[Assam] Conversions will distort the Mishing tribe

Fri May 30 19:07:34 IST 2008

At 1:21 PM +0530 5/30/08, Manoj Das wrote:
>I ditto!

**** Who are we condemning?  An abstract act, of conversion? The 
person who converted? Or those who did the conversion?

And why?

>
>On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 1:04 PM, Bijoy Kumar Pait <bkpait at hpcl.co.in> wrote:

>
>>
>>
>>  Except individual willingness, I strongly condemn conversions of Mishings
>>  to Christians.
>>  Well Donyi(means the Sun) and Pollo(means the Moon) which is part of our
>>  Hinduism!??????
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  BKPait
>>  Manager: ISOM
>>  7886
>>
>>
>>  >>> "Manoj Das" <dasmk2k at gmail.com> 5/30/2008 9:28 AM >>>
>>  Dear Rajenda and Ajantaba
>>
>>  A few years back I met a Jaintia lady. She was educated, rich, modern but
>>  agitated at the loss of heritage due to conversion into Christianity. I
>>  said, Christianity gave you education, status, enlightenment and
>>  civilization. She tersely commented that in exchange they lost their
>>  millennium old culture, way of life and heritage; same as Mr. Rongmon Pegu
>>  is lamenting.
>>
>>  Mishings are not strict Hindus, they maintain their way of life. They
>>  normally bury their dead unlike the typical Hindus. They also continue to
>>  pray Dony Pollo, their traditional Gods. You are right in saying that Naga,
>>  Mizo and Khasis have better identities now because of their Christianity.
>>  But those who go by the book, preach that the tribes should shun their
>>  rituals. Identity and civilization will come anyway; the cost of a quick
>>  entry through conversion may be more in the long run. In any case its a
>>  matter of study or research! Off hand- difficult to comment.
>>
>>  -manoj
>>
>>  On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 6:43 AM, Rajen & Ajanta Barua <barua25 at hotmail.com
>>  >
>>  wrote:
>>
>>  > I think the writer is confused about religion and heritage
>>  > If the Mishings are Hindus now, they must have been converted to Hinduism
>>  > at one time. Somebody must have converted them to Hinduism taking
>>  advantage
>>  > of their ignorance. They have every right to converted to some other
>>  > religion such Islam, Christianity etc. If they get econmic upliftment
>>  > because of that the better.
>>  >
>>  > And what does the writer try to mean by
>>  > "I would request my community members to learn from the mistake of our
>>  > neighbouring states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram where inspite of
>>  > having seperate states, the tribes have lost their identity."
>>  >
>>  > I don't understand how the Khasis, Nagas, Mizos have lost their
>>  identities.
>>  > I think they have better identities now because of their Christianity.
>>  > Rajen Barua.
>>  >
>>  > From: bg
>>  > Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2008 12:36 AM
>>  > To: assamnet
>>  > Subject: [Assam] Conversions will distort the Mishing tribe
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > Conversions will distort the Mishing
>>  > tribe<http://www.assamtimes.org/Social/1484.html>
>>  >
>>  > Sir,
>>  >
>>  > It is sad to note that taking the advantage of the poverty of the Mishing
>>  > community in Majuli, Dhemaji and Jonai, numerous Mishing families are
>>  been
>>  > converted to Christianity by opportunistic Christian missionaries. I am
>>  an
>>  > ordinary citizen and can do nothing. As such I thought of writing this
>>  > letter to your newspaper so that I might create an awareness among the
>>  > Mishing tribe of Assam.
>>  >
>>  > I would request my community members to learn from the mistake of our
>>  > neighbouring states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram where inspite of
>>  > having seperate states, the tribes have lost their identity.
>>  >
>>  > Our own traditions are no way inferior to the rich Vatican City or Pope.
>>  > The
>>  > poverty in Mishing councils is because of the corrupt politicians among
>>  us
>>  > like Bharat Narah, Bhuban Pegu etc., not our customs, beliefs and
>>  rituals.
>>  >
>>  > Missionaries can give us money and English education, but cannot return
>>  our
>>  > identity when it will be lost by following Christian rituals and alien
>>  > traditions in our day-to-day lives.
>  > >
>>  > If religion is lost, heritage is lost. When heritage is lost, identity is
>>  > lost.
>>  >
>>  > It is time influential socio-cultural organizations of the Mishings, our
>>  > students' union and Mahila samitis launch rigorous awareness drive among
>>  > the
>>  > gullible Mishings or the Mishings will go 'missing' from the cultural map
>>  > of
>>  > Assam.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > Yours sincerely,
>>  >
>>  > Rongmon Pegu
>>  > Dikhoumukh
>>  > Sivasagar
>>  > Assam
>>  >
>>  > http://www.assamtimes.org/Social/1484.html
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>>
>>
>>
>>  --
>>  Manoj Kumar Das
>>  C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave
>>  New Delhi 17 India
>>  0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654
>>
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>
>
>
>--
>Manoj Kumar Das
>C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave
>New Delhi 17 India
>0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654
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