Manipur tribals and issues of social inclusion and exclusion
- Part 1 -

Ceety Khongsai *

Christmas at at Tamenglong on 25 December 2011 :: Pix - Daniel Kameih

In recent years, the terms 'Social exclusion' and 'Social inclusion' has widely been used by politicians, social scientists and the general public as well. The reason is about the controversies on tribal development policies. However, the ambiguity of the term 'social exclusion' has led to the emergence of divergent views on the issue.

In plain words, the term 'social exclusion' can be defined as a re-naming of poverty to more broad based concepts based on a lack of, or inability to participate in society. Contrastingly, the concept of 'social inclusion' is defined as the "encompassing of the entire population in the performances of the individual function system.

On the one hand, this concerns access to these benefits and, on the other, dependence of individual modes of living on them. To the extent that inclusion is achieved, groups disappear that do not or only marginalIy participate in social living" . In the backdrop of these varying views and definitions there have been a lot of controversies over the development paradigm of tribal development because the tribal people have been facing problems from both inclusion into and exclusion from the dominant development paradigm of the country.

The terms 'Social Exclusion and Social Inclusion' put together implicitly are a neo-colonialism of social, cultural and religious lives on the tribal people by the numerically larger groups. Indeed, the tribal societies have experienced religious and other cultural inclusion into the dominant culture and consequently faced the problem of identity crisis.

In the meantime, exclusion from infrastructure and health and education etc has led them to a situation where they find it extremely difficult to cope with the outside world.

In the context of Manipur, the immediate causes of social exclusion, among others, can be attributed to the imbalance economic growth between valleys and the hills and social changes resulting from religious indoctrination, and to weaknesses in government policies and services.

Religious Inclusion:

The advent of Christianity has swiftly swapped over the indigenous religions. It is undeniably true that Christianity and its education manoeuvres had widened the scope of tribal world view and enrich their intellectual growth by having access to the western socio­political philosophies.

Nevertheless, the western model of Christianity with its denominational churches created doctrinal schism amongst the tribals and eventually shattered the bond of racial ties, the springboard of tribal unity and strength because Christianity was introduced to the tribals as a divided house; the Baptist, the Presbyterian, the Adventist etc. all set up their footholds in the vast tracts of tribal settlements in Manipur and elsewhere as if the vultures vie a share of wild game.

Consequently, balkanisation of tribal society on denominational lines took place and the process is still continuing unabated. With the exception of the Nagas all other tribals are victims of church denominationalism. Today, as against the pre-Christian concept of monotheism and universality of brotherhood, the tribal societies have been segmented into different denominational churches or congregations. Every tribe or clan established their own denominational churches having affiliations with foreign countries.

Other Indian religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism etc. have a comparatively lesser influence and impact on tribal religiosity. But it cannot be denied the fact that in many cases dominant Hindu fundamentalists in cahoots with religious-based political parties terrorised the tribal people through intimidations and, in extreme cases Christian missionaries are tortured to death for proliferating their faith. It can rightly be pointed out that Indian secularism cannot safeguard the freedom of religion enshrined in the constitution as the indigenous tribal religions suffer both from within and without.

Cultural Inclusion:

The unique cultures of the indigenous tribal people have been. completely overturned by Christianity into a new culture based basically of western models. To be a Christian, one need not necessarily renounce one's own culture. Every nation whether civilised or uncivilised must worshipped God with its own cultures and, there is no special way of worshipping Him. Since creation God revealed Himself in the language and cultures of all mankind irrespective of differences in the understanding of God.

However, the early Christian Missionaries had the wrong notion of regarding the indigenous cultures as backward meant for pagan worship; and having such a pre-concept view of satirical inferiority on tribal cultures the East India Company's commercial imperialists turned missionaries sans theological background, miserably failed in understanding the true concepts of tribal religion wherein culture is embedded tightfy.

The tribal culture being viewed contemptuously by the western missionaries, the new tribal Christian converts mistakenly considered their own cultures as despicable unsuitable for Christian fellowship and thoughtlessly abandon them and made it sine qua non upon themselves to adopt the alien culture as the only way of realising God.

In the process, as is natural to all colonised people, the indigenous religions and cultures were threaten to the extent that many of them are now extinct and the new generations today find themselves in the crossroad of religious-cultural dilemma. Similarly, the onslaught on tribal religion and culture by dominant Indian cultures is no less important.

The tribals being a minority are intimidated, suppressed, deprived and marginalised by the majority groups and, the administration in lieu of protecting and safeguarding the religion and culture of the tribals remain a mute spectator. Ultimately, being unable to face the stiff opposition in all fronts, the tribals are left with no other options but took up revolutionary path to protect their traditional religions and cultures as the best means of protecting their identity.

The cultural assimilation and religious indoctrination policies on tribals by the dominant groups are found in all walks of life. Notably, the dominant peoples' imaginative religious-cultural' superiority over the tribal's religion and its deceptive notion of civilising the uncivilised tribals is a philosophical diplomacy of perpetual subjugation of the tribals by the dominant groups and nothing more.

To be continued ....