Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, May 20: The Janjati Sanskriti Samagam Arunachal Pranth (JSSAP) on Wednesday informed that a total of 2,715 indigenous people from Arunachal Pradesh will participate in the upcoming Janjati Sanskriti Samagam (Tribal Cultural Gathering) to be held at the Red Fort Ground in New Delhi on May 24, 2026.
Addressing media persons at the Arunachal Press Club here, members of the JSSAP said that the Janjati Sanskriti Samagam is a massive national tribal gathering being organized to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The event is being organized by the Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM).
JSSAP members said the event will showcase traditional tribal arts, indigenous faiths and distinct cultural practices of various communities, with all participants expected to attend in their traditional attires.
They also said that the event is likely to witness the participation of more than two lakh people representing over 550 tribal communities from different parts of the country.
The JSSAP members informed that the programme aims to celebrate the rich heritage, traditions and cultural diversity of tribal communities across the country under the theme “Tu-Main Ek Rak” (You and I are one blood: we are all Indians).
The key demands and purpose of the proposed event include the “de-listing” of converted tribals by amending Article 342 of the Indian Constitution to withdraw Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and reservation benefits from tribal individuals who convert to religions such as Christianity or Islam. The organization argued that such benefits should remain exclusively for traditional indigenous tribal communities.
The event also emphasizes the need to protect and preserve indigenous faiths, rituals, and cultural traditions, asserting that Adivasis are an integral part of the Sanatan cultural heritage.
Further, the JSSAP members stated that converted tribals should not be allowed to simultaneously avail benefits meant for Scheduled Tribes as well as those provided to religious minorities, claiming that such a practice goes against the spirit of constitutional provisions.
The programme will be graced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the chief guest.