states (Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha). He is also the founder and national president of the Jharkhand Disom Party. He was a two-time Member of Parliament in the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha from the Mayurbhanj constituency in Odisha during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Also, Read

• What is ‘Sarna’? Tribals demand a separate religion
• Tribal revolutionary Tilka Manjhi whose valor story is part of tribal culture
• Tribal community in Jammu Kashmir discriminated since independence
• The Naked Truth of Bastar; Tribal Heart Land of India

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