Agartala, Dec 18: The Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) condemned Janajati Suraksha Mancha’s rally scheduled for Christmas Day, demanding delisting converted tribals from ST, and urged “all stakeholders” to uphold principles of equality, justice, and secularism.

TSF, a member of the North East Students Association (NESO), has been active on a host of tribal rights issues in the state, including Kokborok language issues,tribal land rights, customary law, and other ethnic rights issues, for decades.

President of TSF, Samrat Debbarma, and general secretary Hamalu Debbarma said in a statement, “At its core, the Indian Constitution upholds the principles of equality and freedom of religion. The right to choose and practice one’s faith is a fundamental human right that should not be impeded by any group organisation. Any attempt to penalise or discriminate against individuals based on their religious beliefs goes against the fundamental ethos of our democratic society.”

Terming the JSM move to demand listing converted tribals on the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list as “discriminatory,” the TSF leader condemned the demand and said it would be a direct violation of constitutional rights and the spirit of inclusion.

The TSF president also said tribals of the country have “historically faced marginalisation and socio-economic challenges” and added that adding “religious criteria” to their eligibility for benefits would exacerbate the tribal struggle for rights but also set “dangerous precedents of discrimination.”

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