A mountain deity and a pastor

IN the early 1980s, I arrived at a CRPF border outpost (BOP) at Maja, a remote place along the India-China border in Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. It was a 12-day trek from the Taliha roadhead to the BOP. At the post, I spotted domestic fowls. Some of them were big and old.

I was informed that these birds were used by tribal people as offerings to the ‘mountain deity’ — a prominent hill called ‘Dev Baba ka Pahad’ by local residents. The fowls chose to roam around the CRPF campus rather than fall prey to the wild animals outside.

I got to know that the indigenous people are called Adis and reside mostly in the Himalayan region of Arunachal and south Tibet. Adis have many tribes spread across the state. They profess a religion called Donyi-Polo (‘Sun-Moon’). Adis believe that humans, animals, plants, rivers and mountains are ‘living spirits’ and creations of the ‘Sun-Moon’ God. They worship these manifestations of nature to ward off distress, ailment, misfortune and evil spirits. Cattle are also sacrificed to appease the holy spirits.

During 2004-06, I got another opportunity to serve in Arunachal. I was commanding a battalion which had its headquarters at Khonsa in Tirep district and was deployed in interior areas. I noticed a sea change in the lives of the tribal people compared to the 1980s. Socio-economic and infrastructure development was plainly visible. There were roads, electricity supply and communication network in remote areas. Christianity had made significant inroads among residents. A good number of Adis, who earlier worshipped nature, particularly the Sun and the Moon, had embraced the Christian faith.

During a late-night operation under my supervision at Tissa on the Khonsa-Longding axis, we noticed two persons walking on the road. Such movement at night hours is regarded as suspicious and is mostly undertaken by insurgents. They stopped in their tracks when we warned them. One of them turned out to be a missionary from Kochi (Kerala). The other was a local tribesman who was escorting the pastor to his village. As there was no bus service at night, they decided to walk all the way. I asked the pastor why he had taken the risk of travelling at night in a disturbed area. He replied that he had to visit a number of places as it was Christmas time.

I often moved around on foot in Khonsa town to familiarise myself with the area. Once I saw a big hall at a vantage point. The building was lying abandoned — it had no doors or windows. A few children were playing inside. I noticed a marble plaque at the entrance. The hall was inaugurated in 1970 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It was originally meant for nature worship by Adis, but was now in a desolate condition — apparently due to a shift in the belief system.