Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: The Arunachal Christian Forum claims State Bank of India software blocks tribal Christians from selecting their correct status. Customers updating KYC details or opening new accounts find themselves bumped into the General category. The glitch appears when users pick Christian as their religion in banking apps like YONO. This action instantly disables the Scheduled Tribe option.
The forum submitted a formal representation to the SBI regional manager in Itanagar on October 5. They demanded a fix within 15 days. If the bank ignores this deadline, the group intends to start a gherao of branches throughout Arunachal Pradesh. They want SBI to explain if any Reserve Bank of India rule mandates this system. State officials must confirm if any regulation allows such classification.
Tribal identity is independent of religious faith. The forum argues that holding an ST certificate remains valid regardless of whether a person practices Christianity. The group insists the bank has no power to alter these constitutional protections. The forum stated, "The State Bank of India is not the competent authority to de-list a tribal Christian customer who possesses a valid ST certificate. SBI cannot automatically classify a tribal Christian under the General category solely based on their declared religion."
This dispute follows a May standoff regarding tribal status and religion. The ACF continues to push back against calls to strip ST status from converts. Official Census data already tracks these distinct groups. SBI has not provided a comment on the software allegations yet. The forum wants a written response detailing how the bank plans to separate religion from tribal status in their digital systems.
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