This alert is already too late. Ideally this should have been emailed to you at least a year back. But it is not yet too late to start.
This email is about creating awareness among Christians about the Shabari Kumbh Mela going to be held in Dangs, Gujarat from 11- 13 February 2006. The main purpose of creating awareness is for prayers and practical action. But more on that below, first let us see what this Shabari Kumbh Mela is all about. The official website of Shabari Kumbh describes it in the following way:
“On 11, 12 and 13 February 2006, an estimated six-seven lakh Hindus will gather at a remote area in Subir, Dang district, Gujarat and resolve to work for the defense of Hindu society in general and the vanavasi/tribal Hindus in particular. It was at this very spot that Shabari Mata met Sri Rama and Sri Lakshman when they were in exile. The sustained conversion activities carried out by Christian missionaries with the help of their foreign masters has altered the religious demography of large parts of our country. The tribal areas of our country are a special target of this missionary offensive. This has caused self-alienation among the tribals and fanned separatist and terrorist activities. The Shabarikumbh has been organized to deal a death blow to such anti-dharmic (religious) and anti-national activities.”
Background
Manini Chaterjee has done a brilliant article on this and it can be found at: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=78580. I have too used it heavily in this email.
The Dangs area had hit the headlines following attacks on churches and missionary schools in December 1998. Since then incidents of physical attacks and threats against Christian villagers and pastors have become common in the area as the the RSS and its affiliate organisations—notably the Hindu Jagran Manch and the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram—have been steadily working to ‘‘Hinduise’’ the Bhils, Konkanis, Varli and other tribes that live in the heavily forested Dangs region.
Just like the Ramjanmabhoomi movement in the 1980s, here too the legend of the Ramayana is being used to invent a new tradition. The RSS outfits have hit upon the figure of Shabari—the adivasi woman who offered ‘ber’ to Rama and Lakshmana when they were searching for Sita in the forest—to bring the adivasis into the Hindutva fold and counter-efforts at alleged ‘‘conversion’’ by Christian missionaries.
In October 2004, a grand Shabari Mata Mandir was inaugurated atop a hill near a place called Subir, 33 kilometres from the district headquarters of Ahwa. The temple supposedly commemorates the ‘‘exact spot’’ where Rama and Lakshmana met Shabari. Several top BJP and RSS leaders including RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi have been regular visitors to the temple.
To follow up on the success of the temple, RSS affiliates decided to hold a ‘Shabari Kumbh mela’’ at a little natural pool formed by the Purna river which they claim is the same ‘Pampa Sarovar’ mentioned in the Ramayana.
The ideological ‘guru’ of the movement is Swami Asheemananda, a saffron-robed Bengali ‘‘saint,’’ who arrived in the Dangs region in 1997. The Website proclaims him as the “Saviour of Hinduism from divisive powers i.e. Christians.” He himself makes no bones about the aims of the ‘Shabari Kumbh Mela.
In an interview to the Indian Express newspaper he said, ‘‘Hindu samaj faces two big challenges—Islamic jehad and Christian conversions. We need to confront both these threats on a global scale,’’. The four traditional kumbh melas (held at Prayag, Hardwar, Nasik and Ujjain) had begun when ‘‘Hinduism was under threat’’. ‘‘We thought it was time to start a fifth Kumbh to meet the threat posed by conversions in this region,’’ he added.
Proudly taking credit for inspiring the 1998 attacks, Asheemananda, who holds the post of Shraddha Jagran Pramukh of the All India Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (the RSS affiliate which converts tribals to Hinduism), said that over the last seven years, thousands of Christian converts in the region had ‘‘returned to the Hindu fold.’’ The Shabari Kumbh Mela, scheduled to be held for the first time from February 11-13 and then every four years, would end missionary activity in the Dangs and establish it as a key pilgrimage centre of India, he had maintained in the interview.
Activists belonging to the RSS, VHP, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and other affiliates are working round-the-clock to make that a reality. A camp site has been set up at a clearing in the forest, and a kilometre-long road is being constructed from the camp to the Pampa Sarovar site.
Busloads of Gujarati tourists as well as RSS swayamsevaks have already started coming to Pampa Sarovar. “Forty temporary townships are being constructed by clearing forests, with a capacity of 5,000 each, in preparation for the Kumbh,” confirms a citizen’s enquiry report. You can see the report at: http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Religion-communalism/2006/dangs.htm
Apart from ‘pucca’ arrangements for two lakh pilgrims, tents and other facilities will accommodate another couple of lakhs, said local activist Shambhu Chavan.
“While the food and shelter would be ‘provided by us’, the government would help in transport, medicine, water and electricity,” Asheemananda told the Indian express.
Christian missionaries have so far been silent about the RSS’ ‘‘peaceful offensive,’’ but the adivasis in the villages around the temple and mela site as well as local activists are far from happy.
Laxman Bagul, who lives in Kangariyamal village opposite the Shabari Mata Mandir, said the villagers had already suffered because of the temple. The Kumbh Mela would make things much worse. ‘‘We are harassed by forest officials even if we cut a single tree. But over 700 trees were cut to build the Shabari temple. And thousands more will be destroyed to build the ‘nagars’ near the Pampa Sarovar.’’
Ghulabbhai Pawar of the Dangi Lok Adhikar Sangh said the Kumbh Mela posed a threat not just to the indigenous beliefs and lifestyle of the adivasis but also spelt an ecological disaster. ‘‘The entire population of the Dangs is just 1.86 lakhs. The biggest mela we have is the Dangi darbar (when the five traditional Bhil rajas are given government pension every March) which is attended by just around 10,000. A Kumbh mela with lakhs of pilgrims will completely destroy the environment of this region.’’
The adivasis of the district, activists said, are too poor and ignorant to resist the Hindutva offensive. And though the Dangs is dominated by the Congress—the MP, MLA and majority of sarpanches belong to the party—there is no political movement yet against the long-term implications of the Shabari Kumbh Mela on the culture and ecology of the Dangs.
The Gujarat state administration in close collaboration with the RSS outfits, "is engaged in a systematic campaign to divide the Dangi adivasis on religious communal lines and pit them against each other", says the citizen’s report.
The ‘proselytisation (by the RSS)’ aims at "suppression of the basic religious rights of the adivasis practicing Christianity and thereby also curbing the rights of the Christian missionaries to carry on their activities", the report adds.
Anti-Christian material is being distributed heavily in the area, as has been the strategy of the Hindutva brigade.
Below is a part of the report done by the citizen’s inquiry committee which speaks volumes:
Kumbh Fallout and Strategies
The problems in Dangs began in 1998. Around 1988 VKA started working here. The BJP Govt. in center and Aseemanand coming to Dangs in 1997 are two important points.
The indoctrination of section of Adivasis is very intense. Their hatred for Christians is visible all through.
The cultural indoctrination of Adivasi as Hindu is the core focus of the campaign. The Tribal nature worship is being equated to Hindu practices to begin with and later these practices are there is a change also.
The major God being promoted is Hanuman and the Goddess: Shabri. Lets recall for upper caste the major god around which the consolidation of RSS took place was Ram. Hanuman and Shabri both are devotees, servants of Ram. Upper caste-Ram. Adivasis-Hanuman and Shabri. That's the equation sought by the HJM campaign. Shabri gives another message in the present context, an Adivasi woman is devotee of a Hindu God Ram, what is the message for Adivasis.
Shabri Kumbh is the new invention. It is being said, Hindu religion is in danger due to the foreigners, the Ravan equivalents, the Christians and Muslims. To protect the Hindu faith this Kumbh is being held. The underlying message is to promote Anti Christians and anti Muslim sentiments.
The major emphasis of HJM is temple. Modern education and health are low on the priority. As per them Adivasis need Gods and Goddesses other things can wait.
The core issue is that of Adivasi empowerment. Adivasi land has been as such grabbed by outsiders. The education process run by Christian missionaries is a threat to the designs of upper caste/ upper class. So Christian missions need to be thrown out from these areas.
In this Shabri Kumbh work already ecological damage has been done. The social impact of lakhs of pilgrims coming to this area is also fraught with dangers.
The land appropriated from individuals has not been done as per the proper procedure. Many of them have been intimidated into giving their land. The Christians whose land has been taken over are frightened to open their mouth.
There is a general atmosphere of intimidation amongst the minorities.
The funds for development of Dangs have been diverted for this work alone. The other social projects and development in other areas will be sidetracked.
In case of Ram Temple movement a myth of Lord Ram's birth was manufactured. The Mosque was demolished to achieve the polarization along religious lines. This whole campaign was in the wake of rise in the Dalit conciouness from the decade of seventies, culminating in Madal Commission.
In this case a myth, a legend has been constructed to build a temple and to start a Kumbh to polarize Adivasis around Hindutva politics. Two polar opposite methods for the same goal.
Recommendations-Suggestions:
There is an urgent need to stop the ecological damage being brought in by the preparations for the Kumbh. Need to file a Public Interest Litigation.
Awareness campaigns need to be taken up in the Adivasi areas to let the Adivasis know about the real goal and intent behind the Shabri Kumbh. They should be made aware of their rights and to unite for preservation of that.
The issues of temple and Kumbh are given an emotional tilt and rooting due to which it is difficult to fight for the basic problems of Adivasis. Once they are aware of the dichotomy between their needs and the designs of Sangh their organization into a force defending their human rights will be easier.
Adivasi culture has its own uniqueness. The offense of Hindu Right has calculated and constructed the mythology in a way as to show Adivasis as the servants of upper caste. This correlation needs to be brought out.
The local/National groups/ groups working against communalism/groups working for human rights need to come together to ward off this scheme which will be endangering the tribal society.
Popular literature, CDs etc need to be brought out on urgent basis to broaden the awareness work.
Awareness meeting with the local activists need to be organized.
Media can help the preservation of Human rights a lot. Approach to media needs to be laid on the proper footing.
The intimidation of minorities is a striking observation. They need to reassured and local networks provided to protect them from the intimidation/attacks from the HJM/VH P-To build social and political mechanism for their protection. To request the central Government to ensure that Minorities will be protected. This more so because local administration is hand in glove with the HJM/VHP.
WHAT SHOULD WE AS CHRISTIANS DO?
This is a question that is most important and there are many answers to that, but the most important one is: PRAY.
Also let us mobilize the community to voice out its concern over this matter. The Christian Church, primarily in India and also worldwide should cry out against these schemes of the fundamentalists.
The ones which are suffering and will suffer are our brothers and sisters. But there is more at stake than just that. The Shabari Kumbh will have devastating effect on the communal harmony, ecology, tribals and in the general atmosphere of the area. It is high time and we cannot ignore this any more.
Please write letters of protest to the President, the Prime Minister, The Governor of Gujarat and the Chief Minister of Gujarat expressing your concern. The addresses are given below:
President of India,
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Azad
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi - 110 004
EPABX : 0091-11-23015321, Fax : 0091-11-23017290 & 0091-11-23017824
Website : http://presidentofindia.nic.in
E-mail : presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
Prime Minister's Office
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Office Address Room No. 152,
South Block,
New Delhi, 110001
Office Tel 0091-11-23012312, 0091-11-23016857 (Fax)
Shri Nawal Kishore Sharma
Governor of Gujarat
Raj Bhawan Sector-20,
Gandhinagar-382020
Phone: 0091-79-3243171/ 2/ 3
Shri Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat
Chief Minister Niwas, Sec-20,
Gandhinagar
E-mail: cm@gujaratindia.com
Office Phone 0091-79-3232611 to 18
Office Fax 0091-79-3222101
Residence Phone 0091-79-3243721 to 723
This email is about creating awareness among Christians about the Shabari Kumbh Mela going to be held in Dangs, Gujarat from 11- 13 February 2006. The main purpose of creating awareness is for prayers and practical action. But more on that below, first let us see what this Shabari Kumbh Mela is all about. The official website of Shabari Kumbh describes it in the following way:
“On 11, 12 and 13 February 2006, an estimated six-seven lakh Hindus will gather at a remote area in Subir, Dang district, Gujarat and resolve to work for the defense of Hindu society in general and the vanavasi/tribal Hindus in particular. It was at this very spot that Shabari Mata met Sri Rama and Sri Lakshman when they were in exile. The sustained conversion activities carried out by Christian missionaries with the help of their foreign masters has altered the religious demography of large parts of our country. The tribal areas of our country are a special target of this missionary offensive. This has caused self-alienation among the tribals and fanned separatist and terrorist activities. The Shabarikumbh has been organized to deal a death blow to such anti-dharmic (religious) and anti-national activities.”
Background
Manini Chaterjee has done a brilliant article on this and it can be found at: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=78580. I have too used it heavily in this email.
The Dangs area had hit the headlines following attacks on churches and missionary schools in December 1998. Since then incidents of physical attacks and threats against Christian villagers and pastors have become common in the area as the the RSS and its affiliate organisations—notably the Hindu Jagran Manch and the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram—have been steadily working to ‘‘Hinduise’’ the Bhils, Konkanis, Varli and other tribes that live in the heavily forested Dangs region.
Just like the Ramjanmabhoomi movement in the 1980s, here too the legend of the Ramayana is being used to invent a new tradition. The RSS outfits have hit upon the figure of Shabari—the adivasi woman who offered ‘ber’ to Rama and Lakshmana when they were searching for Sita in the forest—to bring the adivasis into the Hindutva fold and counter-efforts at alleged ‘‘conversion’’ by Christian missionaries.
In October 2004, a grand Shabari Mata Mandir was inaugurated atop a hill near a place called Subir, 33 kilometres from the district headquarters of Ahwa. The temple supposedly commemorates the ‘‘exact spot’’ where Rama and Lakshmana met Shabari. Several top BJP and RSS leaders including RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi have been regular visitors to the temple.
To follow up on the success of the temple, RSS affiliates decided to hold a ‘Shabari Kumbh mela’’ at a little natural pool formed by the Purna river which they claim is the same ‘Pampa Sarovar’ mentioned in the Ramayana.
The ideological ‘guru’ of the movement is Swami Asheemananda, a saffron-robed Bengali ‘‘saint,’’ who arrived in the Dangs region in 1997. The Website proclaims him as the “Saviour of Hinduism from divisive powers i.e. Christians.” He himself makes no bones about the aims of the ‘Shabari Kumbh Mela.
In an interview to the Indian Express newspaper he said, ‘‘Hindu samaj faces two big challenges—Islamic jehad and Christian conversions. We need to confront both these threats on a global scale,’’. The four traditional kumbh melas (held at Prayag, Hardwar, Nasik and Ujjain) had begun when ‘‘Hinduism was under threat’’. ‘‘We thought it was time to start a fifth Kumbh to meet the threat posed by conversions in this region,’’ he added.
Proudly taking credit for inspiring the 1998 attacks, Asheemananda, who holds the post of Shraddha Jagran Pramukh of the All India Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (the RSS affiliate which converts tribals to Hinduism), said that over the last seven years, thousands of Christian converts in the region had ‘‘returned to the Hindu fold.’’ The Shabari Kumbh Mela, scheduled to be held for the first time from February 11-13 and then every four years, would end missionary activity in the Dangs and establish it as a key pilgrimage centre of India, he had maintained in the interview.
Activists belonging to the RSS, VHP, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and other affiliates are working round-the-clock to make that a reality. A camp site has been set up at a clearing in the forest, and a kilometre-long road is being constructed from the camp to the Pampa Sarovar site.
Busloads of Gujarati tourists as well as RSS swayamsevaks have already started coming to Pampa Sarovar. “Forty temporary townships are being constructed by clearing forests, with a capacity of 5,000 each, in preparation for the Kumbh,” confirms a citizen’s enquiry report. You can see the report at: http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Religion-communalism/2006/dangs.htm
Apart from ‘pucca’ arrangements for two lakh pilgrims, tents and other facilities will accommodate another couple of lakhs, said local activist Shambhu Chavan.
“While the food and shelter would be ‘provided by us’, the government would help in transport, medicine, water and electricity,” Asheemananda told the Indian express.
Christian missionaries have so far been silent about the RSS’ ‘‘peaceful offensive,’’ but the adivasis in the villages around the temple and mela site as well as local activists are far from happy.
Laxman Bagul, who lives in Kangariyamal village opposite the Shabari Mata Mandir, said the villagers had already suffered because of the temple. The Kumbh Mela would make things much worse. ‘‘We are harassed by forest officials even if we cut a single tree. But over 700 trees were cut to build the Shabari temple. And thousands more will be destroyed to build the ‘nagars’ near the Pampa Sarovar.’’
Ghulabbhai Pawar of the Dangi Lok Adhikar Sangh said the Kumbh Mela posed a threat not just to the indigenous beliefs and lifestyle of the adivasis but also spelt an ecological disaster. ‘‘The entire population of the Dangs is just 1.86 lakhs. The biggest mela we have is the Dangi darbar (when the five traditional Bhil rajas are given government pension every March) which is attended by just around 10,000. A Kumbh mela with lakhs of pilgrims will completely destroy the environment of this region.’’
The adivasis of the district, activists said, are too poor and ignorant to resist the Hindutva offensive. And though the Dangs is dominated by the Congress—the MP, MLA and majority of sarpanches belong to the party—there is no political movement yet against the long-term implications of the Shabari Kumbh Mela on the culture and ecology of the Dangs.
The Gujarat state administration in close collaboration with the RSS outfits, "is engaged in a systematic campaign to divide the Dangi adivasis on religious communal lines and pit them against each other", says the citizen’s report.
The ‘proselytisation (by the RSS)’ aims at "suppression of the basic religious rights of the adivasis practicing Christianity and thereby also curbing the rights of the Christian missionaries to carry on their activities", the report adds.
Anti-Christian material is being distributed heavily in the area, as has been the strategy of the Hindutva brigade.
Below is a part of the report done by the citizen’s inquiry committee which speaks volumes:
Kumbh Fallout and Strategies
The problems in Dangs began in 1998. Around 1988 VKA started working here. The BJP Govt. in center and Aseemanand coming to Dangs in 1997 are two important points.
The indoctrination of section of Adivasis is very intense. Their hatred for Christians is visible all through.
The cultural indoctrination of Adivasi as Hindu is the core focus of the campaign. The Tribal nature worship is being equated to Hindu practices to begin with and later these practices are there is a change also.
The major God being promoted is Hanuman and the Goddess: Shabri. Lets recall for upper caste the major god around which the consolidation of RSS took place was Ram. Hanuman and Shabri both are devotees, servants of Ram. Upper caste-Ram. Adivasis-Hanuman and Shabri. That's the equation sought by the HJM campaign. Shabri gives another message in the present context, an Adivasi woman is devotee of a Hindu God Ram, what is the message for Adivasis.
Shabri Kumbh is the new invention. It is being said, Hindu religion is in danger due to the foreigners, the Ravan equivalents, the Christians and Muslims. To protect the Hindu faith this Kumbh is being held. The underlying message is to promote Anti Christians and anti Muslim sentiments.
The major emphasis of HJM is temple. Modern education and health are low on the priority. As per them Adivasis need Gods and Goddesses other things can wait.
The core issue is that of Adivasi empowerment. Adivasi land has been as such grabbed by outsiders. The education process run by Christian missionaries is a threat to the designs of upper caste/ upper class. So Christian missions need to be thrown out from these areas.
In this Shabri Kumbh work already ecological damage has been done. The social impact of lakhs of pilgrims coming to this area is also fraught with dangers.
The land appropriated from individuals has not been done as per the proper procedure. Many of them have been intimidated into giving their land. The Christians whose land has been taken over are frightened to open their mouth.
There is a general atmosphere of intimidation amongst the minorities.
The funds for development of Dangs have been diverted for this work alone. The other social projects and development in other areas will be sidetracked.
In case of Ram Temple movement a myth of Lord Ram's birth was manufactured. The Mosque was demolished to achieve the polarization along religious lines. This whole campaign was in the wake of rise in the Dalit conciouness from the decade of seventies, culminating in Madal Commission.
In this case a myth, a legend has been constructed to build a temple and to start a Kumbh to polarize Adivasis around Hindutva politics. Two polar opposite methods for the same goal.
Recommendations-Suggestions:
There is an urgent need to stop the ecological damage being brought in by the preparations for the Kumbh. Need to file a Public Interest Litigation.
Awareness campaigns need to be taken up in the Adivasi areas to let the Adivasis know about the real goal and intent behind the Shabri Kumbh. They should be made aware of their rights and to unite for preservation of that.
The issues of temple and Kumbh are given an emotional tilt and rooting due to which it is difficult to fight for the basic problems of Adivasis. Once they are aware of the dichotomy between their needs and the designs of Sangh their organization into a force defending their human rights will be easier.
Adivasi culture has its own uniqueness. The offense of Hindu Right has calculated and constructed the mythology in a way as to show Adivasis as the servants of upper caste. This correlation needs to be brought out.
The local/National groups/ groups working against communalism/groups working for human rights need to come together to ward off this scheme which will be endangering the tribal society.
Popular literature, CDs etc need to be brought out on urgent basis to broaden the awareness work.
Awareness meeting with the local activists need to be organized.
Media can help the preservation of Human rights a lot. Approach to media needs to be laid on the proper footing.
The intimidation of minorities is a striking observation. They need to reassured and local networks provided to protect them from the intimidation/attacks from the HJM/VH P-To build social and political mechanism for their protection. To request the central Government to ensure that Minorities will be protected. This more so because local administration is hand in glove with the HJM/VHP.
WHAT SHOULD WE AS CHRISTIANS DO?
This is a question that is most important and there are many answers to that, but the most important one is: PRAY.
Also let us mobilize the community to voice out its concern over this matter. The Christian Church, primarily in India and also worldwide should cry out against these schemes of the fundamentalists.
The ones which are suffering and will suffer are our brothers and sisters. But there is more at stake than just that. The Shabari Kumbh will have devastating effect on the communal harmony, ecology, tribals and in the general atmosphere of the area. It is high time and we cannot ignore this any more.
Please write letters of protest to the President, the Prime Minister, The Governor of Gujarat and the Chief Minister of Gujarat expressing your concern. The addresses are given below:
President of India,
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Azad
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi - 110 004
EPABX : 0091-11-23015321, Fax : 0091-11-23017290 & 0091-11-23017824
Website : http://presidentofindia.nic.in
E-mail : presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
Prime Minister's Office
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Office Address Room No. 152,
South Block,
New Delhi, 110001
Office Tel 0091-11-23012312, 0091-11-23016857 (Fax)
Shri Nawal Kishore Sharma
Governor of Gujarat
Raj Bhawan Sector-20,
Gandhinagar-382020
Phone: 0091-79-3243171/ 2/ 3
Shri Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat
Chief Minister Niwas, Sec-20,
Gandhinagar
E-mail: cm@gujaratindia.com
Office Phone 0091-79-3232611 to 18
Office Fax 0091-79-3222101
Residence Phone 0091-79-3243721 to 723
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