Naxals Ask Tribals to Adhere to Ancestral Religion

December 16, 2004

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 10:42:58 -0000

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RAIPUR, INDIA, November 26, 2004: The naxalites (a violent political

movement of Marxist/Maoist philosophy) have asked the tribals of

Bastar division of Chhattisgarh not to preach or practice any

religion or be engaged in any worship saying that would disturb the

centuries-old culture and tradition of the tribals. "Tribals are not

Hindus. They have their own religion and practising any other

religion would hamper the tribal's culture or tradition, because of

which the Maoists are opposing that," Naxal leader Rajman Mandavi

told reporters in the forest of Dantewada district recently. The

naxals were making efforts to make the tribals aware of that, he

added.

Meanwhile, official sources said the naxalites were also opposing

any

kind of conversion of tribals in Bastar region. As a part their

movement, naxalites had opposed worship of Lord Ganesha and Goddess

Durga even at public places recently in various parts of Bastar

division and even damaged some puja mandaps, the sources told PTI.

Some temples had also been vandalized, including a Sun temple in

Kohkameta village of Narayanpur Police Station area of Bastar

district recently by the naxalites, they said. In Pujari Kanker

village of Dantewada district, the Maoists had damaged God Shankar's

idol, the sources said.

The ultras had also targeted Christians, issuing leaflets in

Darbaguda area of Konta Police Station of Dantewada district asking

them not to conduct Changai sabha ("cure meeting," conducted by

Christian missionaries to cure people of afflictions) or any other

Christian mass gathering and prayer, the sources said.

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