Albert Thyrniang
Umswai, West Karbi Anglong
In the last few days, though in the midst of COVID-19, there have been write ups on religion indicating that creed holds sway over people’s lives. Recent events like celebration of Eid and the ground-breaking ceremony in Ayodhya, defiling the scare of the highly contagious coronavirus and even risking one’s and others’ safety, point to how faith overrides everything else. My one article was referred to by more than one columnist and writer of letters to the editor. Therefore, one more piece on the theme may not be out of place and out of interest.
Before presenting my case let me argue that Christianity is not foreign here. Missionaries came and have gone. It is the local people who are living Christianity in these hills. The English language came from abroad. Railway, telephone, television, etc., came from Europe but they have become part and parcel of our lives. You can’t limit yourselves only to what is indigenous. Islam too has spread all over the world. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism have gone beyond India. They have become part of the culture of people who have embraced them. It’s the same with Christianity!
One subject that came through is the question of exclusiveness of religions. Is this lack of inclusivity the very nature of all religions? Start with Christianity as it resonates with the local setting. People of Meghalaya are predominantly Christians. But there several Christian denominations in the state, the chief ones being the Roman Catholic Church, the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Church of God, the Church of North India, the Seven Day Adventist Church and others. Globally the number of Christian denominations is about 50,000. These groups are quite exclusive without considering permitted casual visits. Members are baptised and enrolled in a church. Celebrations are practically meant for their members. In the Catholic Church, communion is exclusively for Catholics. There is also hate, dislike, and of course, competition among denominations.
Internal exclusivity, nay discrimination against sections within the church also exists. In some churches, for example, ordination to priesthood is excluded for women for no fault of theirs. Women comprise at least half of the population. In many churches the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT or GLBT) community is looked down upon. Church marriage for them is forbidden. Scientific evidences show LGBTs are made so. They have no choice. So why the discrimination?
The predicament of indigenous religions in the ‘Abode of Clouds’ is part of a global reality. First, Christianity changed the landscape of Europe, the Middle East and the Americas completely and Asia and Africa partially. Later on Islam did the same in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western and Eastern Africa, South East Asia, etc. Meghalaya is transformed by Christianity. The landscape changeover is almost complete. Churches stand in every nook and corner of the state. Niamtre and Niam Khasi are marginalised and the Songsareks almost vanished. The scenario is so bleak that boys and girls of indigenous faiths are ‘forced’ to convert to find spouses. The provision for ‘mixed marriages’ and ‘Disparity of Cult’ practised by some denominations can be availed. To conserve indigenous religions someone has called for a ban on conversion. But who will take up this cause as ‘indigenous’ public representatives are nil? So organisations like the RSS might be the saviour.
Islam’s main sects are Sunni, Shia, Kharijite and Sufi orders but there are numerous schools, branches and movements within the second largest religion in the world. Internal differences among them are rife. In every country a minority sect is persecuted by the majority. Shias and other sects face prejudice, discrimination and even violence in Sunni dominated countries. As for internal exclusivity, in many countries women are denied entry in mosques. In India legal intervention was required for All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to declare free entry of women in mosques. The practice of gender segregation is common is Islam. Muslim women are made to wear the burkha and the hijab.
Hinduism is considered the most inclusive religion. It may be so but the religiously sanctioned caste system is unfathomable. The four main categories – Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras that branch themselves into more than 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes is unpleasant enough, but what is worse is that Dalits or the untouchables were unworthy even to be assigned a caste. The ‘outcastes’ have been treated inhumanly for centuries. Women also faced discrimination. Traditionally many temples bar women from entry. We recall how, even after the Supreme Court’s green signal in 2018 women faced hostility while attempting to reach Sabarimala in Kerala.
Hence the claim of inclusiveness in Hinduism is quite problematic. What Hinduism does is assimilate others into itself so that smaller entities lose their uniqueness. More than once this writer has stated that many indigenous tribes have lost their identity due to this assimilation. Seen in this light Niamtre’s and probably Niam Khasi’s association with RSS is a concern. The two indigenous creeds may have an ally against conversion but could they be embraced by and assimilated into the vast ‘ocean’? Forces are at work towards this eventuality. Many followers of indigenous religions declare their religion in official documents as ‘Hindus’. Have they been brainwashed or influenced?
If internal divisions, hatred, inequality and discrimination within a religion make it difficult for peaceful living, interreligious differences make co-existence a dream. While Christianity and Islam have fundamental commonalities like the same Abrahamic root, the belief in one God, the acceptance of Jesus as a prophet, the position of Christianity that Jesus is God, that he is the ultimate revelation is flatly rejected by Islam which claims prophet Mohammed is the last revelation superior to Jesus himself. Christianity too staunchly shuts down the Islamic position. Though other religions too make effort to proselytize the two largest religions with a combined population of 53% worldwide thrive in divine commands to ‘Christianise’ and ‘Islamise’ which is seen as a threat to others.
Events in recent past have drawn and will draw each other further apart. The reconversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque is a huge blow to Christian and Muslim dialogue, harmonious coexistence and mutual respect. The Ayodhya saga and the grand laying of foundation stone ceremony, done with triumphalism and vindictiveness has further alienated Muslims in the country. The Prime Minister’s presence at the function is read as the ‘death’ of secularism. Not to be ignored, the ever growing of nationalism globally based on religion is moving people away from each other.
It is amazing that faith is taken as truth. Faith means supernatural things are not proven. We simply do not know whether what we believe in is true or not. Religion has a role in human life but religion is unable to state whether articles of faith are true or untrue. Religion is not able to even reveal who God really is, where heaven and hell are, where humans go after death. So faith has to be treated as such. It is personal. If this is accepted then we cannot but be pluralistic because faith is varied. I may believe in Jesus and the Bible, others may believe in Prophet Mohammed and the Koran, still others may believe in Ram and the Bhagavad Gita. It is fine. None can prove who is correct. We go on with our human interactions and can co-exist.
Religious violence has its roots in considering faith as truth. Faith can take fanatical shades and can even justify violence. The Bengaluru violence broke out early this month because thousands were willing to defend Prophet Mohammed. What is not absorbed is that while the anti-Prophet Facebook post is despicable, nothing can ever justify violence. Even if sentiments are hurt violence is no justification. Even if there are insults against the Prophet or the Koran, violence is completely inexcusable.
However, for rioters ‘hurt’ means they can go on a rampage to vandalise, assault policemen, damage properties, set vehicles ablaze, burn houses and even kill.
Insulting Prophet Mohammed or Jesus Christ or Buddha or the holy books or any revered person is a lesser crime than violence. Violence is a much bigger crime than abusing a person or a sacred book or a structure. Prophet Mohammed or Jesus Christ or Buddha or Ram or any saint can never be insulted. They won’t get offended. They are quite cool in their pure existence. So why let faith take control of or hijack our reason and logic? Offenders of other religions desire exclusiveness. The other is considered an enemy. Those who took to violence in Bengaluru want to promote enmity.
A multi religious and pluralistic world is a reality. At no point in history will there be a single religion. We can work towards inclusiveness while recognising the unique identity of other faiths. My sympathies to the marginalised indigenous faiths in Meghalaya who are victims of exclusivity from Christianity!
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