JHARKHAND MIRROR

By Gladson Dungdung

17 October, 2008

Hindutva groups attack a mistake in a Bible translation into a tribal language in Jharkhand.

A protest against Nemha Bible in Ranchi

After a successful campaign against Christians in Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kerala, the rightwing Hindutva forces – RSS, VHP and BJP are all busy fanning the communal fire in Adivasi dominated areas of Jharkhand. A hate speech against the missionaries by the RSS chief K.C. Sudarshan at Ranchi on September 14 and the BJP’s huge agitation in the Jharkhand Assembly on the issue of wrongly translated Bible on 22-23 September, was followed by the allegation of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) General Secretary Pravin Togadia, who visited Ranchi on 3 October, that the missionaries were humiliating Adivasis and their Sarna religion in the name of social service. He also justified the violence against Christians in Kandhamal of Orissa. He said, “The violence against Christians in Kandhamal of Orissa and the agitation against church in Jharkhand are the manifestations of the missionaries’ unholy work.” Read more…

By Gladson Dungdung

Indian Currents 17 August, 2003

“Adivasis have their own culture, customs, rituals, practices and religious beliefs। They do not come under the purview of Caste system and Chatur Varna system of Hinduism. Most of the Tribals are beef-eaters because beef is the cheapest means of nutrition available to them. Tribals do not engage Hindu Pandits or Brahmins to perform their rituals”.

The Hindutava strategy of trying to depict Adivasis as Hindus in Adivasi dominated areas of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and other states. Recently, Sangh Pracharak & former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi claimed that Adivasis are Hindus and they worship Hindu Gods and Goddesses. He justified that ‘every one who had links with the Sindhu Ghati (Sindhu Valley) was a Hindu because the word “Hindu” derives it’s meaning from Sindhu’ (Prasad, 2003: 5). Backing support to the Babulal Marandi’s statements, the new guard of Jharkhand Arjun Munda stated that there are lots of similarities between Adivasi religion and Hinduism. Hindu Gods are worshipped in many Adivasi festivals. Back seat driver of Hindutava wheels Shankaracharya of Kanchi Swami Jayendra Saraswati also tried to establish that Adivasis were Hindu by his lecture on ‘tribal identity’, at Shri Ranisati Mandir Committee in Ranchi on 3rd June 2003 in the presence of Chief Minister Arjun Munda. Next day he even installed an idol of Lord Hanuman at Gumla. Read more…

By Gladson Dungdung

Indian Currents

 18 May, 2003

“Communal threat is a political conspiracy to oppress, suppress and depress Dalits, Tribals as well as women because most of the leaders (men & women) of the Dalit and Tribal community, questioning the status quo, are either from the Christian community (converted) or are products of Missionary Schools. These leaders also generate awareness among their people to fight for justice and dignity, consequently the Dalits, Tribals and women resist doing Swarnas dirty works”.

Communalism has become a great threat to Indian Democracy today. Communal hatred is on rampage, which comes as a great shock to a country where the saints of non-violence like Mahavir, Buddha and Gandhi had presented the great principles of truth and non-violence. Communalism is a phenomenon where innocent people have been discriminated, assaulted, tortured, and killed only because of their belief in a particular religion or creed. The peculiar thing about this violence is that the people who commit this heinous crime go unpunished most of the time. After the states of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu Government enacted the Anti-conversion law; the Gujarat Govt also enacted the controversial anti-conversion Act called the freedom to religion Act 2003. The Act not only shows the interest of the state to the issue of faith more than to pressing issues of food, clothing and shelter but it is also a great threat to the democracy and minority communities as well. It is an irony that the citizens are denied the freedom to religion in the name of freedom of religion. Read more…