The ethnic cleansing of Hindu Reangs in Christian Mizoram

AS per 2001 census, the total population of 4,34,140 Reangs is scattered in three neighbouring states of Mizoram. Assam and Tripura. Over 98 thousand Reangs live in 305 villages of Mizoram’s three districts—Mamits, Kalashiv and Lunglei. There are over one lakh Reangs in 57 villages of Assam’s three districts—Hailakandi, Karimganj and Cachar and 2 lakh 35 thousand population in Tripura’s three districts—North Tripura, East Tripura and Dhalai. This was an injustice done by Central Government to divide Reangs in three states. Because of that, the Reangs are utterly discriminated and marginalised in all the three states. There is no MLA from Reang community in Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, Bajuban Reang is MP (Lok Sabha) and two MLAs Rajendra Reang and Manindra Reang are in Tripura Assembly. All the three political representatives are from Communist Party and thus are supporters of Church. Rajendra Reang is the Minister for Jail and Primitive Group.

In Tripura Reangs are categorised as primitive janjati whereas they are a devout Hindu and follower of Sanatan Dharma (Vaishnav Dharma). Their culture and traditions are unique and one of the richest and most refined. But due to discrimination and deprivation, they are left behind to the level of primitive condition with regard to the education and economic development. They may be economically poor but how can they be called as primitive with such a rich culture? But they are called so intentionally to undermine their Hindu Dharma. Their folksongs, folk dances and pious life style is superior in many ways in comparision to those who term them as primitive.

In Mizoram, though Reangs are devout in their Hindu Dharma and patriotism but are unorganised and have no political voice. Coupled with these, they are deprived and discriminated beyond imagination and they are categorised as primitive. The Church is very aggressive in Mizoram. In collaboration with political power, the Mizoram Church has reportedly planned to convert all Reangs into Christianity and merge them into aggressive and intolerant Mizo society so that Reang community gets extinct by being merged into Mizo society. When Reangs refused to do so, the Church and Christian Government of Mizoram started torturing them in inhuman ways. Today the Reangs condition is no better than a “slave” in Mizoram. This is classic case of recial discrimination on religious ground.

Read the Detailed Special Report by Jagadamba Mall at
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=397&page=8

Also Read – Hoping against Hope: Reangs return to Mizoram by Nava Thakuria
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=397&page=9

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