[Assam] Conversions will distort the Mishing tribe

Sat May 31 05:16:05 IST 2008

Hi C'da:
I meant 'individual willingness' - the freedom to choose what you want to do. 
As long as it does not hurt others (and that includes animals), people need to be free to do what they like. 

Of course, when you give something to someone with an intention of getting something in return, that is not giving.... at least not really giving - with an open mind, that is. 

My father always used to tell/remind us - when you help/give with your right hand, even the left hand should not know (Xoo-haate daan diya bostur bixoyye Baao-haateu jaanibo nelage). And now I find that it is a proverb. Anyway, I try to follow that, but sometimes my "earthly" mind fails to follow that all the way. :)

It was good to hear from you after a long while. 

“In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and humble like a blade of grass.”

> Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 08:41:35 -0500> To: assam at assamnet.org> From: cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: Re: [Assam] Conversions will distort the Mishing tribe> > >I agree.> >> >It's about time that 'Individual Willingness' and individual freedom > >are taken into consideration in all societies.> >> > > > > **** How does condemning conversion fit with respect for individual > freedom and "Individual Willingness'?> > > Are we suggesting they are converted AGAINST their will ? And if so, > what is the mechanism by which such forced or coerced conversion > sticks? They cannot be thrown to the lions or into dungeons any > more. Or can they be?> > > > > > > > > > > > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >"In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree > >and humble like a blade of grass."> >> >> >> > > Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 13:04:59 +0530> From: bkpait at hpcl.co.in> > >To: assam at assamnet.org> Subject: Re: [Assam] Conversions will > >distort the Mishing tribe> > > > 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 > > > >_______________________________________________> > assam mailing > >list> > assam at assamnet.org > > > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > >_______________________________________________> > assam mailing > >list> > assam at assamnet.org > > > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > >> > > > > >-- > Manoj Kumar Das> C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave> New Delhi 17 > >India> 0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654> > > This e-mail message is > >only to be used by intended recipients and all others > may kindly > >delete it and notify the sender. Unless expressly authorized by > > >HPCL, the views expressed and the message itself is that of the > >individual > sender and recipients are cautioned to check > >messages/attachments for any > viruses before use. Users acknowledge > >that messages may contain confidential,> proprietary or privileged > >information and that HPCL neither assures nor > guarantees integrity > >or content of messages.> > > > > >_______________________________________________> assam mailing list> > >assam at assamnet.org> > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> >_________________________________________________________________> >Change the world with e-mail. Join the i'm Initiative from Microsoft.> >http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Join/Default.aspx?source=EML_WL_ChangeWorld> >_______________________________________________> >assam mailing list> >assam at assamnet.org> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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