Joseph Zoliana
Partha Pratim Mazumder’s article “Demography Watch on Christianity among ST in Assam” (The Sentinel, February 16, 2023) conforms to increasingly prevalent prejudices, but it raises questions about the motives behind monitoring Christianity among the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Assam. The writer quotes from Binoy Brahma, a spokesman of Janajati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch, a frontal organization of the RSS, to claim that tribal Christians receive “double benefits” from the government. This claim is misleading and false. While the government runs support programmes for many underprivileged groups such as tribals and religious minorities, these programmes are not exclusive to Christians or any other community. Curiously, Majumder only projects a paranoid fear by quoting selective data, but does not give us any data on how many tribals in the Northeast have actually availed double benefits. If double benefits are a problem, there are easier solutions, like the rule in the Railways which stipulates that among the various concessions available, one may avail only one at a time. Demonizing Christian tribals for their religion only adds to the age-old exclusion and oppression they have already faced.
Who actually gets the benefits from the Government? It is the non-marginalized communities who hold social, economic, and political power, and have not experienced systemic discrimination or disadvantages through the centuries. Let us have a “demography watch” of the Brahmins for instance. Their population is 5.6 crores (4.6% of India’s population), 13% of them are poor, 19% rich and the rest belong to the middle class. Of their population above 18 years, 84% are literate and 39% are graduates (Brahmins in India. Outlook 05/Feb/2022). 47% of Chief Justices of India and 40% of Associate Justices 1950- 2000 were Brahmins. On the other side, representation of the SCs and STs in these and other positions is very low. In the year of 2019, only one out of 89 secretaries at the Centre was SC, three were ST, and none from the OBC. Similar is their representation at the level of additional secretaries, joint secretaries, and directors. (Moushumi Das Gupta 05/Oct/20 19.) Of 89 secretaries in the Modi Government there are just 3 STs, 1 dalit and no OBC. https://theprint.in/india/governance/of-89-secretaries-in-modi-govt-there-are-just-3-sts- I -
dalit-and-no-obcs/271543/). In the Reserved List of the Civil Services Examination 2018 released by the UPSC, more than 70% were from the general category and only 0.1% were SC, 0% were ST and the OBC were 14% though by law, the SC have 15% reservation and the ST were 7.5% in the government jobs. (Aadil Raza Khan, 21/0ct12021. Preference for English, Upper Caste Candidates: How (JPSC ‘Biases’ impact Civil Services Exam https://thewire.in/rights/preference-for-english-upper-caste-candidates-how-upsc-biasesimpact-civil-services-exam). These data indicate that the statement that tribal Christians get “double benefits” is a myth. The privileges go to the already privileged, and Majumder does not seem to be concerned about such inequality.
The writer states that an increasing number of tribal and non-tribal people in Assam are converting to Christianity, and that it may change the demography in Assam. This claim is similar to the fear expressed by Hitler about the Jews and by extreme rightists in the West today about the Muslims, and a well-known ‘othering’ strategy being practised by the Sangh Parivar in our country today. He expresses concern about the possibility of Assam becoming a tribal-majority state if the six communities, the tea-tribes, Tai Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia, and Koch-Rajbongshi, are granted ST status and that “Muslims shall acquire a predominating presence in the non-ST population.” These people are already Assamese. Only the nomenclature will change if they are granted ST status. Tribals will not become a majority even after it. What is wrong if they do merely through a change of nomenclature while remaining Assamese?
The writer adds, “It is fascinating and instructive to look into how the religious demography of different tribes has changed over time and how and when they have moved away from their native religions—which in their doctrine and practice fall within the Hindu fold—to Christianity.” The author’s attempt to assimilate indigenous beliefs into the Hindu religion aligns with the idea of the Sangh Parivar. But the indigenous religions and cultures are not Hindu. I am a Mizo tribal myself, and our ancestors were not Hindu.
Moreover, the author does not seem to think that imposing Hinduism on the tribes by co-opting their culture into the Hindu fold is forced conversion and forced assimilation. Many indigenous people do not accept a Hinduism founded on an oppressive caste system which is absent in tribal cultures. The thought of the Northeastern tribal people adopting Hinduism and being positioned at the bottom of the caste ladder like many erstwhile tribal societies in mainland India is a terrifying prospect for us tribals.
The influence of Christianity or any tribal religion on their interaction with nature is difficult to generalize. Some Christianized tribes in Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland have found ways to integrate their traditional practices with Christianity, while others may reject the new religion entirely. Their traditional beliefs of deep connection to the environment are changing, but these changes are wrought by a variety of factors, such as economic, globalization, and environmental degradation. That is not limited to Christian tribes alone, but is also seen among non-Christian tribals and general population.
Hinduism too is not indigenous to the tribes. It created inroads into Assam, Manipur, and Tripura earlier than in the remaining north eastern states. The Ahom dynasty in Assam patronized both Hinduism and Buddhism, while in the 18th century, the Meitei king of Manipur, Gharib Nawaz declared Hinduism as the state religion. Some Meitei who persisted in practising their ancestral faith, Sanamahism, objected to this. But Hinduism gradually expanded its influence through the dissemination of Vedic texts, the building of Hindu temples, and the absorption of Hindu deities into Meitei religious rituals. In Tripura, the Tripuri dynasty that practised animism later adopted Hinduism under the influence of Bengali traders and priests. The presence of Hinduism among the Mizos came with the colonial regime some of whose Bengali administrators sought to impose Hinduism as a unifying religion across the diverse populations of India.
Some principles of Hinduism promote tolerance and accommodation of different perspectives. While Hinduism as a religion does have a history of tolerance and accommodation, there are also aspects that can be interpreted as exclusive or intolerant. Majumder seems to support the latter along with the RSS. It is important to acknowledge that the RSS promotes an exclusivist version that can pose a threat to the cultural identity of the tribes. Additionally, some communities like the Mizos, Khasis, and Nagas find it easier to incorporate their cultural practices with Christianity’s emphasis on equality since they are compatible with their traditions. With the history of discrimination and marginalization, some tribal communities may be more drawn to social justice and human rights movements associated with Christianity. So what changes is not their culture but an unequal and unjust society.
Joseph Zoliana is Research Associate at North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati. (joezoesjCdgmail.com)