Indigenous? Ingenuous? Ingineous?

 August 9 is an extremely interesting day. It is the " Leave India, Go back" day, an extremely important day, a turning point in the history of the Indian freedom struggle. The day is focal to the story, both literally and metaphorically, of a bibliophile as well. More about this aspect in the blog tomorrow.

August 9, moreover, is the day dedicated to celebrating the world over the indigenous population. Indeed it is needed as literally the entire mankind seems to be obsessed with 'modernity'. In the hot pursuit of such 'progress', the land, the forests that are the main stay of the indigenous tribes are marauded. A very way of life may breathe its last.

Since August 9 is related to reading as well, may I request you to read the Letter by Chief Seathl? It was written in 1854. It was addressed to the then President of the mighty White America, President Franklin Pierce. It proves how 'to harm the earth is to heap contempt on the Creator'. 

Exceptionally poetic, as it is a passionate cry from the heart, this genuine appeal shows what it is to be ingenuous, that is, clean, innocent, straightforward. More pantheistic than Wordsworth and Coleridge, more transcendentalist than Emerson and Thoreau, it shows that for the 'savage' Native American, the 'Red Indian', what matters is the 'soft sound of the wind, cleansed by the mid-day rain, scented with pine, as it darts over the face of the pond'.

Such ingenuous indigenous people are decreasing these days. Mostly, there are modern day indigenous people. Led by wily politicians and shrewd (thought) leaders, they are ingenious. 'Smart' they are, no longer innocent nor clean. 

Otherwise, the Manipur incident would not have happened. The ingenuous tribes would not have allowed three women to be photographed, video-ed naked, with the 'parade' video safely tucked away in the memory card till the right moment exploded!?! Ingenuous people cannot see innocence targetted, humiliated.  For SURE. They cannot keep quiet (in)conveniently.

Similarly, no ingenuous indigenous people would declare themselves the people of the soil, with their ingenious (thought) leaders pushing all along a  curious narrative of Aryan invasion, targetting a harmless minority (of three per cent tops) over some imagined(!?! because by that time the democratic openness of the Bhakti mo(ve)ment had taken roots)  insults in the medieval age, or a little later. This IS casteism as well. Such conscious seclusion IS victimisation as well, with unmistakable echoes of the Holocaust.

Why beat such distant drums? Why the need to use indigeneity ingeniously? Instead of an oppositional stance with a hidden pogrom, why not follow the path of Albert Schweitzer or the Amte family or the Bang couple, and many, many more? In my opinion, using the indigenous tribals for some hidden agenda is as vicious as all the paternalistic, capitalistic cartels! The indigenous  god of the earth, the river, the wind and the fire sees in to all hearts, and knows very well who is ingenuous and how to avoid the ingenious!

Pratima@ The real problem is the ugly evil in the crooked hearts and twisted brains, dirty minds and daft heads of sick people!