Sunday, June 12, 2011

Indigenous Faith A fast growing movement in Arunachal Pradesh

" यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत 
अभ्युथ्हानं अधर्मस्य तदात्मानं स्रुजम्याहं 
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशयच दुष्कृतां 
धर्म संस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे "


We have all been feeling the solace of this divine consolation from time immemorial. Moved by the doctrine of we have assembled here to assess and take stock of progress achieved by us in our respective areas of services.     The dark clouds of disturbances have been hovering above sacred culture of Bharat varsh for more than 1200 years. Our country had boldly faced the invasions of the Shakas, Greeks, Huns,  Yavan, and Romans and upheld the flag of universal brotherhood safe and high. But it seems that we are unable to withstand before the threats posed by the Christian Missionaries and Muslim terrorists… 


Until we bravely fight them and wipe out their threat for ever, our objective of universal brotherhood cannot be materialized.     The Christian Missionaries have entered the North Eastern states of India in the 19th century itself. Wherever they went they were bitterly objected and violently opposed.  But all these objections and oppositions of the plain spoken people were silenced through the means of allurement, appeasement, and spreading misleading information like prediction of end of mankind, etc. The local people were repeatedly told that they were not Bharatiyas; their way of life and practices were not like those of the Indians; their culture and traditions were different and so on. They were also told that they had no religion and they ought not to follow the Indian religions. They further instructed them that their life were full of sins and Jesus had sent the missionaries to save them from their sins. Through a very meticulously planned way, these missionaries instilled a feeling of “alienation or disaffection of being Indian itself.” The slogans like “Indian dogs go back; Naga for Christ’, etc were inflicted to these minds. Money, arms, drugs, was poured in to attract and organize the local youths to rise against their nationality in the name of theory of liberation. The land which was once known for the matrimonial relations of Lord Krishna, Bhim and Arjuna and for the truthfulness, honesty and bravery of its indigenous people thus came to be known for the voices of separatism, factionalism, anti Indian campaigns, etc.      In order to achieve  Robert Reid’s “Crown Colony” plan or “New England” scheme, the entire north eastern region was  deliberately kept isolated from the rest of the country so that they could carry out their “mission’ uninterrupted and unquestioned. The program of conversion was speeded up     But, even after all these meticulous plans and programs, the missionaries could not achieve any thing worth mentioning in Arunachal Pradesh. The first church in Arunachal Pradesh was founded at Kakoi in Papumpare district in 1952 and a few persons were converted too. But they had to face very strong and violent protest from the local people and thereafter no Christian Missionary activist was legally allowed to enter Arunachal Pradesh till 1980. The  missionaries resorted to certain indirect plans and started establishing schools and other seemingly service projects along the Assam Arunachal border areas where Arunachalee students were taught almost free of cost. Students with good leadership qualities were groomed and trained to speak for the missionaries and they were tactfully placed in the key positions of the state administration and politics. Later using the same ‘leaders’ and ‘officers’ they guaranteed and authorized their entry to the state. 


  • The indigenous symbols of traditional malas and tadoks  in the tribal attire were replaced with lockets of cross! The youth were nabbed in the dragnet of 3Ds [Drugs, Dolls and Dance parties] 28% of the people are now converted to their fold.  Conspiracies were evolved to alienate persons from families, families from the society and the societies from nation. People enlightened with the vision and wisdom of their indigenous culture became panic stricken by feeling the forthcoming dangers. They started worrying what would happen to their age old culture and tradition. They could see the dark clouds hovering above their skies. But very seemingly, the divine consolation virtually found to be working with the life and works of Golgi Bote Talom Rukbo who could virtually put a speed breaker to the efforts of the alien forces.   Late Talom Rukbo founded Donyi Polo Yelam Kebang on 31st December, 1986 at Pasighat as a common forum of the indigenous faith believers and evolved their own systems of prayers and worship. Ganggings  (Prayer centres) were built in almost all the villages where the images of Donyi Polo (the ultimate truth behind Sun and Moon) were kept for worship. The people gathered there weekly and worshipped their own deities by chanting hymns and mantras in their own dialects. This was just a humble beginning. Though there were a few versions of oppositions about the genuineness of the new system, it could very soon attract people as an alternate way of homely, affordable and reliable practice of treating diseases and finding solutions to troubles of own kinds. The system that initially started among the Adi community (in Siang districts) was gradually adopted by the other communities as well. Prayer centers mushroomed in their villages one by one and at present there are above 400 such temples by different names in Arunachal Pradesh. Hundreds of prayer songs were composed in their own dialects, books published and cassettes/ cds released. Lockets and photos of their deities supplement the movement. The names of the deities are as Donyi Polo (among the Adis, Nyishis, Apatanis, Tagins, Hill Miris, etc), Rang Frah, Rang Kothak (among Tangsa, Tutsas , Noktes, Wanchoos), Nani Inatya (Mishmis). These prayer centres are known as Gangging (among Adis), Kargu Gamgi (among Galos) , Nyedar Namlo (among Nyishis), Medar Nello (among Apatanis), Donyi Polo Namlo (among Tagins). They have also formed their own forums like Donyi Polo Yelam Kebang, Nyishi Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society, Dani Piilo Society, Rang Frah Faith Promotion Society, etc to protect, preserve and promote the age old cultural heritage. In order to coordinate and make collective efforts for the accomplishment of the set objectives, an umbrella body of the movement was formed with the name Indigenous Faith & Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) on 28th December, 1999. A massive campaign is spearheading in Arunachal Pradesh under the guidance and direction of this forum. Similar efforts were made in the early 1980s by certain eminent leaders like Hipson Roy, H Mawrie, Techi Takkar, Mokar Riba, etc under the valuable guidance of Mananiya Krishna Rao Sapre of Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram. The replacement of expensive way of worships through sacrifice of Mithuns, Pigs, offer of tadoks (very precious indigenous beads costlier than gold) to priests by simple ceremonies with less expenses and no gifts to priests too has enabled the system to gallop forward among the local people.  Movements were also made among the political and administrative levels by submitting memoranda to the government to implement the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act of 1978 (Act No IV of 1978). A souvenir titled “The Radient” too was published. State level Youth Festivals were organized in 2002 and 2005 at Itanagar and Ziro (Lower Subansiri District) respectively. 31st December every year which was earlier observed as Donyi Polo Day among the Adis of Siang districts is now observed state wide as Indigenous Faith Day and the Govt has declared it as a restricted Holiday. Month long public campaign programs are organized among all the communities during December every year through which the karyakartas in small groups use to make door to door and person to person contacts to make the people aware of the greatness of the own culture and the need to protect it. Lockets are distributed, images of deities are installed and flags of own faith are hoisted in every household contacted. In December 2008 alone, 18000 flags, 45000 lockets, 16000 images and 5000 appeal brochures were distributed all over the state. Massive and colourful processions of people in traditional attire are organized among all the communities through out the state on 31 December. Interstate delegations of 94 Janajati leaders attended the Indigenous Faith Day programs in 2007.  The 3rd state level Indigenous Youth Festival was organized from 28th November to 1st December, 2008 at Pasighat (East Siang district). Arrangements were made for accommodation and fooding of every 1000 delegates in separate small townships. Exhibitions housing 40 different firms and institutions like DRDA, Indian Railways, etc were placed for visitors. The festival had representations of  15 out of 16 districts, 16 out of 24 major tribes, 2000 girls and 1731 boys, above 500 local elders, and more than 250 volunteers attended the festival. The participations of delegates  from the borders of China, delegates with families bearing all expenses, delegates  from the remotest villages coming after 4 day foot march,  handicapped delegates on sticks etc were a few examples of dedication towards own culture found in the festival. Another unique feature of the camp was that the entire rice required for 3 times meal a day was collected locally on contribution. The program was graced by the eminent personalities like internationally acclaimed yoga guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living, His Excellency the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Shri J J Singh, Honourable Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Shri Dorjee Khandu, most of the ministers of the state, top bureaucrats, and social workers of all the fields and public leaders. Shri Shri Ravi Shankar in his brief address said, “ Dharma is the back bone of our society. It is the root of the tree of society. It is our prime duty to protect and nourish it. Societies all over the world are making similar efforts and movements and it is the responsibility of Bharat varsh to guide them.  1st December, 2008 was the 71st birth anniversary day of Golgi bote Talom Rukbo , the pioneer of the indigenous faith movement in the state. The day was observed as the concluding of the Youth Festival and a colourful massive rally was organized in the township of Pasighat wherein more than 7000 people participated in their tribal costumes and holding placards with slogans, “ Bomyerung Donyi Polo”, “Aturto Ane Donyi”, “Tibet ki Mukti Bharat ki Shakti”, “Stop conversion” , “One nation one emotion”, Goa ho ya Pasighat apani desh apani matti” etc. The energetic youth and enlightened elders who assembled in the Youth Festival discussed the boiling issues like Chinese Claims, Bangladeshi Infiltrations and conversions in threadbare and resolved to work united against these menace. In short the Indigenous Youth Festival at Pasighat could send a new wave to the entire north east.  The common cause of indigenous faith movements among the communities could also witness vanishing of intercommunity clashes and rivalry which was once very common among them. They also realized the need and accustomed to the practice of coming , thinking and working together to achieve their common goals. More things are to be done to accelerate the momentum of the movement further.                                                                                  1.    To make the indigenous Temples the centres of socio cultural and religious renaissance in the society through which social harmony, cooperation, associations and development could be speeded up. 
2.    Efforts be made to ensure the restoration of due importance of the Nyibus (local Priests) and fade away their unwanted anxiety that the new system of prayers and worships would lessen their importance and dissociate them from the people                                                                                                                      3.    Make such provisions in our educational system and syllabus through which the new generation can be taught about the life of great men and the glorious heritage of our culture                                                    4.    Make arrangements for compilation and publishing of the local prayers, tales, proverbs, songs, true stories,  etc                                                                                                                                              5.    Make stickers of mantras, noble thoughts in local dialects and fix them in home so as to instill sanskara into the children in the family.                                                                                                                    6.    Make arrangements in the Local temples for sports and cultural activity centres with musical instruments for both children and the youth so that they can be accommodated and engaged.                                        7.    Provisions be developed for giving medical and educational assistance including scholarships to the poorer sections of the society by the swadharmi organizations.                                                                  8.    Conduct orientation camps for ladies so that the strength of this more influent section of the society can be rightly assimilated and harnessed.                                                                                                          9.    Develop mobile audio visual units to extend the information system even to the remotest villages.           10.    Intensify the contact campaigns and provide lockets to every person, install photos/ images of their deities in every house and hoist the dharmadhwajas in every house hold.                                                        11.    Install small cottage and viable industrial units in the villages to ensure the economic upliftment of the people.                                                                                                                                                   12.    Organise tour and cultural exchange programs like “Bharat mera ghar”, SEIL (Students’ Experience in Interstate Living) to strengthen the feeling of  national integrity.                                                                  13.    Make arrangements for the homecoming programs of the already misguided and converted brethren in the society.                                                                                                                                            14.    Concentrate on developing equal respect to all the religions, strengthening the faith over own cultural heritage and traditions and deepening the spirituality.                                                                                  Lets all proceed with the tri-sutras of  Sanskriti (Culture),  Sanghatan (Organisation) and Vikas (Development) so that all the menaces hovering over  our skies can be swept away for ever. Let us further believe that mother Bharat would be rightly placed at the zenith of glory and the dream of vishwamangala hetaveh  would be realized soon.                                  Aturto Ane Donyi… Bomyerung Donyi Polo … Vande Mataram                                                                                                                                                      Sandeep Kavishwar Arunachal Vikas Parishad,Bank Tinali.Sector -C. Itanagar.Distt. Papum Pare Arunachal Pradesh, 791111 Phone: 0360 2211463; 09436044360 Email :  kavisandip@gmail.com.