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A state government that came to power after swearing to protect all people without discrimination refused to help a non-Christian organisation till the high court rapped it on its knuckles, observes former BJP MP Tarun Vijay, former Chief Editor, Panchjanya, the RSS weekly.
A school for all communities and religions run by the Ramakrishna Mission, a Hindu service organisation based on Vedanta and established by Swami Vivekananda, was attacked by a 250 strong mob in Meghalaya who said they do not want this school in a village in the state.
Though no reason was given, ostensibly it was because of the Christian-dominated village (Meghalaya has 74.59% Christians, 11.53% Hindus and 8.71% tribals professing indigenous faith).
The Hindu sanyasis all profess the message of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa that treats all religions equally and is the only Hindu organisation that celebrates Christmas officially at all its branches worldwide. Something that we do not see reciprocated by any church.
The Ramakrishna Mission has all the legal rights to the land where the school is coming up for the community's progress.
The local sordars and syems (village chiefs) gifted the land to the mission in 2020.
The threats to the mission were publicly made on loudspeakers and the monks of the mission recorded it and asked the police for safety, but nothing happened.
Ultimately the mission had to approach the high court and on its orders police protection was provided.=
Three attacks have occurred, harassing and terrorising 168 students and the resident monks.
Swami Anuragananda, secretary of the local Ramakrishna Mission, said in a letter, 'Having witnessed the vandalism twice before and inaction on the part of the police, the Mission moved the Meghalaya high court seeking protection of the property. The honourable judge passed an order on 19.04.2023 directing the police to protect the school and also asking the parties concerned to follow the rule of law.'
Yes, in independent India, the land that we worship as the punya bhumi of Mother India, a Constitutionally elected state government that came to power after swearing to protect all people without any discrimination, refused to help a non-Christian organisation till the high court rapped on its knuckles and ordered it to do its duty.
The Ramakrishna Mission has been serving Meghalaya since 1920. And around Durga Puja or other Hindu festivities, the Mission centres have been facing frequent attacks by local radical Christians.
In the face of adverse conditions, several thousand students have been educated by the selfless monks of the mission.
The Ramakrishna Mission's Cherrapunji centre was officially affiliated in 1931. Swami Prabhananda started primary schools in Shella, Cherrapunji, and Shillong. He was ably assisted by younger swamis in imparting the man-making education advocated by Swami Vivekananda. He introduced homeopathic and biochemical medicines, and also improved methods of potato cultivation, which was their staple food.
In the teaching of the alphabets, an innovation was made -- music and poetry were introduced. Thus by singing a few couplets, the students could master all the fifty odd alphabets.
Swami Chandikananda, who had a flair for singing and composing, could write a number of songs in the Khasi dialect, the themes of which were the life and message of Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda. He has, in a way, become inextricably associated with the Khasi people through these songs (external link).
Local Christians oppose Hindus and non-Christian tribals so much that indigenous faith tribals are denied even a cremation ground.
Their leaders, Seng Khasis belonging to the indigenous Seng Khasi faith, have been fighting to secure land for a cremation ground from the state government and finally had to approach the high court.
Here, I quote a paragraph from the Meghalaya high court order:
'The problem which still persists is that there are many points or places in this State from which there are no crematoria within reasonable distance. The result is that the relatives of the dead are subject to the ordeal of carrying the dead body to long distances for cremation at considerable inconvenience and emotional distress.
'Secondly, although the indigenous Khasi and Jaintia cremate their dead bodies following more or less the same procedure as the Hindus, their rights and rituals accompanying the funeral are different and they want different crematorium for themselves.
'There may be quite a few who might have no objection to cremating their death along with the Hindus in the same crematorium.'
'The Meghalaya high court (external link) has directed the community and rural development, represented by the commissioner and secretary to the government of Meghalaya, to convene an open meeting on February 26, in order to resolve the issue of lack of cremation ground (external link) for the people belonging to Seng Khasi/Niam Tynrai/Niam Tre faith residing all over the state of Meghalaya.'
Another verdict says, 'Mr S Sengupta, Addl Sr GA Learned Amicus Curiae, has submitted that there are crematoriums where burial is permitted, whereas in rural areas there is no facility for cremation of dead bodies, as a result of which the villagers in the rural areas are forced to take the dead bodies beyond 20 km for the purpose of cremation (external link) which is very monotonous. He has further submitted that he may be permitted to identify areas that really require a place for cremation.'
It is hoped that the minorities commission and the human rights commission take note of this situation and help patriotic Indians in Meghalaya.
Tarun Vijay is president of the SYNE, Society for the Youth of the Northeast.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com