SHOULD INDIGENIZATION OF FAITH & CULTURE BE HINDUIZATION?

Indigenous literally means ‘belonging naturally to a place’ (Oxford-Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). Thus, anything, whatsoever it may be, that evolves in a place falls within its ambit. Obviously, anything that is indigenous is significantly distinct and distinctly different from the rest. Its uniqueness and distinctness is embodied in its adaptability, suitability and compatibility to its locality all along the generations. In nutshell, indigenous otherwise refers to ‘originality’.
In the present socio-cultural and political life of human population across the world as a whole driven by consumerism, globalization, liberalization and privatization of every aspect of human life, indigenous has suffered an irreparable damage for posterity. It’s an extinction of sort. This has greater adverse implications on the continuity and existence of the indigenous people. As indigenous people or tribal communities are biologically as well as anthropologically supposed to be the most primitive group of people and hence, are far-far lagging behind the rest in the evolutionary processes, their sudden exposure to sophisticated and technology blended modern realities and intricacies put them at logger heads, and consequently, take them further to a state of confusion and vulnerability.
However, attempts are being made to preserve the indigenous culture and faith; more so to counter the alarmingly spreading mechanisms of modernization that push the traditional or cultural heritage of the indigenous communities at the back seat or back door. They are worth praising. Any endeavour to preserve and conserve cultural and traditional identity is, indeed, a forthcoming move. As a matter of fact, great precedence basically begins with noble ideas, yet the lack of clarity of vision and sheer commitment to the mission ahead gives way to distraction and subsequently collapses. The same applies to the “Indigenous Faith & Cultural society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP)”. It’s a conglomeration of pro-indigenous groups representing intellectuals of major tribes of Arunachal and which is striving hard to retrieve or restore the lost paradise, i.e. to preserve, conserve and consolidate indigenous Arunachalee cultural heritage.
There is no denying of recognition of the values and aspirations that the IFCSAP stands for, but the methodology and the mechanisms that it professes, propagates and perpetuates in order to attain its objectives raise many a people’s eyebrows. While it vehemently and out-rightly rejects any move of cultural modernity through Christianization, it enthusiastically embraces and relishes Hinduization of the life of the people as is visibly evident in its growing fondness and urgency with which it approaches towards Hinduization of indigenous faith & Culture; for instance, advocating idol worship, construction of mandirs (Nyidar Namlo),to name a few. I ponder if ‘Abo Tani’, the ancestor of Tani group of tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, ever knew of Hinduism, or acknowledged and preached any of its principles.
I’m not even a student of theology or sociology, but as far as I know-Hinduism, as its followers would say, is a path to attain spiritual urge or a set of distinct ways of living; indigenous faith & culture altogether a different entity. Indigenous faith & culture, the essence of tribal communities, evolves and revolves around the ‘Animism’. A simple interpretation of Animism is that it is an intricate intermingling and symbiotic association of tribal communities or indigenous population with its surrounding or the nature, besides ancestor worshipping. Therefore, the whole idea of Hinduization of indigenous faith & culture is rubbish and ridiculous and without any merit at all. It raises certain relevant questions. Is the so called ‘Guardian or Custodian of Indigenous Faith & Culture’ itself in dilemma or this move influenced and goaded by vested interests of a handful of elite people of the state or is it a part of the greater propaganda or game plan of the Hindu-loyalists and Hindu-organizations to make Arunachal a yet another hot-spot of religious clashes, a replica of Gujarat in the making?
Whatsoever may be the case, the endeavour is praise-worthy, yet it should make its own ‘niche’ without indulging in communal-divide policy and being politically and ideologically blackmailed. If Christianization is unpalatable stuff, then why should Hinduization of our rich cultural heritage be a cup of tea? Thus, any attempt at either Christianization or Hinduization of indigenous cultural heritage is uncalled for.