A delegation of the Janjatiya Suraksha Manch (JSM) has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu, seeking changes to the constitutional framework governing Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for tribals who convert to other religions. The JSM is a tribal rights body affiliated with the RSS-backed Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.The organisation called for “legal and constitutional safeguards” to protect the cultural identity and rights of tribal communities. Its demands include a statutory definition of “Scheduled Tribe” based on the criteria laid down by the Lokur Committee, amendments or clarifications to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, and measures to preserve tribal customs and traditions.Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Friday (May 29, 2026), JSM office-bearers reiterated the organisation’s long-standing demand that tribals who had “abandoned traditional tribal faith, customs and way of life upon conversion” should not continue to receive reservation benefits meant for Scheduled Tribes.Conversion has increasedSatyendra Singh, president of the VKA, said the memorandum had been submitted to both the Prime Minister and the President. “We received an assurance that justice would be done,” he said. Mr. Singh alleged that religious conversions among tribal communities had increased significantly and described the trend as posing social and national challenges.According to JSM representatives, of India’s tribal population of nearly 12 crore recorded in the 2011 Census, an estimated 1.5 crore to 2 crore people had converted to Christianity.Rajkishor Hansda, national co-convenor of the JSM, said discussions with the Prime Minister focused on “pressing legal and constitutional issues concerning tribal welfare”.Sources in the organisation said the delegation sought a provision similar to that applicable to Scheduled Castes, under which a tribal person who adopts another religion after abandoning traditional tribal practices would cease to be recognised as member of a Scheduled Tribe.Call for panel studyThe organisation claimed that such a position had earlier been recommended by the Joint Parliamentary Committee in 1969 and had also found support in several Supreme Court judgments. It further urged the government to refer the issue to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) for examination.The organisation maintained that its demands were not directed against any religion. It said that if the government intended to extend welfare support to economically weaker converts, it could do so through a separate mechanism rather than through quotas reserved for Scheduled Tribes.The delegation also raised concerns regarding the proposed Great Nicobar Infrastructure Project in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Mr. Singh said that while the project held strategic importance, including for maritime security in the Indian Ocean region, the government should consult local communities likely to be affected and pursue development in dialogue with residents. Published - May 29, 2026 10:44 pm IST