Editor,
Apropos of the letter to the editor by Dr Bhogtoram Mawroh (ST March 14, 2025) on Hinduism any student of Social Science knows that every culture, religion and language is unique and it’s a taboo to compare one with another. Therefore, as a Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) Hindu I thought of seeking a couple of clarifications regarding his claim that (1) Hinduism like the two other major Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Islam, originated outside India – Central Asia to be more specific and that (2) Hinduism too, like the other two major Abrahamic religions, Christianity and Islam, will “gobble up” Indigenous Faiths such as Niam Khasi/Tre, Songsarek, Sarna and others.
Roots of Hinduism: Contrary to the claim made by Dr. Mawroh, it is an accepted historical fact that the roots of Hinduism are traced to the Indus River Valley civilization and the peoples who lived there, with some traditions dating back to the Bronze Age (3000 BCE to 1900 BCE). Hinduism, contrary to the claim of Dr Bhogtoram Mawroh, did not travel from Central Asia, but rather, its traditions and practices spread from the Indian subcontinent to other regions.
Hinduism’s presence in Central Asia, at a time when India alone contributed more than 30% of the global GDP, predates the arrival of Babur by 800 years, with evidence suggesting Hinduism was prevalent in places like Samarkand, Uzbekistan during the 7th Century CE. Hinduism spread to Central Asia and Afghanistan through the Silk Route and from the 4th century CE onwards, Hinduism had a dominant presence in Southeast Asia, lasting for over 1,000 years.
Hinduism historically had a presence in several Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and today, vibrant and diverse Hindu communities are spread across Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Medan (Indonesia) and the Philippines, mainly due to the presence of Indians, such as Tamil people, who migrated from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia in past centuries.
The Proto-Indo-European language, from which Sanskrit and Avesta (the language of Zoroastrianism) developed, suggests a shared linguistic origin and potential for cultural exchange between the regions, but not necessarily a direct path of religious influence from Central Asia to India.
No Evidence of Central Asian Origin: Though some suggest that Indo-Aryan speaking people migrated to the Indian subcontinent from West Asia, bringing with them rituals and practices, including fire worship, sacrifices, and the Vedas, but there’s no credible evidence to suggest that Hinduism originated in Central Asia or that it was transmitted from there to the Indian subcontinent.
Therefore, if Dr Bhogtoram Mawroh has any specific, authentic information or material to support his claim that Hinduism originated in Central Asia, the same may kindly be shared for all our knowledge.
Hinduism & Conversion: Unlike the two main Abrahamic religions Christianity and Islam, Hinduism is generally considered a non-missionary and non-proselytizing religion, meaning it doesn’t seek to convert followers of other religions to Hinduism. Hinduism is often seen as a “way of life” rather than as a religion that actively proselytizes.
Hinduism emphasizes on individual spiritual exploration and finding one’s own path to Truth, rather than converting others. Unlike some religions with a central authority and a single holy book, Hinduism is diverse and lacks a single, universally accepted doctrine. As the scope of Hinduism is rather vast, it encapsulates different tenets, schools of thought and philosophies. As a Hindu I am free to worship or not to worship anything – be it the deities, animate or inanimate objects, nature, the celestial bodies – in fact the entire creation. Even one can be an Atheist and still be a Hindu. There are threads of Hinduism which are very much akin to the religious practices of the indigenous people and therefore, a sense of oneness in relation to the religious practises between Hinduism and the Indigenous/tribal religions and beliefs can be discerned – such as worshipping trees, stones, fire, planets, star, etc.
(One may point out a few instances of Conversion such as Ghar Wapsi: which literally means “returning to the fold”, and is mostly limited to those who had converted to other religions from Hinduism.)
I know Dr Mawroh to be a logical, analytical and data driven intellectual and I am sure when he talks about the ‘gobbling up” of indigenous faiths by non-indigenous religions such as Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, his concern is supported by data and I hope he won’t mind sharing the relevant religion-wise data of all the conversions from Indigenous faiths to Christianity, Islam and Hinduism that has taken place since the early 19th century, i.e., from 1830s till date.
Moreover, it is of immense interest for me, personally, to know how many students of indigenous faiths have been converted to Hinduism by the Ramakrishna Mission Schools in Meghalaya, especially by the one at Sohra till date since its inception.
Yours etc.,
Hiranmoy Dutta
Via email
Inhibiting Tourism Root Growth
Editor,
As an avid traveller and naturalist, I have travelled to a number of places across the country and in Meghalaya to witness firsthand, the beauty of God’s creation and artistic work of man. A couple of weeks back I and a few friends headed to Sohra to visit some of the most beautiful falls in our country. On the way we diverted towards a village called Mawkma (due to the construction of the old approach road through Sa-I-Mika Park) towards Dainthlen Falls and Weisawdong Falls. Admiring the lush green rolling hills and water bodies, our excitement was also coupled with our expectations of a buzzing crowd and lively scene at the mentioned tourist spots. But on arrival, we were greeted by a desolate, barren and lifeless place with law enforcement driving us away from both these once thriving, lively and beautiful tourist spots without a justifiable or rational explanation.
Disappointed and baffled, we headed towards the closest village, Laitduh, which is nestled on a hilltop overseeing the canyons towards Weiloi on one side and the Bangladesh plains towards the south. We had our refreshments and proceeded to other spots in Sohra before reaching our stop for the night in one of the many welcoming guest-houses. As we sat for dinner and did a recap of the day, we were accompanied by the owner of the guesthouse sharing experiences and accounts of our day to day lives. But still brothered about the first stop, I asked, “Why are these tourist spots given to us by our Creator to enjoy and witness, closed off and inaccessible to anyone?” The house owner then proceeded to shed light upon the sad situation of claims and counter-claims by villagers or Kurs/ Raids over those tourist spots. Hence a number of scenic spots have stopped operating.
Coming to the mentioned spots however, the administrative and jurisdictive claims of these neighbouring villages (probably 5 hours trekking to and from the Weisawdong Falls and Dainthlen) seem outlandish, considering the topography and distance between the areas. Due to these wild allegations by these far-flung villages, the inaccessible tourist spots there and the village which these spots sit on are deprived of development and growth in all aspects. Such situations and those instigating such conundrum should be dealt with appropriately as these affect the livelihoods of the people of these and other villages in a similar predicament. This recent trip has shed light on things that speak of the reality of the tourism scene in Meghalaya.
Hopefully the concerned authorities would take swift and progressive action to ensure better growth of the tourism sector because if these issues aren’t taken seriously and resolved then economic opportunities will be lost apart from creating disharmony.
Yours etc.,
Wallam Kupar Budon,
Shillong