Contribution of Christian women among the Dalits, Tribal and Adivasi People.

 

History of  Christianity among the Dalits, Tribal and Adivasi People of India

Contribution of Christian women among the Dalits, Tribal and Adivasi People.

Introduction

In India, the plight of women is no better than that of women. Despite the respect given to them as deities in religion and mythology, the ground realities are completely different. Traditionally, women have been ascribed to a dependent status. Social custom and  tradition .The role of woman is pre-determined by the society even before she is born. A girl is supposed to be brought up in such a manner that she develops into a good wife, housewife and mother. In most of the countries women have accepted a dependent status from early childhood, to serve others, to be led by others. Indian women have always been an epitome of beauty, strength, and intelligence. Today, the success of Indian women across various walks of life has proven that they have earned this reputation very deservingly. If we look deeper the major contributors to the Indian Church and Society have been the active participation of some very focussed and dedicated women. The women activists have played a significant role in changing many social evils and have been a great hope. This paper briefly deals with the contribution of Indian/Christian women in various fields especially towards the Church and Society.

Woman at interfaith marriage

Astrid Lobo Gajiwala[1] is from Roman Catholic denomination, her husband  Kalpesh Gajiwala is a Hindu.  She has 3 children and living her Christian commitment in an interfaith family for past 25 years. Astrid is actively involved in creating policies in the Indian Church for dalit women who are vulnerable, exploited, marginalized. She brings hope not only to the women of India, but to women throughout the world. She is actively involved in science and theology at the same time. She has also committed much of her time on the challenges faced and posed by interfaith marriages, as she encounters them on a daily basis.

Woman at ethical issues

Virginia Saldanha is the former executive secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences Office of Laity and a freelance writer and advocate for women's issues based in Mumbai.  She actively participates in the struggle of poor people’s ethical issues as she states “We are all called to emulate the wholeness of God by integrating within ourselves the qualities of God that are necessary for us to make God's reign of justice, love and peace a reality.”

Woman at Dalit issue

Gaddam Jhansi is the vital member of the the Dalit Shree Sakti (DSS) movement, she said that “Observance of Women’s Day will be real only when women of weaker sections are treated on par with those in the mainstream.”[2]  On International Women’s Day, Jhansi said that “the voice of Dalit women was often hushed up and ignored for many reasons.  Instead of organising rangoli contests and beauty pageants to mark the day, people should think in terms of uplifting the weaker sections and empowering Dalit women with greater awareness on various subjects.”[3] She urged the government to implement the SC/ST Sub-Plan and other government schemes effectively and help improve the standard of living of the tribal people.

Woman at Right to information

Aruna Roy is best known for her efforts to fight corruption and promote government transparency. Her parents have had a major impact on her life; her father instilled a strong social conscience, while her mother taught her to be independent minded. After studying in Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry and Indraprastha College in Delhi, Aruna started teaching. But, she realised that teaching wasn’t her passion as she aimed to become a civil servant. She cleared the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) examination in 1967. Aruna is known as a prominent leader of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), a social and grassroots organisation for the empowerment of workers and peasants. In 2005, she played a crucial role in establishing the Right to Information Act (RTI).  In 2011, Aruna was named as one of the ‘100 most influential people across the world’ by Time Magazine.

Woman at ecological issue

Medha Patkar is a social reformer turned politician. Born in Mumbai, Medha had a keen interest in public service at a very early age. Being a daughter of a trade union leader, she started understanding the problems faced by the underprivileged and felt the need to serve them. She is best recognised as the founding member of the famous Narmada Bachao Andolan – a movement to save the rivers and people of Gujarat.

In 1987 under the leadership of Medha Patkar, the Narmada Bachao Andolan was launched.  After a series of agitation, petitions and protests the supreme court of India passed a verdict in favour of the government to build the dam in October 18, 2000.  However, the movement has not given up their fight against the project and they continue to seek for just compensation and rehabilitation for the displaced people.  The project especially affects the tribal people, the poor and the low caste people in the area.  They continue to join together in their cry for social justice.[4]

Woman at humanity

Mother Teresa is a missionary and the founder of Missionaries of Charity. She devoted her entire life for helping the poor, the sick, the needy and helpless people 'and children. Mother Teresa is a good person towards humanity, she worked towards the betterment of the helpless and poor people especially towards the people who even fear to touch. Thus Mother Teresa got the Noble prize for Peace.

 

Woman at women education

Savitribai Phule is the wife of Jyotirao Phule and also known as the Mother of modem education. She married to Jyotirao Phule at a very young age. At that time she was obviously uneducated. It was her husband who gave her education. After she got educated, she started a school for girls in her village, nine  or ten decades ago, it was very strange for people in village to send their daughters for education. In that context, Savitribai Phule made an initiative to encourage girl children for education and made it possible by teaching them. Thus she shared with others what she had.

Woman at Police Service

Kiran Bedi  was the first Indian woman to join the Indian Police Services. Kiran Bedi’s education in the field of social science and law has enabled her to become one of the successful and non-corrupt police officer. Kiran Bedi is well known for her courageous act of transferring the Tihar Jail into a peace loving ashram thus gained worldwide acclaim and won her the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994. It is because of her education in the field of social science she was able to make a change in the system. Education played an important role in helping her to deal with problems and makes a better society. She has not only served her department with full conviction, but has also made whole-hearted contribution to many social causes. In 2003, Kiran became the first Indian woman to be appointed as a Police Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations. She resigned in 2007 to focus on social activism and writing. She has written several books, and runs the India Vision Foundation.

Woman towards Marginalized

Prasanna Kumari is an ordained minister in a Protestant Church. Prasanna kumari had deep commitment, intellectual ability, theological scholarship, feminist insights and passion for justice, articulating her voice for the human needs of the poor and marginalized people.  She speaks with a great conviction that reflects the Gospel message towards marginalized Dalit women in particular and oppressed people in general. She says that, at the heart of Dalit women’s experience is pathos or suffering which is prior to any involvement in active struggles for liberation.  Her proposition was to evolve a theology that is useful to and productive from their experiences and to construct a model for doing Christian theology with Dalits as the locus and datum.[5]

Woman at hunger strike

Irom Sharmila popularly known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur” is the most recognisable face of the conflict-ridden state in the North East. In spite of not clearing her class XII, she has become an “icon of public resistance” in her state. For Irom, her father has had a great influence in her life. On November 2, 2000, she began a hunger strike after the “Malom Massacre” where 10 people were killed, which had a major impact on her. Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, she has been recognised as “the world’s longest hunger striker”.  Though Irom has refused both water and food, the government continues to force feed her. Every year, she is arrested on charges of attempt to suicide. She stood as a candidate of recent election where she got less than 100 votes.

Woman at acid attack

Laxmi Agarwal is an Indian campaigner with Stop Acid Attacks. She is an acid attack survivor and speaks for the rights of acid attack victims. She was attacked in 2005, at age 15, by a 32-year-old man whose advances she had rejected.  She has also advocated against acid attacks through gathering 27,000 signatures for a petition to curb acid sales, and taking that cause to the Indian Supreme Court. Her petition led the Supreme Court to order the central and state governments to regulate the sale of acid. She is the director of Chhanv Foundation, a NGO dedicated to help the survivors of acid attacks in India. Laxmi received a 2014 International Women of Courage award by former US President’s wife, Michelle Obama and she is greatly appreciated for promoting women to reflect on their inner beauty rather than exterior appearance.

Woman at Christian History

Narola Imchen is the one who wrote "Women in the History of Christianity". This book is very handy and quite an informative book which traces the role played by the women, right from the New Testament times up to the present.  This book deals with the Women's struggles to survive in this male dominated world. She have mentioned some prominent women who faced the challenges bravely and gave all efforts to make their voices be heard in some way or the other. It is really interesting to discover that these brave women have left such impact which history cannot ignore them. The influenced of these brave women continues to inspire many women today to go forward in their struggle to make their presence be felt in the Church and Society. This book also emphasis that women have contributed towards the growth and development of Christianity.[6] Thus Narola Imchen contributes her writing to enlighten people both in Church and Society.

Woman at promoting education

Pandita Ramabai Sarasvati  was an Indian social reformer, a champion for the emancipation of women, and a pioneer in education. She was accorded the titles of Pandita as a Sanskrit scholar and Sarasvati as a scholar after being examined by faculty of the University of Calcutta. The purpose of the society was to promote the cause of women's education and deliverance from the oppression of child marriage. She suggested and fought that Indian women should be admitted to medical colleges. Ramabai's voice created a great sensation and reached Queen Victoria. It bore fruit later in starting of the Women's Medical Movement by Lady Dufferin.

Woman as Bishop

Bishop Eggoni Pushpa Lalitha is the Bishop of the Nandyal Diocese of the Church of South India. She is the first woman to become a Bishop in Church of South India. She became Bishop in 2013. Bishop. Pushpa Lalitha is a member of the CSI Order of Sisters headquartered in Bangalore and although she is the first woman to be consecrated as Bishop of Church of South India, the first woman to be consecrated Bishop in any church in Asia. Thus setting an example, to be an instrument for enriching people in both the Church and Society.

Women at Tribal issues[7]

Daya Bai(originally Mercy Mathew) is a social activist from Kerala working for the upliftment of tribals in central India. At present she lives in Barul village of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh.  She left Pala at the age of 16 to become a nun, and later gave up her habit to work for the tribal population in the midlands of India. Her inspiring speeches in a language that reaches out to her audience, her satyagrahas and campaigns to press local authorities to open schools and her efforts to empower almost forgotten villages in the interior and tribal Madhya Pradesh emphasise how Daya Bai has improved the life of the tribals. She was associated with Narmada Bachao Andolan and the Chengara agitation, apart from her solo struggles representing the forest dwellers and villagers in Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal. She practises the theology of liberation, settled down among the Gonds of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. She also started a school in the Barul village.

Conclusion

Women are considered to be “knowledge of society” and “eyes of Church”. With various dimension and fields mention all through this paper clearly shows the contribution of Indian/Christian women for Church and Society.  It not only addresses the issues of Dalit, Tribal and Adivasi separately but altogether as a human it supports and comforts. They not only emancipates themselves but emancipated and will encourage us to think deep and act sensibly, through eyes and knowledge.   

 

Bibliography and Webliography

Thomas, V. V. Dalit and tribal Christians of India issues and challenges. Kerala: Focus India Trust, 2014.

Samuel, Prasanna Kumari. Dalit women’s Experiences: A Theological Imperative for Indian Feminist Theology. Chennai: Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, 2009.

Imchen, Narola. Women in the History of Christianity. Delhi: Tribal Development and Communication Centre, 2010.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daya_Bai  (22^nd Aug 2017). 

http://voicesoffaith.org/speaker/dr-astrid-lobo-gajiwala/  (21^st Aug 2017).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/justice-a-totally-alien-concept-for-these-dalits/article6832704.ece (21^st Aug 2017).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/real-womens-day-is-when-dalit-women-are-empowered/article6967907.ece  (21^st Aug 2017).

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[1] http://voicesoffaith.org/speaker/dr-astrid-lobo-gajiwala/  (21^st Aug 2017).

[2] http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/justice-a-totally-alien-concept-for-these-dalits/article6832704.ece (21^st Aug 2017).

[3] http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/real-womens-day-is-when-dalit-women-are-empowered/article6967907.ece  (21^st Aug 2017).

[4] V. V. Thomas, Dalit and tribal Christians of India issues and challenges (Kerala: Focus India Trust, 2014), 234-235.

[5] Prasanna Kumari Samuel,  Dalit women’s Experiences: A Theological Imperative for Indian Feminist Theology (Chennai: Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, 2009), vi –x.

[6]Narola Imchen,  Women in the History of Christianity (Delhi: Tribal Development and Communication Centre, 2010).

[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daya_Bai  (22^nd Aug 2017).