SD Youngwolf's tour of India, 2003-2004

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"SD Youngwolf" sdyoungwolf

y.r.rani, vedicstars, Srinandan, vrinparker

SD Youngwolf's tour of India, 2003-2004

Fri, 19 Mar 2004 14:29:03 -0600

Report on tour of India, December 2003- February 2004, by SD Youngwolf

 

I toured India for the purpose of visiting with tribal people and giving

talks about the preservation of Indigenous culture. Arriving in Delhi on

December 11, I traveled by train to Hyderabad, accompanied by Jeffrey

Armstrong, Sandi Graham, Vrin Parker, and Stephen Knapp, for the Global

Hinduism Conference. Here I presented a paper I had written, entitled

“Toward the Preservation of Indigenous Culture”, and gave an extemporaneous

talk. After the conference, we had a meeting of the Vedic Friends

Association, and I, as Vice President of Indigenous Voices International,

introduced the debut of the IVI, its mission and goals. One thing that

became readily apparent to me at the meeting of VFA is the need to be

watchful that it not be taken over by any particular spiritual group with

its own agenda, but to remain mindful that Vedic culture incorporates

diverse viewpoints that need to be respected. Afterward, I traveled with

Stephen Knapp to Khammam, where we met with Jeeyar Swami, and discussed our

mission and his programs with tribal people.

Stephen Vrin, and I then travelled by train to Calcutta, where we took a

flight to Guwahati, Assam. Stephen and I had intended to land at Dimapur,

but our fight was diverted because of weather. Instead, we took a train to

Dimapur. Both Guwahati and Dimapur were under a ‘bandh’ imposed by

insurgents, in support of the United Liberation Front of Assam, which at

that time were under attack by the army in neighboring Bhutan. Dimapur was

quiet, businesses closed, little traffic,and we were to give a talk the next

day at the Janajati Vikas Samhita, which was founded by Rani Gaidinliu, a

Naga freedom fighter. We were stopped on the way by militants, and it was

only due to fast talking by our guide that we were allowed to proceed. The

turnout was less than expected, due to the bandh, but still a sizeable

group. That evening we gave a press conference on our mission at the Hotel

Saramati, where we stayed. The next day we spoke at a seminar on “Naga

Identity” at the Rotary Club. We had a good audience, for the most part. The

Nagaland Post later printed an editorial entitled “Crying Wolf’ wherein it

was suggested that I should consider who I am addressing since, unlike the

“Red Indians” of America, Nagas have not lost their culture. Perhaps not ,

but it would appear that there are signs of cultural erosion, since there

were Nagas there who told us they had grown up without learning one Naga

song. These Nagas were very appreciative of our message. American Indians

have not totally lost their culture, by the way, but some tribes have had to

struggle to recover what they can of their heritage, due to the cultural

genocide of the conquerors. Although the editorial stated that I was

advocating a “renaissance” of culture, I never once used that word, but

warned of the need for “preservation”, in view of what has happened to

American Indian culture and others, due to the same forces that now pose a

threat to the native cultures of India.

During our stay, we visited with several Naga families, as well as other

Tribals, all of whom were most gracious and hospitable. It was reported back

to us that, when our hosts went to collect our inland permits from the

Police station, which had been applied for, but not yet received by that

date, the Chief of Police said that it didn’t appear that we needed permits,

since we were already going about like “Kings of Nagaland”. He had already

started on deportation papers, but we did receive our permits, albeit

belatedly. We traveled to Kohima, where, although none of the invited Nagas

showed up, we did met with a group of Nepali Hindus, who were most

appreciative of our talks and invited us to return. From Kohima, we traveled

by car to Imphal, Manipur, stopping on the way to visit the Naga Heritage

Site, where there were many Naga houses, of different tribal groups,

constructed, and also visited the Naga village of Vishwema, where we had

lunch, and were treated to their homemade rice beer. In Imphal, we attended

a “TRC” (Naga traditional religion) service, which was wonderful, with

beautiful music, gorgeous, colorful dress, and rhythmic dances. A ceremony

was performed for our benefit, which included prayers and blessing for our

journey. We also attended the Kalyan Ashram Golden Jubilee celebration,

which included wonderful cultural performances of Manipuri drumming,”Tanta”

(Manipuri martial arts), traditional dance, and the beautiful Manipuri Ras

Leela dance. We participated in a group discussion at a Kalyan Ashram girls’

hostel, with volunteer teachers who work in tribal villages, about their

problems, and discussed ways to be effective in teaching and maintaining

traditional culture. Before leaving Imphal, we also spoke at the Rotary

Club, and gave a press conference.

>From Imphal., Stephen and I flew to Guwahati, from where we immediately

embarked, by car, and in the company of Swami Ashimananda, Swami Jitendra

Giri Maharaj, and several others, to Hojai, from which we would visit the

Dimasa Mass Prayer meeting. We were very disappointed the next day, that we

were unable to attend the cultural performances, the procession, and the

opening prayers, due to scheduling mixups, miscommunication, and lack of a

vehicle to deliver us to the site at Toompreng. Nevertheless, I did give a

talk at the Gita Ashram in Hojai that morning. We arrived at the mass

prayer, later than planned, and gave our talks.

We returned to Guwahati , where we had a “free day” sightseeing, then

embarked for Udalguri, Assam, six miles from the Bhutan border, where we

attended a Bodo (tribe) Hindu yajna and gave talks. We were welcomed on

arrival by dancing ladies, in traditional attire, and musicians, who

literally danced us to our seats. We gave talks, encouraging the Bodos to

preserve their beautiful culture, and were treated to dances and music. On

the following day we went to Hari Singha for a “Bathou”, Bodo indigenous

faith ceremony, and again were met by dancers and musicians, gave more

talks, and were treated to more dance and music. The cultural programs were

the highlight of the journey for me, and I had the feeling of drinking

deeply of divine nectar whenever I had the opportunity to watch and listen

to the wonderful dance and music of the indigenous people. This, above all,

made the long journeys over the bumpy roads worthwhile. This area of Assam

had a very visible military presence, due to the current conflict in Bhutan.

We returned again to Guwahati, attended a meeting of the tour groups of

Tribals that were preparing to fan out over India to give talks on the

plight of their culture, then traveled by train to New Jalpaiguri, and

stayed at Siliguri for a day, where we gave a press conference with a group

of Tribals. We then left for Gangtok, Sikkim, where we gave a talk at the

Rotary Club, and spent a couple of days seeing sights, including Rumtek

Monastery, the temple at Hanuman Tok, and the Institute of Tibetan Studies.

On January 8 Stephen and I parted, he to travel on to Nepal, and I returned

to Guwahati, as I had agreed to attend a conference of the All Dimasa

Students’ Union at Umrungshu, Assam. I traveled with Atul Jog, by way of

Shillong, Meghalaya, to the conference, where I gave a talk, and we were

treated to dances and music of the Dimasa people and other groups. I gave a

talk the next day at a Vivekeanda Kendra Vidyalaya (school).

We returned to Guwahati afterward, with a brief stop in Shillong to see some

sights. I had been previously invited to attend a “Magh Bihu” celebration

with an Assamese family, the Bhoralis, and I spent a few days with them,

traveling to Jamuguri, Kaziranga Preserve, and the Brahmaputra Festival in

Guwahati.

On January 18, I left Assam for Varanasi, by train. All the time I was in

Guwahati, I was the guest of Hari Mundhra and his family, and they offered

great assistance and gracious hospitality for our comfort and made our

journeys, as well as our stay, much easier. Upon arriving in Varanasi, I had

more invitations to speak, at Benares Hindu University and Mahatma Gandhi

University, and also gave press conferences in Varanasi and in Allahabad,

where I saw the Magh Mela. I was in Varanasi at the time of Saraswati Puja,

and I got to see many Saraswati murtis, and follow the processions at the

conclusion to immerse the images in the Ganga.. I spent some time in

Varanasi learning a little of Indian music, left for Delhi on February 6,

and flew out a few days later.

I would say that the tour was, overall, quite successful. I/we were always

invited to come back. The talks brought to the attention of many people the

plight of the Indigenous people of India, and the need for support in the

preservation of their culture. Although India, Hinduism, and the tribal

cutures of India have their problems to address and solve, the tolerance for

differing viewpoints shown in the philosophy and practice of Vedic and

Indigenous religion is commendable, enlightening, and a teaching for the

world. At the same time, it presents a problem, in that the respect

demonstrated is not returned by missionaries and fundamentalists who seek

converts to their fold. To these, love of God and neighbor, which was the

teaching of Jesus Christ, is not a primary goal, but, rather the conversion

of others to their belief system. And, apparently, to them, the end

justifies the means, for many were the stories told to us by the Tribal

people of violence and coercion by nefarious methods to induce the people to

leave their traditional ways. The presence of Christian militants who have

perpetrated numerous atrocities on the people of the Northeast speaks

volumes about the true intent of these groups. It is indeed a challenge that

needs to be met, by standing strong for the rights of Indigenous people as

well as basic human rights, in the face of the threats to their continued

existence.

 

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