this comes straight from the heart! it was the best i have read yet in this 'academic' discussion. hindus don't convert because they don't which caste to prescribe to the convert. many years ago, in 1981 i think, a hand full of us activists, mostly women, had published a leaflet with a series of questions including one to the effect, 'if all hindus are one, will any dalit be allowed to become a shankaracharya?' we were distributing it at a rally of hindus at india gate in delhi when we were attacked, the clothes of one of our friends were torn off, the other was beaten up badly and they could escape only because a male activist friend joined the 'mob' and said 'hinduism prevents us from doing worse things to women so get away,' and an autorickshaw luckily came our way. these people are dangerous!
in the northeast too the 'parivar' is trying hard to coopt 'tribal' gods, build temples where there are none (and why should there be if the people till now lived without needing them?) and christians are building churches (why is there any need for them if people managed without them for so long?). why should identity depend on some buildings devoted to some gods and some rituals? that is what we need to ask and we need to understand how the promotion of identity politics at the international level is being reflected and is stirring up the already murky waters of religious politics in our country. but that becomes academic too! i had begun this only to tell you how your response touched my heart. got carried away. anjali deshpande On 8/29/08, Cyprian Ekka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Jharkhand Forum <http://www.jharkhand.org.in/> > <http://egroups.com/list/Jharkhand> > * * > > > Please stop the 'academic' discussion. I am a born Christian, as you > may guess from my name. And, hold your fanatic breath, I am a tribal too. > Who should know better if my ancestors were Hindus or not? They never were. > And I am proud they weren't (even if I weren't a Christian). I still follow > my ancestral religion, customs and traditions. I pray to the 'tribal' God > (sic) and Christian God too. Todate they have not quarelled with one > another. Neither has the Church told me not to pray to a 'tribal' God. > Why should anyone else have a problem with that? Incidently, I feel doubly > fortunate not to have fallen prey to the Vanwasi Kalyan Ashramites, who seem > to develp ulcer calling me an Adivasi. The Saffrons want me to 'return' to > Hinduism, right? Watch out! Return, you said? What return? Where return? Who > is the oldest dweller of the soil, the blood curdling fanatics or Adivasis? > Is that not why my 'Adivasiyat' has been recycled into 'Vanvasiyat'? If I > wish, I may embrace Hinduism right now (online, if Vedas certify it as > valid). > > May I ask the Saffron brigage if they will grant me a Brahmin's status and > make me the chief pujari at Puri temple or Akshardham temple or what have > you? If yes, I may start typing an application letter right away. But don't > tell me to hate other religions and their followers. That's not the Hinduism > I may love to convert to. I studied Hinduism and several other Indian > religions. None taught me to hate others. I can recite and comment on some > shlokas of Bhagwadgeeta off the bat. I even meditate on them. I loved > watching 'Ramayan' tele-serial and have already read the Hindu epics with > relish. I love to participate in spiritual discourses of some Hindu sects > (certainly not those sponsored by the Brigade). Which edition of Hinduism > are you talking about? > > Cyprian Ekka > > --- > > >
