Chapter 4
THE RELIGIOUS CALAMITY IMPOSED ON ADIVASIS

Adivasi is an experimental animal

The indigenous person has becomes as experimental animal in the laboratory of anthropologist in the modern world. This is a common feeling. This is a group of people who are residing by birth in this country. For such indigenous people what would be the appropriate term is a riddle not yet solved by anthropologists. Indigenous people here after being enslaved by social order are now being imprisoned in the religion. As a matter of fact Indigenous man is outside the pale of caste system. He is no religion. Many attempts have been made to put him in the prisons of other religions but could not be assimilated in this melting pot. Because of this he has been exploited from all angles, for which he feels sorry. Now he presumes he has no rights to loose hopes as he has tolerated the suffering.

Is the Gana system of Adivasis not a religious system?

While living his life in the vicinity of the nature the Indigenous people identify this with their totem. The system of naming this totem in the name of animals birds and plants is prevalent from the hoary past. These people used to enjoy the fruits from the trees and meat of the birds animals as an item of food. From this food blood was created from the blood energy and was mighty from energy he got power to work. On the basis of this power he becomes powerful enough to fight the natural calamity in life. Thus the totem is highly worshipable for a indigenous persons. Nobody dishonours this totem to consume the meat of such birds and animals which are totem is considered as taboo. This was a simple way of life for which in the modern times a term is applied as "Primitive Religion". Those totem which has got life and which are based on birds and animals and plants are praised by Adivasi and worship. Indigenous people are not bonded to God by praising the God unlike the Hindus. Because there is a life in animals and birds it is called Animism and in the plants there is a invisible life therefore it is called spiritism. Because the fruits or the roots which the juice of the animals kingdom can be used as medicine towards from the disease it is called Fetishism for because special power can be obtained from it is called Manaism. All these Isms are imposed on the system of totems of indigenous people.

The indigenous people used to make the use of magic to frighten the Aryans enemies who were aggressors and were burning their totems animals plants and birds. People are even now afraid of magic of indigenous people. Red Indian indigenous people of America also brought the magic called "maya" to protect from the white people. Thus maya was called magic religion because the life is dependent on nature it was termed as naturalism. As a matter of fact, question is to what religion these indigenous people belong to. They have got wisdom, intelligence, piety, tolerance, pardon and humanity. What is their real religion is the question with no answer.

One of such Ganas was the Shakya, to which belonged, Sidhartha Gautama, the Buddha. His totem was Gautam. Gautam means Bull (Kodape). The totem of Sidhartha Gautam was bull whereas the totem of Maurya Ashoka was peacock. The totem of Shakya Gana was a tree of Sal. Meaning of Ashoka is Maravi. Ashoka means "without sorrow" and is a name of tree. The totem of Ashoka Gana was peacock which is acknowledged as national bird of independent India. The kingdoms of indigenous people used to be democratic republics and the values of democracy is preserved therein. The chief of Ganas were elected by democratic means and when the term of one expired another person was elected. There was no system of kings or dynasties. This will not be disputed by any one. Thus the question arises, how king and dynasties have come up among the Adivasis. The answer of this question is found in the religious concepts forcibly imposed on the indigenous people.

Converted Indigenous Kings

The aggressors coming from outside overran the Ganas of Indigenous people and imposed upon them the concept of "King". The pages of history show no "Independent Kings" among the indigenous people. The chiefs of Ganas were made feudatories by the Rajputs and Muslim Emperors and converted into the "kings". As a matter of fact systems of kingship is the denial of Gana systems of indigenous people. Later on, the picture that emerged was one kings of indigenous people having millions of slaves as his subjects.

In May 327 B.C., Alexander crossed the Hindukusha with his army after ten months fighting, since February 307 B.C., with the chiefs of Ganas of indigenous people there. Ashoka wanted to convert the indigenous Ganas into "protected states" and had to realize the dream of Buddhist India. Latter on in eleventh and twelfth century A.D., the chief of Ganas and indigenous people started to be converted. Sakas used to call chiefs in royal families as "Sahi" whereas Rajputs called them "Sinha". In 1513 A. D., Amandas Madawi was converted by the Afghan Sultan of Delhi Ibrahim Lodhi. Amandas Madawi gave up his system of Ganas and became feudatory of Afghan Sultan and becomes Sangramshah. Thus the appellation "Shah" was given to him by Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi.

When the financial position to king of Devgad had become precarious, Mahipshah and his two brothers Islaamshah and Dinshah met Emperor Aurangjeb in 1686 and got converted into Islam. Mahipatsha showed the courage and collected the tribute, therefore the Emperor gave him "Jamindari" of Devgad and renamed him as Bhakatbuland (lucky) [p.176, History of Chandrapur, A. D. Rajurkar] Kaalsingh got converted along with his mother into Islam in 1696. Daughter in law of Raja Sangramshah, Rani Durgavati got converted into Vaishanavism and became the disciple of Vithalnath son of Balbhacharya. This is described in "252 Vaishanva che Charitra pustak", pp.242, 583 [Rambharos Agrawal, "Gond Jati ka Samajik Adhyayan", p. 583] Though Rani Durgavati was a Rajput princess, she married king Dalpatshah by "Gandarwa" system of Hindu marriage for the purpose of forming United front of indigenous people and Hindus to fight against the growing tendency of Afghan and Muslim. This is said to be a political experiment of Hindus. "Because of this united forces the country would have obtained liberation from the rule of foreign caste. This marriage aliens was great political experiment to unite Indian forces", observes Agrawal [ibid. p.556] Later, Rani Durgavati appointed hard core Hindutva-vadis like Mahesh Thakur, Raghunandan Rai, Vitthalnathji, Madhukar Bhatt and others in her court and thus formed a Hindu caucus around her. Jamindars of Aheri were never "kings" though they called themselves to be such. A picture of Saibaba was adoring their sitting room and they used to start their letters with heading "Jay Sai", as mentioned by A.J.Rajurkar, [p.105, Chandrapur cha itihas]

European colonization

With the arrival of East India Company, European colonies were created in India. Through these colonies Indian population was divided into "Pre colonial State" and "Nation State". Population in the pre colonial state was termed as "tribes". Thus the tribes are a creation of European colonization, which denied the people their indigenous status by this word "tribes" to a population of nearly 150 milions indigenous people from Asia, interfering with the tradditional customs. It was attempted to change the social structures as per Christian system. In the record of East India company inddigenous people are described as forest dwelers, thieves and uncivilised. The Christen misioneries aranged special programmes to convey the Gospel of Jesus to these forest dwelers thief and uncivilised indigenous people. It meant providing rice cloth and cross and aim of this programme was to compel the indigenous people in in accepting Christianity denying their own culture.

To improve their life many indigenous people became Christians.- Birsa Munda was compelled to become Christian while he was taking edducation in a Christian mission school at Burj. He was renamed as Daud. Instead of improving his life, Birsa Munda realised that his culture was destroyed and his life style came down. Because thousands of Mundas were converted, the great martyer Birsa Munda was agrieved and rebeled against Christanity. He denounced Chrisnality and become Munda again. It was denial of European colonisation. Like Christianity Birsa also denied Hindu religion. On 28th January, 1898 he entered a temple in Chutiya near Rachi. Opened this temple for indigenous people. Not only this, but he broke down and threw away the Images of Hindu gods. Then he danced in the temple. The entry of Birsa Mundha in Chutiya temple and Dr. Ambedkar's entry in Kalaram temple was similar in notion of complete denial of a system of Hindus.

Hindusiation of Indigenous "Chiefs"

According to article 25 of Indian Constitution though the indigenous people are excluded from it, it was expected that the Hinduism, imposed on them by the religious scriptures of Hindus since times inmemorial, should be wiped out. Hindu scrptures also depict the indigenous Chiefs as exploited. "Guru parampara" was imposed over Eklavya and he was made a disciple of Dronacharya. Gurudakishna required by Dronacharaya was unaccepted to him, being the self respect of indigenous people i.e. the skill of using bow arrow and his thumb was necessary for it. A Hindu Guru can not accept "dakshina" from a non Hindu disciple. Therefore Ekalavya was first converted to Hindu fold then only his thumb was cut down. Parashurama who killed ksatriyas twenty one times, and removed them from the face of earth was also defeated by great Shambhuka. He started reading Vedas without accepting Hinduism and therefore he was sentenced to death by supremo of Hindus. Thus without accepting Hindu religion indigenous people do not get any rights. Such is the un-written law of Hindus. Even now the supremo of social order are sad that the indigenous people could not be compltely Hinduised through the un-written laws in existence for thousands of years. King Bali was killed by arrow aimed at him from hidden place, because king Bali had not accepted Hinduism. Perhaps this was the first political murder in the world. King Bali was murdered because he was not Hindu. The totem of king Bali was a monkey. "Kowa" means red monkey. King Bali was Kowe, is the result of enquiry.

I have many times written that, among Indegenous, there are no images of Gods, there is no idol worship, there are no temples. Then what about temples of Shiva scattered all over the villages? Are they not then Gods of Indigenous people? It is necessary to clear this misunderstanding. Indigenous people are worshipers nature. It is common belief that their supreme powers Parsapen, Budhapen, Badapen, Phadepan, Mahadeo, Mothadeo they are all same. Pen measns power and not God. In "pen" positive and negative powers are mixed. Both for masculine and femenine names "pen" is the only word. It is usual belief that Mahadeo means Shiva. As a matter of fact, Shanker of indigenous people and Shiva of Rudras are two different concepts. Shankar of indigenous people was the chief of Ganas, lover of justice and was powerful king. He has having skins of tigers around his waist, "dambru" in his hand and snakes in the neck. The snake was the totem. Aryans brought forwarded the Rudra's "Shiva" as an image of Shanker of indigenous people so that they should worship the Shiva considering him as their own Shanker and thus they conceived a long term plan to preserve the Hindutva. The temples which we see these days are not the temples of Shankar they are the temples of Rudra's "Shiva" and Rudra is deity of Aryans.

To get the ideas of nature of Rudras in the Vedas, Ad. P. R. Deshmukh's gist of Suktas 1.114 can be mentioned. Let there be place for two footed and four footed animals. Let there be no disease. We pray Rudras, so that our subjects should be benifited. We give offering to rudras to protect us, keep away his anger from us. Oh, Rudras you are having medicine in your hand. I salute I pray you for health. You give us protection, you give us shelters. I pray you for the dead manes. Let our sons and grand sons enjoy all the comforts. Oh! Rudras, do not destroy our olds, our young children, our youth, the embryos in the womb of our women. Do not destroy our father, our mother, our dear bodies. We give this offering to you so that you may not make us old and destroy us. As herdmen give animals to their masters, we are giving this offering. Oh! father of "mastas" give us happiness. Oh! Vinayaka, Rudra, to give us happiness. Keep away from us the power which destries us. This prayer be heard by Rudra along with Maruta and protect us. [p. 181, Sindhu Sanskruti, Rugved Hindu Sanskruti]

From the above discussion the Shiva "Rudra" of Hindus is an ordinary deity which brings disease on men and animals whereas Shankar is source of happiness and well being. Indigenous Shankar is not the Shiva of Rudras of Aryans. Shankar is beauty. Shankar is truth. He stands for justice, equality and fraternity. The judicial system of Shankar protects democratic values. The values are different between Shankar and Rudras.

Mulnivasi Shankar-----------Rudra of Aryans

Name-Shankar, Parsapen------Rudra, Shiva

Wife-Girija-----------------Sati

Son-Kartikeya---------------Ganpati

Neck- snake garlands--------Rudra kantha garlends

vehicle - "Nandi"-----------"Sand"

Lips - blue, beautiful------Almond colour

Dhyana- Samadhi,Dhyan mudra-"Ghora" nature

Hair - bunch----------------long straight, bunch

Music - Damru, Tandava dance ---------

Power - over nature----------Third Eye


From the above description it is very clear that the Shankar of idigenous people and Rudra Shiva of Aryans are entirely two different personalities. Rudra of Aryans had prepared a "kama vidnyana" of one thousand chapters. Sati, wife of Rudra, jumped in the fire pit of Yadna and committed suicide. There is also a form of Rudra which is half man and half woman. The river Ganga flows from the hair top, there is a crescent moon on the fore head. Third eye of Rudra means horrible anger. There are overall 11 Kulas of Rudra. (11 Rudras) Rudra is called the deity of huricane. Rudra is termed as powerfull like bull. There is a "baku" place in the "Demaband" hills in the Kashyap region, emiting fire. Iranis worship fire. The burning of this fire got turned into Yaadna. According Aryans Rudra was supporting Yadnya whereas Shankar was against them.

Returning Home Movements

R.S.S. has established Vanawasi Kalyan Ashram socities to stop the conversion of Indigenous people by Christian missioneries. These societies have spread in a net work for conversion just like Christian missioneries and indigenous people are being converted to Hinduism. The children in the Vanvasi Ashram schools are thought the lessons from Ramayana Mahabharata. The returning home movements means the hindusiation of those indigenous people who have become Christians. Mr. Rajan Kamath and Padmavati Rao, this couple, has prepared a documentary film called "Fisher of Men" of 117 minutes. In this film the returning home indigenous people from Tarquja District and Raigad District is picturised. Mr Dilpsingh Jadeo BJP M.P. (Rajya Sabha Member) inaugurated the filming of this picture, and R.S.S. fully supporting this movement.

Because of the Christian missionaries, the doors of education have been opened to converted Christian indigenous people and a fast progress is being achieved by them. As they are getting a separate identity different from Hindus, the Hindutvavadis are highly anxious and had taken serious note about this happening. It is said that for an indigenous man to become a Christian is against the national interest. In Bihar, Roman Catholic priest father Christudas, in place called Dumka was forcibly stripped naked by Hindu Nazis as they were afraid of his opposition to the "home coming back" movement. The main reason behind this was that the Hindu Nazis have realized that the indigenous people have developed different discipline and are getting separate identity through the Christian missionaries. Therefore false accusation were made against father Christudas and was arrested. [p.4, "Dalit Voice", 15-30 November 1997]

Why do the indigenous people get converted to other religion. Reason for this must be searched. They are living their life from thousands of years in the hell of slavery. Even after independence, they do not get enough to eat. They are subjected to malnutrition. They are deprived from leading their life with self respect. They have become paupers. They can not protect dignity of their mothers and sisters, for which they feel very sorry. They are searching and tring to find out whether they will get equal opportunities in any religion and for this indigenous persons get converted but no where they get status of equality.

Indigenous people of Nikobar became Muslim because of the hate of Hindus whereas the Keran indigenous people of the same area becomes Christians. Indigenous people in Nagaland 56 percent are Christian. There used to be trade between India and Iraq, a slave trade of Indigenous people. In South India Arabs had purchased some slaves but due to some reason these Adivasi were freed there. After the Hindu refuged to accept them back, they becomes Muslims.

After the establishment of Muslim League by Baristar Jinah I.C.S officer Mr. Mayur S. Massud established "Khandesh Bhill League". National Anthem of Bhill was prepared and also a national flag. On the flag the figure "786" was put. The method of greeting each other by "Ram ram" was stopped and slogan of "Jay Bhillikhan was put forward. (p. 41, "adivasi vikasa che shilpkar", Dr. Govind Gare. Dhulya Maharaj of Dhulia established a Mandal and put forward a slogan "Atta deepo bhava" (Be your own light). He denied the existence of God and put forward the slogan "aapki jay ho" (Be victorious)

Shankaracharya has also said that he has seen the conversion brought about by Mother Teresa in West Bengal, Bihar, Orisa, Aasam, Arunachala Pradesh, Nagaland etc. In this area money was spent like water for conversion and churches ("Lokmat", 9 November 1995 Article by Khushwant Singh) and same mother Teresa who converted numerous indigenous people and had been honoured on national and international levels.

To stop the conversion of indigenous people by Christian missionaries and to make them Vanavasis, Thakkar Bappa has established a "Gond Seva Mandal" . Afterwards Mahatma Gandhi was murdered. The murderer's name was Godse which was similar in pronounciation to Gond Sewa Mandal, therefore the name of Gond Sewa Mandal was changed into "Vanavasi Sewa Mandal".

The indigenous people in Melghat, after being converted by the Christian missionaries, started considering themselves as a non- Hindus. Hindus feel this conversion was change of nation. Therefore through the Vanvasi Kalayan Ashram some villages of indigenous people were adopted and they are being made Hindus. The Vanvasi ashram soceities Shri Balasaheb Deshpande used to hold a cane in the hand and compelled the indigenous people to say "Jai Hind" those who were saying "Jai Isaisthan". Lately Vanvasi Kalayan Ashram societies have got a net work spreading in Gadchiroli district. Dr. Prakash Amte son of Baba Amte, Dr. Bang Dr. B. D. Sharma, Dikshit Sir, all these people are engaged for conversion of indigenous people into Vanvasis. Dikshit sir who is converting indigenous people into Vanvasis has got long legacy in his family of such a conversion. Mukund Diskhit and his wife Wasanti Dikshit, both belong to Nasik and related to family of Nanasaheb Dikshit. Father of Nanasaheb Dikshit Ajmir Saudane was from District of Nasik and belongs to family of Apaam Dikshit. He was Guru of Jaagenath Pandit who wrote "Ganga Lahari". A person of this family i.e Nanasaheb became a great authority on the Dharm and "karm kand" along with Gagabatta. It was Gagabhatta, related with Dikshit family, who performed the coronation of King Shivaji with the big toe of left foot; and now another Dikshit guruji is enslaving the indigenous people by making them Vanvasi!

In March 1991 in the city of Yavatmal, Kolams had prepared themselves to become Christians due to tyranny of Hindus. Vishwa Hindu Parishad and R.S.S. were prominent among those who opposed this conversion.

The declaration of conversion to Islam by "pardhis" by their leaders Panalal Rajput and Krishnarao Chavan of Rawanwadi in Nagpur district due to tyrany of Hindus had become a drastic challange to the social order. The Hindu Nazi thought this most horrible picture of conversion of Pardhis that too to Islam. To stop this conversion all institutions under the Hindu camp like R.S.S. had become very active to oppose this conversion and in the end the decision to get converted was taken back by the pardhis.

I myself went to Rawanwadi and discuss to Pannalal Rajput as to why the Pardhi want to accept Islam only. While answering this question very serioussly Pannalal Rajput said the racists Christian and Hindu Nazis can come together ideologically whereas Budhism is entrapped in article 25 of the Indian Constitution. Hindu and Muslim are strong apponents they can not come together and trade away pardhi interestss, so they were to accept Islam. It was further understood that to prevent pardhis from accepting Islam Hindu Nazi had distributed the Idols of Ram and Hanuman.

Gondi Dharma

From the word Koya or Koytur the implied meaning is man. In 1938, Rangel Singh Bhalawi put forward the concept of "punamsar of Koya". The Koya punamsar means the religion of human being. Through the book "koya punamsar" the lives of Patali and Lingo, Adivasi heroes, were described. But some leaders from Nagpur calling themselves as RajGond translated "koya punamsar" into hindi as "Gondi Darshan". This translation is based on the legend in the book. That way, the word "gond" is used by Afganis and Hindus denoting hate for the indigenous people and both words gond and Vanvasi are of the same nature. To rename Koya or Koyatur as Gondi Dharma means conversion of Koya Koytur Gana to fit them within frame work of Hindu fold in the name of Gondi Darshan system of Manav Dharma and Guruparamapara, Dharma Guru, Acharya etc. all these are concepts of Hinduism.

What is meaning of Jaysewa

Just a cursory glance at the book written on the Gondhi Dharma it is seen that begining of Jayseva started from an imagionary legend written by Ligo. It is said that when Patali Kupar Ligo was born there was cyclone and sky had become cloudy there was lighting from the sky. All this was a miracle. Because of this cyclone the lame started waking, the blinds could see, deaf could hear, dumb could talk, and because of heavy rains, disease of skin were cleared. Thus from very birth Ligo started his services therefore the slogan "Jayseva" started. This is unrealistic legend.

In former days, Shudras had an earthen pot in the neck and broom hanging in the waist and when high caste person passed infront of him he had to do Johar by saying, "Johar ho may bap". Ambedkarite society denied this Johar because of slavery implied in this name and accepted the slogan of "Jai-Bhim". There is inspiration of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar behind this slogan of Jai Bhim. In Hinduism, in greeting "ram ram", inspiration of Hindu god Ram whereas in Muslim societies insperation of Islam in saying "wale ko islam" Thus while greeting there is always some source of inspiration is necessary. What is the insperation behind "jay sewa". It is just a blind faith.

The slogan of Jay-sewa hails those who are doing service. By service it starts from the word servant meaning "das" and, Das means slave. The duty of slaves to do sewa. That is all. Instead of denying the slavery imposed on us how long are we going to hail the slavery imposed on us through the slogan of Jay Sewa?. While our progeny is on the point of getting destroyed, even then slave mentality of our Gondi religionist who are enjoying the slavery is really sad. Mundas denied Christinity and Hindusum and put forward the slogan Jay-birsa. The Bhilla denied the Christionity and Hindusum and put forward the slogan "Jai Bhilla Sthan" as Ghulya Maharaj denied Hindusum and put forward the slogan "AAPALI JAY". Behind all these, there is complete denial of the system and we hail our own respect. But by slogan of jay sewa how long are we to remain slaves?


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