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Lenten sacrifices made by India's impoverished tribal people

Tribal people in Jharkhand state reflect of Christ's passion through fasting, austerity and charity work
Lenten sacrifices made by India's impoverished tribal people

Tribal Catholics pray during the annual feast of Christ the King in New Delhi on Nov. 21, 2016. Their villages are quiet places of austerity during Lent. (Photo by Bijay Kumar Minj)

Published: March 27, 2017 09:25 AM GMT
Updated: March 27, 2017 09:26 AM GMT

A prayerful silence falls over tribal villages as Catholics of Gumla Diocese in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand add new austerities to their already tough lives, during Lent.

Eugene Lakra, from the Oraon tribe, said during Lent "our daily routine changes and we ban all kinds of recreation including singing and dancing and consuming rice wine," a customary drink among tribal people.

Tribal people also avoid celebrations such as dancing during Lent and stop their daily evening gatherings. "Even when we walk back from fields, we don't sing or greet people loudly. We all keep a prayerful silence," he said.

"Visitors to villages are often surprised to see the tribal people, who otherwise miss no occasion to sing and dance, remaining quiet during Lent as though they have forgotten how to sing," Lakra said.

His neighbor Rakesh Kujur, who also belongs to the Oraon tribe said it is "not so difficult to fast" because people in his community usually only eat twice a day due to poverty and only have meat on Sundays or special occasions. "During Lent most families stop eating meat and fish even on Sundays," he said, even though Sundays are usually excluded from Lenten abstinence in the Catholic Church.

Fridays during Lent are of special significance. Most villagers only eat once at noon and even then it is just rice gruel with a little onion and salt. They said adding restrictions without stopping farm work make them reflect on Christ's passion.

Gumla Diocese has 33 million people, 26 percent or 9 million of them belonging to tribes. The state's 1.5 million Christians, who from 5 percent of the population, are considered a stronger concentration than the national average of 2.3 percent.

Industrialization and urbanization in Jharkhand has displaced 2.5 million people, at least 40 percent of them tribal, pushing them out of their natural lifestyles and further into poverty.

The state faces food insufficiency and poverty as well. World Bank data reveals that 44 percent of people live below the poverty line, double the national average, and do not have enough to eat more than one meal a day.

 

Tribal Catholics pray during the annual feast of Christ the King in New Delhi on Nov. 21, 2016. During Lent they add further austerities to their already tough lives. (Photo by Bijay Kumar Minj)

 

"Unlike cities we don't have a lot of entertainment like television, radio, shopping malls or movie halls. Some of us have radio and mobile phones which we use to listen to songs. Playing cards is our normal entertainment," Kujur said, adding that most people avoid even cards during Lent.

Sarita Kujur of Bardih parish, one of the oldest in Gumla Diocese said "during Lent our village looks like something sad has happened — a feeling of loss can be sensed as we increase our prayer life reflecting on Jesus who suffered for our sins."

Many of the Catholics do charity work during Lent. "We save some rice each time we cook and keep it aside. During Holy Week we give it to the parish church. The parish either donates it to the poor or sells it to raise money," she said.

Father Cyprian Kullu, vicar general of Gumla Diocese, said his 38 parishes are guided by a circular at the beginning of Lent. "We circulate guidelines appealing to them to practice Lent by going to church regularly, taking part in the sacrament of confession, the way of the cross and we even organise retreats in their respective villages."

Father Kullu, from the Kharia tribe, said it is also normal to save money by sacrificing on food and entertainment. His fellow tribal priests in their sermons constantly remind people "to pray and repent" stressing that Lent is about purifying the heart rather than external austerity.

"Even before the arrival of Christianity, tribal people celebrated the spring season as time of new life." Now Catholics combine it with Easter, considering Jesus as giving them new life and looking at Lent as the season of preparation, he said.

Lent is the period in the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday through Holy Thursday, three days before Easter. Traditionally, Catholics commit to acts of self denial, prayer and works of charity during this period. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, began March 1 this year.

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