The Toda janjati of Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu have expressed fear that their unique traditions might go extinct due to the Christian conversion menace. They lament that their numbers are dwindling due to conversion and fear extinction as the conversion mafia is aggressive.
Tamil media News Tamil has covered their ordeal in detail. Todas are found only in the hills of Nilgiri, and they have unique traditions which they follow to the last detail even today. Todas believed that it is a sin to turn the earth for farming and were into raising cattle initially. They raised water buffaloes native to the region and exchanged their milk and dairy products for essential goods.
But with the Forest Department’s interference, pasture lands have been declared as reserved areas and Todas had to give up cattle rearing. The British endowed them with lands and many started farming for livelihood. Now many are educated and take up other jobs as well. They have unique traditions and customs which are in harmony with nature.
Jamun trees are associated with almost all their rituals from birth to death. Marriages are decided in childhood and are conducted after the couple attains the stipulated age. During the marriage ceremony, the bride makes holes in a jamun tree, lights diyas in them and wait there for the groom. The groom brings a bow and arrow made using a specific plant’s branches and gives it to the bride. Jamun tree plays an important role in their customs as it is used even for final rites. The corpse is cremated using wood from the tree.
Women and outsiders are not allowed inside Toda temples. Purity rituals will be performed and the temple will be closed for public worship ranging from a week to a month if anyone violates this rule. The Toda language which doesn’t have a script, has survived to this day thanks to the community’s tenacity in protecting their identity. Todas live in communities called Mund. It is believed that the name Udagamandalam aka Ooty, was derived from the name Otthakkal Mund as the British found it difficult to pronounce.
The number of Toda Mandus was reportedly around 400 during the British rule and has come down to 140 now. Even though modernization has played a role in Todas getting educated and leaving the Munds, Todas say that Christian conversion has broken the fabric of their community lifestyle. They fear their traditions will be wiped out with rampant conversion and the community will become extinct due to inter-religious marriages.
Even though Todas have been targeted for conversion since British rule, their rigid customs have helped them fight against the menace. But now, many are lured by the promising luxurious lifestyle and are turned against the community after conversion. The usual tactics of converting one of their own, training them to be a pastor, and starting a house church to harass others into ‘accepting’ Christianity have been unleashed on the community. Community elders fear that if the current situation continues, Todas will be wiped out in 25 years and their traditions and customs can be learned only from inscriptions.
It is not an unfounded fear considering how missionaries wiped out the janjaatis in the North East and later built a museum to showcase their culture. Other janjaatis living in the Nilgiris have also expressed the same fear. Badagas, who form a significant part of the communities in Nilgiris, also face similar threats. False cases were filed on those who resisted conversion attempts and their children were harassed during exam times. Converted families disturbed Hindu families’ peace by intentionally playing Christian songs on loudspeakers when children study at night to spoil their sleep. It fomented issues within families and the body of a man lay untended for a whole night when his converted wife refused to perform rituals.
Toda, Irula, Kota and Kattu Nayakkar communities live in the Nilgiris. They all face threats from missionaries like Joshua Project, who specifically target such vulnerable groups as their determination to protect their traditions irks them. Hindu Post had covered how Kattu Nayakkars living elsewhere were harassed by missionaries. Bomman and Bellie, the caretakers of abandoned baby elephants in the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers, belong to the Kattu Nayakkar tribe.
