RADAR

A Mystical African Legend

BY Ruby Lilaowala

FROM MY three-week visit to South Africa in 2000 one fascinating story remained always with me, about a woman with great supernatural powers. Standing upon a hill, head back, emerald-eyed sceptre in outstretched hands, she’d command that it rain, and it would! If she wished for the rains to stay away, they would!

Though she dominated a vast region of warrior tribes, she didn’t have a single soldier under her command. The mightiest of chiefs obeyed her every wish. She had white skin and blue eyes. She never seemed to age. She stayed young and beautiful and was said to be at least a hundred years old when she mystically disappeared. All of this defies reason. Can any of it be possible or is it just legend? Millions of people in Africa believe it to be true. The famous English author, H. Rider Haggard has immortalised her in his African classic, She, later made into a Hollywood film.

The saga of the Rain Queen begins with her birth in a Bedouin caravan camp, on the southern fringes of the Sahara Desert. This event, a couple of hundred years ago, was marked by a torrential rainstorm in the dry Sahara. It hardly ever rained there before. More remarkably, the child had white skin and eyes of the deepest blue! She was named Shareen. She was barely in her teens, when the camel train on which her father was a driver, was ambushed by a band of Bakwebo warriors, near Lake Chad, northern Central Africa. The caravan was looted and everyone on it slaughtered, except Shareen. She was carried off to become another of the Chief’s many wives.

Less than a year later, the Chief mysteriously died. Soon, Shareen, now renamed Mujaji, became the senior wife of the new Chief. But very shortly, the new husband also passed on, for reasons not explained, and she became the Chief of the Bakwebo people. She bestowed a new title upon herself: ‘She Who Must Be Obeyed’. She ruled the Bakwebo for almost 80 years, during which her influence spread immensely. The source of her power was known far and wide as ‘The Transformer of the Clouds’.

During this period, Central Africa erupted in turmoil, triggering a southward migration of millions. The Bakwebo people were also among them, but by then, they had lost all their fighting strength. The journey may have lasted ten to thirty years, we will never know. The route taken by the Bakwebo led them down through, what is today, the Central African Republic, DRC Congo and Angola, right down to where they crossed the Limpopo River and eventually arrived in the Wolowedu Mountains of the former Transvaal State, now Limpopo, where the Bakwebo established their new home. Mujaji chose a solitary mountain, Levanga, upon which to build her palace.

Levanga became the seat of power for Mujaji, the Rain Queen, Transformer of the Clouds. Her neighbours felt her influence and power. These were powerful tribes, far greater in number and wealth, and each possessed a well-equipped army. Mujaji hardly had any fighting men among her 5 000 people. She had never needed the protection of fighting men and required none of them now. Her weapon was the control of the clouds.

The adjoining kingdoms—Tsonga to the East; Venda to the North: Sotho, Pedi, Swazi and Tswana to the South and West, soon felt the awful consequences of confrontation with Mujaji… lands laid wasted by drought. To appease her and gain her favours of rain, her neighbours brought an endless stream of gifts—gold, cattle and young girls of royal birth. The reason for demanding princesses of royal birth was probably a kind of insurance. Mujaji was shrewd enough to hedge her bets. Should her rain-making powers, for whatever reason, desert her one day, her warlike neighbours would not attack while their Kings’ and Chiefs’ daughters were with Mujaji! So, the gifts flowed in frequently and the Bakwebo people had a new name — ‘Lovdu — the Palace of Offering’.

As ‘Transformer of the Clouds’, Mujaji had no equal, and the locals still believe to this day, that it was because of Mujaji that Eastern Transvaal is such a beautiful place. Even the Swazi rain-bringers, renowned for their skill, were overshadowed by Mujaji’s incredible powers. Word of her talent reached even the Zulu leaders, far to the South, and hundreds of Zulu cattle were often seen being driven to Lovdu, an offering to the great Transformer of the Clouds.

These were also times of great conflict between the powerful nations of the Zulu, Sotho, Shangaan and Tsonga. Although wars raged through the region, the land of Lovdu was carefully avoided. There was no leader, no matter how mighty, who could risk the displeasure of the Great Transformer!

When her power was at its greatest, it suddenly ended! The white man had arrived in South Africa. Wars for supremacy engulfed the region and now Lovdu was no longer immune. The white soldiers were disdainful of Mujaji’s reputed powers and ultimately, Lovdu was overrun. The royal handmaidens were still there when the soldiers stormed into the palace, but there was no sign of Mujaji! She was never seen or heard of, since then. She just disappeared into thin air— just as mysteriously as she had arrived!

RADAR

Candies against fear

The Little Sisters of Jesus live their contemplative and active lives in fraternity. They work among those marginalised: immigrants, precarious workers and township dwellers. They try to find beauty and greatness where only degradation and misery are imagined. Sr Anna offers her witness as a worker in a laundry in Slovakia

BY Sr Anna-Jana, LSJ | Bratislava, Slovakia

I HAVE been working in an Austrian industrial laundry here in Bratislava (Slovakia) with about 120 employees for two years. It’s a very modern laundry and a lot of the work involves using different machines. I am at the section for hand folding of bathrobes, sheets, hospital gowns etc. so that they are ready to be sent to hotels and hospitals.

For each workstation, there is a screen that shows the productivity of each worker as a percentage. Alongside, tables present the parameters, i.e., the number of towels, pillowcases and sheets which, must be hung or introduced into the machine per hour. Unfortunately, these figures do not take into account breaks due to machinery breakdowns or other unforeseen situations. Initially, to be a good worker and not lose this job, I wanted to meet the required parameters. But at the same time, I also wanted to be in contact with my colleagues, which was difficult for me since, as a Polish foreigner, my Slovak has a different accent. Furthermore, the work takes place very quickly and there is not much time for discussions. Nevertheless, a situation developed that showed me what was really important. One day I realised that I was the only one who hadn’t finished the job and that, to do so, I would have had to stay well after the scheduled time. I didn’t want to ask for help, I wished the others could finish their day. All the Roma women I work with, seeing that I wasn’t going out, came to help me finish. They showed me that it is possible to find joy in one’s work, not only by respecting an often-exaggerated parameter but above all in relationships and just by working together.

The simplicity of the encounter between one person and another, without prejudices, reticence, fears, etc., becomes the basis of a true encounter

About forty prisoners also work with us: they are guarded by four guards and controlled by surveillance cameras. In the beginning, the employer set strict limits on the possibility of having contact with them, so much so that we were forbidden any kind of conversation. However, after a few weeks, it became evident that it was not possible to work together like this and we were able to exchange a few words. One day early in the morning, Luca, one of the prisoners, asked me to approach him because he wanted to tell me something important. He began by telling me that he had read an illustrated Bible that someone had lent him. He was fascinated by Jesus’ encounter with the adulteress. He was particularly impressed not only by Jesus’ non-judgmental attitude towards the woman but also by the fact that he did not resort to violence against people who wanted to stone her. Luca’s need not to be judged and not to use violence against the other made me aware, once again, of the importance of looking at the other. Too often, in our haste we can only look at the other through his defects, his limitations, failing to see you, above all a person.

Following the war, some Ukrainian women welcomed by Slovakia also arrived. Some of us have started to worry. Would there be enough work for everyone? And would there be a reduction in seats? Fears and hostility arose, generated by resentment towards new hires. I wanted to get to know the Ukrainian women, but it wasn’t easy because they worked together in a separate group and only spoke their language. 

One day last summer, we were all tired from the high temperature in the laundry room. We didn’t have the strength to work, we were suffocating. In those moments candies are useful. We started exchanging them: they had Ukrainian sweets and we had Slovak sweets. Small simple gestures matter, like giving candy or a smile. Jesus’ normal encounter with the Samaritan woman is equally marked by simplicity because it begins with the Lord Jesus’ simplest question: “Give me a drink” (Jn 4:7). The simplicity of the encounter between one person and another, without prejudices, reticence, fears, etc., becomes the basis of a true encounter.

RADAR

Young Hong Kongers in Rome ahead of World Youth Day

As part of the 2 500 Asian Catholics attending World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, the young people of Hong Kong stressed the importance of integrating their “small community” into the larger group of Catholic pilgrims embarking on a spiritual journey toward Christ

BY Edoardo Giribaldi

Several young pilgrims from Hong Kong expressed their excitement for their participation in the WYD which starts in Lisbon on 1 August stating that “It really makes you appreciate how something small can be so grand and big.”

A delegation of 300 pilgrims stayed in Rome before going to Lisbon. They are part of a larger group of 2 500 Asian Catholics who participate in WYD. A large portion of them, a total of 1051 official delegates, travelled from South Korea.

Missionary mandate

The Hong Kong pilgrims, who were entrusted with a special “missionary mandate” from Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow Sau-yan, S.J., highlighted the value of the event as a sort of “transmission of faith” process.

Jamelin, one of the pilgrims, recounted how, as a kid, she “watched our group leaders going to previous WYDs, and it’s always been very cool to see how they’ve taken” and shared “what we have in Hong Kong.”

A unique opportunity

For a small community, being part of “a bigger and larger Catholic group” is essential and beneficial, especially for the unique opportunity to spend time with different people and share in many “views from across the world.”

Young Hong Kongers in Rome

Jamelin also recalled the emotions she felt while listening to Pope Francis’ words about climate change in St Peter’s Square, filled with young people from all around the world. “It means a lot to me, as someone who is still pretty young, I hope!”

Around the world

Derek, another young pilgrim from Hong Kong, a parishioner at St Margaret’s Church, shared the itinerary of his group. After spending five days in Rome, they go to Porto and finally to Lisbon, where they will join peers from all over the world as WYD kicks off.

RADAR

Why the future of the world’s largest religion is female and African

More and more Christians live outside Europe and North America, especially in Africa – and women are central to this shift

BY Gina Zurlo | Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

I research women in global Christianity and am frequently asked what percentage of the religion is female. The short answer is 52%. But the long answer is more complicated—women form a much more substantial part of Christianity than that number implies.

Headlines about religion may be focused on the words and actions of Western male leaders, but the reality of the church, worldwide, is quite different.

Measuring faith

Social scientists have shown for decades that women are more religious than men by a variety of measures—everything from frequency of private prayer to worship service attendance. Christianity, the world’s largest religion, is no exception. Data from the Pew Research Center 1 show that, compared to Christian men, Christian women are more likely to attend weekly church services (53% versus 46%), pray daily (61% versus 51%), and say religion is important in their lives (68% versus 61%).

It’s not a new trend. In the Gospels, women were the last remaining at the foot of Jesus’s cross and the first at his tomb. Research has shown2 they were critical to the growth of the early church, being more likely to convert to Christianity than men, and most of the early Christian communities were majority female. Throughout history, women were exemplars of the faith as mystics and martyrs, royal women converting their husbands and supporting convents, and founders of denominations and churches that are now all over the world.

What researchers don’t have is comprehensive data on women’s activities in churches, their influence, their leadership or their service. Nor are there comprehensive analyses of Christians’ attitudes around the world about women’s and men’s roles in churches.

“Women, according to an old saying in the Black church, are the backbone of the church,” notes religion and gender scholar Ann Braude3. “The double meaning of this saying is that while the churches would collapse without women, their place is in the background,” behind male leaders. But there’s not much actual data, and without good data, it’s harder to make good decisions.

At the centre of the story

Women are the majority of the church nearly everywhere in the world4, and her future is poised to be shaped by African women, in particular.

Christianity continues its demographic shift to the global south. In 1900, 18% of the world’s Christians lived in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Today that figure is 67%, and by 2050, it is projected to be 77%. Africa is home to 27% of the world’s Christians, the largest share in the world, and by 2050, that figure will likely be 39%. United States and Canada were home to just 11% of all Christians in the world in 2020 and will likely drop to 8% by 2050. Furthermore, the median age of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa is just 19.

One of the most common refrains about the church in Africa is that it is majority female. “The church in Africa has a feminine face and owes much of its tremendous growth to the agency of women,” writes Kenyan theologian Philomena Mwaura5.

It’s clear that women have been a crucial part of Christianity’s seismic shift south, including Catholic sisters, who outnumber priests and religious brothers in Africa—and on every continent. Mothers’ Union, an Anglican nonprofit that aims to support marriages and families, has 30 branches in Africa, including at least 60 000 members in Nigeria alone. In Congo, women have advocated for peacebuilding, including through groups like the National Federation of Protestant Women. Next door, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Catholic sisters were at the forefront of providing shelter, education and aid in postwar recovery efforts.

Yet here, too, more precise data about African women’s contributions and religious identities is lacking. Beyond quantitative data, African women’s narratives have often been ignored, to the detriment of public understanding. As African theologians Mercy Amba Oduyoye and Rachel Angogo Kanyoro have stated, “African women theologians have come to realize that as long as men and foreign researchers remain the authorities on culture, rituals, and religion, African women will continue to be spoken of as if they were dead.”

RADAR • PEACE & JUSTICE

THE WITNESS OF CIVIL RIGHTS HEROES TO UNITY AND JUSTICE The faith of Black Catholics inspired their activism

BY Laryssa Herrington

WHEN REMEMBERING the revolutionary period in American history known as the civil rights movement—a nonviolent social and political campaign that set out to abolish legalised institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the United States that lasted from 1954 to 1968—several key figures come to mind. Perhaps it is Thurgood Marshall and his groundbreaking work on the Supreme Court case that came to be known as Brown vs. Board of Education; Rosa Parks, whose unwillingness to give up her seat on the bus played a pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott; or maybe the most prominent figure, pastor and theologian Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr who was a key organizer for the March on Washington, the Selma to Montgomery marches, and the Poor People’s Campaign to name just a few. What often doesn’t happen in our recollections of this tumultuous and challenging time is consideration of the active role that many Catholics, specifically Black Catholics, played in the fight for civil rights and eventually the transformational shift into movements for Black Power, which would provide the necessary spark for the birth of the ‘movement within a movement’: the rise of a Black Catholic Revolution.

Prior to this revolution, several notable Black Catholic leaders and activists were leading the charge for civil rights in their respective cities, states, and dioceses. For instance, Norman C. Francis, the first Black Catholic graduate of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, broke down many racial barriers in Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States during this period.

Another example is Franciscan Sister of Mary Mary Antona Ebo, a Black Catholic nun from St Louis, who made a lasting impact on social justice and civil rights, becoming the only African American sister to march with the Rev. Dr King at Selma on March 10, 1965. Initially deciding against travelling down to Alabama, Sister Ebo changed her mind after the events of “Bloody Sunday”—when state troopers assaulted protestors with clubs and tear gas— and made the heroic decision to join her fellow brothers and sisters in the fight for their freedom. She is famously remembered telling the crowd concerning her presence, “I’m here because I’m a Negro, a nun, a Catholic, and because I want to bear witness.”

It would not be until the late 1960s, however, that this Black Catholic ‘movement within a movement’ would really take off after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968. By this time, the United States Catholic Church was undergoing a transformative moment tied to the militant rhetoric and realities of the emerging Black Power movement along with the changes initiated by the Second Vatican Council. Black Power galvanized Black Catholics, many Black priests and nuns taking heed of the self-determinist message advanced by the movement.

Acording to Historian Matthew J. Cressler, the assassination of Rev. Dr King actually marked the beginning, rather than the end, of Black Catholic freedom struggles. Many Black clergy and religious came together to discuss the conditions in the Black community and subsequently the role of the Catholic Church in those communities, along with the utilisation of Black clergy and the discernment of Black vocations. Their inaugural statement indicted the church as “primarily a white racist institution” that has solely devoted itself to “white society and is definitely a part of that society” (Cressler 2014).

Sister of Mercy Martin de Porres Grey later coined this moment as the beginning of the Black Catholic Movement, a revolution that marked the onset of “Black consciousness for Black Catholics.” In response to her exclusion at the initial meeting by the priests, Sister Grey spearheaded the founding of the National Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC) in Pittsburgh. These Black women pledged themselves “to work unceasingly for the liberation of Blacks” and further denounced “expressions of individual and institutional racism found in our society and within our church…[racism being] categorically evil and inimical to the freedom of all [people] everywhere, and particularly destructive of Blacks in America.” The sister’s contributions also called for increased participation in community action and the expansion of support for programs that encourage the growth of Black leadership within the church. Without them, we would have never dared to proclaim the authenticity of our Blackness and the trueness of our Catholic faith.

RADAR • YOUTH DRUG ABUSE

Church’s Pastoral Responseto an Emergent Holocaust

BY Fr Simon Mavhiya | Gweru, Zimbabwe

YOUTH DRUG abuse is a visible and widespread phenomenon. Many young people are dying from drugs. As described by Pope Francis, drug addiction is a new form of slavery and drugs are “a wound in our society” (General Audience, St Peter Square, April 13, 2016). What then is the response from the Church?

Emergent holocaust

Youth drug abuse is a situation which requires immediate action, in order to protect youngsters from the fatalities of drug abuse. Drug abuse is like ‘the concentration camps’ of Nazi Germany. Those trapped in it are subjected to the imprisonment of addiction.

Church’s pastoral care

The pastoral care of drug addicts is inspired by the teaching of the Church. Man, created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-28), participates in God’s life and receives human dignity as a gift from Him. Drugs and substance abuse destroy the integrity of the human person. When God looks at Man the first thing He sees and loves in him is His own image. Man’s image of God gives him the capacity to know and love God, his Creator.

Drugs do not allow a person to make free choices based on true human values. By taking drugs Man escapes the reality of his existence. St John Paul II teaches that drugs enslave a person. The Church calls upon all people to understand that drugs have nothing to contribute to the welfare of the human person. They will never give him/her true happiness which is found in God.

A synodal pastoral response

The gospel against drug and alcohol abuse should be proclaimed to all people both drug and non-drug addicts; people of all ages, men and women, of all religions and cultures. Drug abuse like other pandemics affects all, either directly or indirectly.

The Church as Good Samaritan

The Church has to pay special attention to those who are already addicted to drugs and alcoholism. We can compare them to the victim of the robbers in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). Drug abusers and addicts are helpless victims. They need therapy and rehabilitation, to be accompanied on their journey, redress their past and reclaim their dignity as children of God. Like the Good Samaritan, the Church acts with compassion, without blaming the victim. Drug addicts represent the disfigured body of Christ. They need to be transfigured into the image of Christ.

Merciful father

Drug abusers and addicts suffer from bad labelling and stigma; society tends to exclude and avoid them. Their past tends to define them. The majority lost their careers and some had their family relations broken. The Church, like the Merciful Father, should look at them as the lost sheep to be found and like the prodigal son coming back to his father’s house (Luke 15:11-32).

Drug barons and traffickers

Drug barons and traffickers are children of God who need to be converted. Like in the story of Cain and Abel, they need to know that they are accountable for the loss of their brothers and sisters’ lives to whom they sell the drugs. They are also their brothers and sisters’ keepers. God demands, ‘’Where is your brother?’ (Gen 4:9-16). Like Zacchaeus in the Gospel, they should learn to live within their means (Luke 19;1-10).

Ongoing formation

The Church needs to design an ongoing formation program for all ages which treats extensively topics about human dignity and drug abuse. Children from tender ages and young people should be taught the importance of respecting their bodies and those of others. Such formation should be given to both Christians and non-Christians.

School curricula from Early Child Development (ECD) to University should include topics on drug and alcohol abuse. The Church, in collaboration with the Government and other civic organisations, should also design drug abuse programmes and workshops for employers and employees. Such programmes must ensure that people affected by stress and other problems will not resort to taking drugs.

Peer education

Peer education can be more effective when young people are involved in educating other youngsters on the dangers of drug abuse.
The Church cannot be silent while this holocaust is taking place. It is a different type of war in which the Church, governments and civil society must apply their minds together to defeat it.

RADAR • CONNECTIONS

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

Youth unemployment in SA is estimated at 45%. However, through networking, building social connections and using community resources, young people can increase their chances of being hired, say activists Pearl Pillay and Khaya Sithole

BY Michael Barthelemy

A YOUTH Central study found that 95% of 700 subjects polled said that social connections helped in the hiring process. 

“When we talk about social connections, one of the things people constantly say is that it’s not necessarily what you know, it’s who you know,” Pillay said. “Especially when you’re job-seeking, the importance of having people who can connect you to opportunities and people who know how, for example, job-seeking and recruitment and interviews work, is really valuable.” 

Pillay found her way to Youth Lab 10 years ago through a connection. While attending an event hosted by Activate! Change Drivers, Pillay learnt that she had been expelled from the University of Witwatersrand for her role in a disruptive pro-Palestine protest. Two members of Youth Lab were in the room with Pillay and offered her a job interview at the organisation.

“Sometimes you just need one person, right? One person with the right kind of network, or who’s in the right place at the right time,” Pillay said. “Sometimes it’s not even about directly knowing a person, it’s about having access to a particular kind of space, having access to a particular set of events, or workshops or seminars. You just never know who’s in the room.”

Sithole explained that poverty can be divided into two forms. The first is when one is a minor and can benefit from social grants and receive free schooling. Once one turns 18 and graduates from the social safety net, there is no longer guaranteed schooling or child grants.  

Poverty past the age of 18 is categorised as “economic poverty” because the only way to combat it is to join the economy. 

“[Economic poverty] can last anywhere up to 50 years, because you can go from the age of 15, up until the age of 64, at which point in time, you may then migrate back into the social protection system,” Sithole said. “What we’ve seen over time is that people in the job market are working until very late in their lives because they know that they haven’t saved enough for pensions.” 

Employees working past their retirement age have crowded the workforce and devalued the “currency” of a matric school certificate, said Sithole. 

“Until you see that transition of people of a certain age leaving the job market to open up spaces for young people to transition, we have a new problem that is manifested when new job opportunities are not created,” Sithole explained. 

Youth employment programmes, such as YES, are designed to put young job seekers in a position to be noticed by employers. YES is a 12-month programme that connects young people with businesses and teaches young people about job application skills. However, while these programmes put applicants into entry-level careers, the stagnant job market halts momentum. 

“Their intentions are absolutely wonderful and they’re very noble,” Sithole said. “But the YES programme couldn’t force South Africa’s economy to grow by five or 6% in order for spaces to open up and for the beneficiaries of the programme to stand a good chance of getting into the job market. We aren’t creating jobs as a country.” 

Both panellists emphasised the importance of community for young people trying to get a foot in the employment door.  

“I think we often underestimate the contribution that we can make as communities with each other,” Pillay said. “I may not have money to directly help somebody find a job, but I might have a car and I could take someone to a job interview. I might have clothes that somebody could use.” 

“One of the best ways in which you can mobilise [employment] is to coordinate some of the job communication,” Sithole explained. 

“Some Twitter accounts are very good at sourcing different job opportunities and posting them. People know that if they regularly check in there, they’ll be able to see something. Others simply are in the habit of sharing information that enables people to know how to navigate their way through some of the difficult challenges that exist [in the job market].” 

RADAR • SUDAN

Fighting in the cradle of the Comboni Missionaries

BY Worldwide Staff member

FIGHTING BETWEEN Sudan’s Army, led by Lt. Gen. Abdelfattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary group of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy on Sudan’s ruling council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, broke out last April in Khartoum, the capital. The conflict has extended to the region of Darfur , which occupies one-third of Sudan’s territory, on the western part of the country and to El Obeid.

Other cities of Sudan are much less impacted; schools have not stopped and daily routines continue; but Khartoum has been highly affected. At least one million people left their homes—with 800 000 internally displaced and 200 000 crossing the border to Egypt, South Sudan, Chad and some to Ethiopia and Eritrea.

An issue of great concern is also the attack which many Christian churches have suffered, at the hands of criminals who have taken advantage of the lack of control by the Govern­ment. There is huge looting occurring, stealing, raping and other acts of criminality in various neighbourhoods of the capital and other cities.

Most of the religious and church personnel had to leave their residences in the capital due to a lack of security in their communities as these were targets of violence and looting. However, many locals have not been able to move from their homes since it is very difficult and risky at the moment, especially in Khartoum. Many people have died because of stray bullets and other criminal acts.

Sudan is a country very close to the heart of the Comboni Missionaries since St Daniel Comboni, their founder, was the first evangelizer and Bishop of Khartoum. May he intercede for peace among the Sudanese people!

RADAR

The Manipur Tragedy

BY Archbishop Emeritus Thomas MENAMPARAMPIL SDB | Guwahati, India

WITH 54 people killed and 13,000 rescued from conflict, the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur moves on to greater security after several days of intense anxiety. More than 10 000 armed forces were called to impose order, and the authorities claim that the violence-hit areas are now under “firm control”. However, uncertainty still prevails in different parts of Manipur.

What began as an inter-ethnic clash about land, economy and political power hastily developed an inter-religious dimension in the polarized atmosphere that the majoritarian Hindu regime at the national level has created.

The immediate cause of tension was the Hindu Meitei community’s demand to the Central Government for tribal status. Should it be approved, it would enable the Meitei—which comprises 53-60% of the state’s population —to enjoy, not only tribal privileges but to move into territories which are now reserved for the minority tribes. The latter would remain seriously disadvantaged, losing out greatly in competition. In addition, the Hindutva—Hindu radical groups—have demanded that the tribal status be taken away from Christian communities. Most tribal people in Manipur are Christians. A sense of fear has united them, though belonging to various tribes, into a single body.

Several Christian Kuki churches were destroyed or damaged, and religious personnel were harassed. The Meiteis attacked the Kuki-Chin tribes—also in trouble with the military government in Myanmar—who also responded in retaliation. Lives and property were lost and destroyed, churches and institutions attacked, and tribes have been forced to move away from areas of the Meitei majority community.

In a recent “Tribal Solidarity March” there was a confrontation with the Meitei. Clashes were followed by loss of lives and property. The Meitei activists seem to have the freedom to wield weapons to harass and humiliate minority groups, including Christians. Christian institutions currently operate under great anxiety.

Dialogue for immediate solutions and creative planning of the economy for shared well-being is the only valid path forward

With “shoot on sight” orders, calm has been restored for now, but long-term strategies need to be found for restoring confidence among tribal communities. The Kuki-Zo groups, in particular, feel anxious, since the areas they occupy have been declared ‘forest land’, though it has been theirs for generations.

The Hindu Meitei, the most populated community, also has reason to be anxious about their future. Confined to the Imphal Valley, they occupy only 10-12% of the state. Unless they move from agriculture to other types of occupations, their economy will not remain viable.

An inter-community collaboration is sorely needed in border states like Manipur rather than conflict and rivalry. Confidence-building measures should be adopted. No community must be made to feel cheated or bypassed. Existing privileges should not be taken away from weaker communities and a common effort towards general collaboration is vital so that the majority community continues to prosper as in past times. Dialogue—which Church officials have initiated—for immediate solutions and creative planning of the economy for shared well-being is the only valid path forward.

RADAR • INDIA

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF THE MOST POPULATEDCOUNTRY IN THE WORLD LOOK LIKE?

BY GITANJALI POONIAGPOONIA

WITH NEARLY 1.4 billion inhabitants, India has become the most populous country in the world according to the United Nations—a title it just took from China, which had held the top position for 73 years.

While visiting New Delhi, this isn’t hard to believe. The city has roughly 30 million residents, and you feel like you’re bumping into all of them at once while driving through the busy bazaars.

Less than four miles away from one of those markets sits Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence, Rashtrapati Bhavan, which claims another record—the world’s largest presidential house.

India is also the world’s largest democracy, modelled after the British Westminster system, a nuclear-armed nation and part of the nonaligned movement.

India has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with its own version of Silicon Valley, employing an increasingly well-trained workforce. The country has ramped up its manufacturing industry, possibly spawning the era of “Made in India” iPhones. It also extends its cultural influence through Bollywood, a film industry that contributes billions of dollars to the country’s GDP. 

India’s prized possession is perhaps its diversity—with a population that speaks over a hundred different languages and practices many different religions and regional customs

But India’s prized possession is perhaps its diversity—with a population that speaks over a hundred different languages and practices many different religions and regional customs. To ensure peaceful coexistence among the different subcultures, the Indian Constitution separates religion from the state and does not prioritize one religion over another. 

But India’s history has plenty of examples of politicians from prominent parties who capitalized on religious differences for political gain, blurring the line between religion and state.

Modi has received scrutiny for increasing nationalism in the country, but while Modi’s party is closely associated with Hindus, he hasn’t shied away from embracing India’s Muslim and Christian minorities as well. In an address to his party’s workers in January, he said the message should be of cooperation between all states and their cultures. 

Part of his pitch to voters has been a pro-business agenda and the promise of economic growth, which has played a role in making him the fourth longest-serving prime minister in the country’s history. 

Rising inflation and unemployment challenge the narrative of positive growth. When comparing China’s economic growth to India’s, both are emerging economies with large populations, however, India’s gross domestic product is $3.1 trillion while China’s is $17.7 trillion.