Author: Pulyadath Rohini
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: February 5, 2003
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=17860
From the heart of the deepest river
in Africa to the gentle seduction of the virgin woods of the Amazon, comes
a life force that binds us all. It is a force of the universal brotherhood
of man. If seeing is believing, then the First International Conference
and Gathering of the Elders drives home this Truth.
Tucked away in the secluded enclave
of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabhodini at Bhayandar is a vibrant congregation of
208 delegates from 41 nations who are here to discover how they are connected
to their ''brothers and sisters'' (exemplified by a native American phrase
'Mitakuye Oyasin' ''we are all related') across the seven seas.
Trinidad and Tobago's Entou Springer
welcomes you into her arms as you approach her. Her silken voice mesmerises
as she reminds you that the fear on the unknown manifests itself in the
xenophobia that rules the world. ''The enemy is someone who doesn't look
like you,'' she explains calmly, her energy reverberating through your
soul. ''I tried to give some money to a beggar, he fled when I reached
out to him. The fear of the unfamiliar still stalks us.''
Spaniard Pedro Ortega is searching
for an identity that will ground him in a society divorced from any ''living
tradition''. Europe, now turning into a federation of economies, troubles
Pedro. He hopes to reach out to those who feel that Europe's integration
must also be steeped in its mythology, folklore and world view.
''As a young man I was completely
at sea, coping with a society that had progressed financially but was spiritually
bankrupt. I am here in India to discuss how my intensely personal experiences
have made me reach out to others who feel the same.''
Ortega's initiatives led to the
formation of Arcana Europa, a forum celebrating the last known vestiges
of existing European traditions in Lithuania and Italy through music concerts,
photo exhibitions, lectures, and their very own magazine.
While reviving the past seems to
preoccupy Europe, in South Africa it is the reverse. The bounty of an effervescent
culture signifies the Zulus here. Edward Malinga confesses that rites and
rituals are steeped in an individual's life - from birth to death. Fascinating
traditions abound in this animalistic tribe. Malinga illustrates, ''When
a young man wishes to marry, he sends across 11 cows to propose marriage.
Like the Hindus, we respect the cow. She is a common denominator of our
wealth."
And while Malinga states with pride,
''even colonialism couldn't suppress our traditions, our families have
fought all methods of suppression,'' the Donyi Polo (the sun and moon worshippers),
an indigenous tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, barely manage to face the onslaught
of a society torn apart by the lack of any semblance of organised religious
expression.
Nani Tachang, president of the Indigenous
Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh, confirms, ''We are a scattered
tribe; our children move to the metros in search of education and a better
life. It's a losing battle, no doubt, but our faith is strong and our faith
alone will see us through this difficult time.''
But the battle for survival and
the urge for self-expression emerges unscathed. Various tribes in Arunachal
Pradesh have developed an indigenous script, Tani Lipi, so that they can
speak in one voice. This was a four-year effort that climaxed as recently
as 1999. The tiny step might just be a giant leap for this indigenous tribe.