A battle of narratives on Indian tribals unfolds at Maha Kumbh

Explaining the rationale and the objective of this conference, a senior functionary of ABVKA said, “The tribal society of the country and the entire society are actually connected with each other in an inseparable way for centuries. There have been repeated attempts by disruptive elements to set up a narrative that the tribals aren’t part of the larger Hindu society.”

It is a well-known fact that ABVKA has been countering the narrative built by leftists and colonial historians that Aryans invaded and uprooted tribals. The ABVKA’s stance is that both tribals and non-tribals are original residents of the land. However, there have been attempts to pit tribals against non-tribals and create fault lines within society to weaken Hindu unity.

The organisation of these events needs to be viewed through the lens of cultural unity and integration of the tribal society with Sanatan Dharma. The ABVKA is making massive preparations to bring youth from across the country to the Yuva Kumbh. Special care is being taken to ensure that the delegates represent every section of society, ranging from students to farmers to professionals.

Dozens of meetings, both offline and online, have already taken place, covering not only rural and tribal areas but also urban areas. It is important to note that the ABVKA has branches and a network in urban areas as well. This network helps in enhancing the understanding of tribal culture and generating resources.

For the Yuva Kumbh, delegates have been directed to reach the Maha Kumbh a day before the event, i.e., on 5 February. “This will be a unique event in itself, taking this Kumbh tradition to the next generation. We believe that this understanding and integration with our culture, which is deeply rooted in Sanatan Dharma, should always flow uninterrupted, like our sacred rivers,” said the functionary mentioned above.

For the Janjati Sammelan and Janjati Sant Sammelan, dance troupes and tribal chiefs/priests from tribal areas have started reaching Prayagraj at the ABVKA camp. A grand procession of tribals in traditional attire will take place on 7 February, culminating in a sacred bath by the tribals at Triveni Sangam.

A large number of tribal saints have been invited by the ABVKA to participate in the conference of tribal religious and spiritual leaders on 10 February.

Both these conferences are expected to deliberate on cultural, religious, and other traditional aspects of tribal life. These events will also address the issue of conversions of tribals into Christianity and Islam.

The ABVKA has already raised this issue on various forums. In fact, the Janjati Suraksha Manch, an organisation of tribals, has closely collaborated with ABVKA to run a sustained campaign over the last few years regarding the exclusion of converted tribals from the reservation and other benefits granted to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.

India's tribal population exceeds 120 million, residing across approximately 30 states and union territories. The arrival of the British saw Christian missionaries actively converting tribal communities to Christianity. This initiated a prolonged conflict of narratives. The British deliberately propagated the misconception that tribals were not part of Sanatan Dharma.

Following India's independence, a significant segment of the intellectual class continued to adhere to the British perspective. This contributed to the rapid spread of Christian proselytisation among tribal populations, particularly in northeastern India. The resulting demographic shifts fuelled the emergence of separatist movements in this region.

Founded in 1925, the RSS expressed deep concern over the "conversion movement" that had been active in tribal regions for over two centuries. Responding to this challenge, RSS volunteer Ramakant Keshav Deshpande (also known as Balasaheb Deshpande) established the ABVKA in 1952.

Today, it stands as India's largest tribal welfare organisation. It oversees more than 20,000 projects aimed at improving the lives of tribal communities. ABVKA volunteers have reached over 50,000 tribal villages across the nation. The organisation collaborates with all major tribal groups within India and employs over 1,300 full-time workers, of whom more than three-quarters are from tribal backgrounds.

Earlier RSSFACTS columns can be read here.