Editor,
One of the most uneducated, uncivilised, unconstitutional, illegal, and illegitimate statements is when someone asserts, “If any tribal person becomes Christian, he or she will no longer be a tribal person.”
Such a person, with an uneducated, uncivilised, unconstitutional, illegal, and illegitimate mindset, may not make such a statement if a tribal person embraces Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, or Islam. This ill statement stems from a heart filled with hatred against Christianity.
Tribal people not only become Christians but also Buddhists, Hindus, etc. Has anyone ever made a statement that if a tribal person becomes Hindu or Buddhist, he or she will no longer be a tribal person? Converted Buddhists and Hindus also exist within tribal communities. In which religious book, law book, or constitutional book is it written that a particular tribe must follow a specific religion? In which religious book, law book, or constitutional book is it written that if born into a particular tribe, one’s religion must be Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, etc? Which religious founder said that a particular tribe must be Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, etc? Which religious founder said that if born into a specific tribe, one’s religion must be Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, etc?
In my village, we have one church, one Hindu temple, and three Buddhist temples. Recently, two families embraced Hinduism in my village, and nobody showed hatred against them. It seems we are more educated than some of the so-called educated fools because we adhere to constitutional, legal, fundamental, democratic, and secular values. These values educate us not to boycott or socially outcast anyone, whether they embrace Christianity, Hinduism, or Buddhism. They will remain tribal and part of the same tribe forever. No religious teachings or religion can change a particular tribe into a different tribe. A tribe will remain the same even if it follows a hundred religions. A tribal person will remain tribal, even if he or she follows a hundred religions.
Whether tribal or non-tribal, every person has the right to shout ‘Praise the Lord’, ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Jai Shree Ram’, ‘Ram Ram’, ‘Hare Krishna’, ‘Allahu Akbar’, ‘Jai Buddha’ or ‘Nama Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa’ because we are living in India, not in North Korea. We are Indians, and an Indian can worship anyone, anything, and anybody that our Constitution allows us.
Let’s broaden our minds and educate our hearts. If my religion cannot broaden my mind and educate my heart, I need a new religion.
Rabi