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enabling the central government to extend the code to any of the scheduled tribes is merely cosmatic. In respect to several tribal communities there have been judicial decisions specifically affirming that the four Hindu Laws enactments of 1955-56 do not extend to the scheduled tribes.
The census reports of India do not treat the tribal communities as born Hindu. Appendix 'C' to the census report of 1991 gives details of 'Sects/Beliefs / Religions clubbed with another religion'. According to this annexure, no tribal community has been clubbed with the followers of Hindu religion with report. The main part of the report shows the population, in various states and union territories, under eight different heads - (1) Hindu, (2) Muslim, (3) Christian, (4) Sikhs, (5) Buddhists, (6) Jains, (7) Other religion and persuations and (8) Religion not stated. The head of other religion and persuations is detailed in Appendix 'A' to the report. In this Appendix about 60 tribal religion are seperately specified. The Sarak religion is one out of them.
In addition of these specified religions and persuations' of the various tribal communities this appendix also includes a residuary head of 'Tribal Religion and then an additional head of 'un - classified' religions which also must be inclusive of many smaller tribes.
Indian law thus does not recognise the claim that all tribals are born Hindus. Sarak are born into their own peculiar religious faiths which is Jain.
Article 25 of constitution guaranteeing freedom of conscience does not exclude the tribals from its purview, and like all other Indian they have a right to embrace any other religion of their choice.
Jain religious preachers can thus lawfully offer their religion to the tribals. This can be done peacefully to rejoin the tribals in the main stream of Jaina faith.
All religions claims to be a way of life but there is nothing unique like Jainism, this allow a wide spectrum of religious practices of non violence. Non violence is an original way of life, so it is proved that most of tribals were Jains in pree beginning of social structure.
Received - 28.3.97
* N-14, Chetakpuri,
Gwalior -474 009
Arhat Vacana, April 99
| SR No. | 526542 |
| Book Title | Arhat Vachan 1999 04 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Anupam Jain |
| Publisher | Kundkund Gyanpith Indore |
| Publication Year | 1999 |
| Total Pages | 92 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Arhat Vachan, & India |
| File Size | 23 MB |