Part 1: Tribals and Troubles…Almost!

Orissa is infamous for “disturbances…”  There have been several very recent clashes in the Orissa/Chhattisgarh area between government special forces and Naxalites (Maoist rebels) with casualties on both sides.  In 2008, the state was in international news due to violent persecution of thousands of Christians—churches, homes and schools burned down; women raped; men beaten and killed; forced ‘reconversions’.  Believers fled into the jungles and refugee camps; some are still there, unwilling to risk their lives by returning to a home that is probably no longer standing.  Even though it has been 5 years, the scars are still fresh and bleeding.

The Eastern Ghats Beckon

Another fascinating aspect of Orissa is its 62 mountain tribes, more than any other state.  Total tribal population is estimated at 7 million.  After our time in the coastal fishing villages, we were hoping to contact the Dongria Khond, a wild unreached tribe, but found we required police permits and escort—something which will have to grind slowly through the bureaucratic channels of India.  They are considered a protected cultural resource plus they “cut off hand and foot, maybe cut neck, carry knife behind ear, two knife in belt here and here, no clothing, no proper food…”  Russ is already forming his strategy for next year.  If you dare to hike 10km beyond the last bike trail, and are willing to risk both the tribals and the government, come with us!

In Rayagada District, where Russ held a Leadership Conference for 22 of Bihit’s missionaries, over 50% of the people are tribal.  On our way there, Bihit received a cell

Russ and Missionaries

phone call that we might face trouble—a large group of Hindus were holding a “disturbance” in front of the little tumbledown Oriya Baptist Church in Gunupur village, trying to prevent the Conference.  They had dissipated before our arrival, probably due to the intense midday heat.  Bihit went to meet with their leader and defuse the situation while Russ began to teach.   Apparently he convinced them that we were not actually going to evangelize the area that day, the Conference would be limited to church grounds, and would not last more than a few hours.  We had no further problems and were blessed by the men who had dedicated their lives to reaching the unreached in these wild places.  Many had walked for a day or more to attend.   

Bihit and Villagers

Bihit is a diplomat, and I personally make a point of smiling and waving to the neighbors in known hostile areas, who usually melt in front of my camera.  This is especially true if I take photos of their children or show interest in their jewelry (women) or tools (men).  When they realize I am a human like themselves —or maybe just a harmless old lady—we have never had an actual problem...yet.  In fact, an older woman and some young men with her gave me a gift of green mangoes from those she was selling.  I was supposed to make pickles from them, which I regret will not happen this trip.

We did meet several Soura tribal people, some of whom came to hear Russ’ testimony in the remote mountain village of Puttasingh.  On Friday, Russ and I sleepily rolled out of bed at 3AM because there was to be a big political strike in Paralakhemundi.  The participants were determined that no one would enter or leave the city, and shops should be closed, so we had to be out and gone by 5AM or risk violence and riots.

View from a Switchback--Note the Paddy Terraces Below

We headed west into the Eastern Ghat Mountains—higher and higher as the road got smaller and smaller.   Ears popped as we took in breathtaking views from multiple switchbacks.  Rock formations and hardwood trees became more prominent.  Thick morning mists slowly gave way to sunshine.  Rice paddies were terraced up steep slopes, and men with teams of oxen and wooden plows worked to prepare for the next crop. 

Bihit told us that his father fasted for forty days on a local mountaintop prior to starting his ministry 30 years ago; there were tigers back then, which have since disappeared along with the thick jungles.  Today we

Soura Homes and Stone Paddy Walls

passed many small huts and homes where the Soura people live.  They were first reached as wild tribals by Canadian Baptist missionaries years ago, and the legacy lives on.  Now, they are slowly integrating into Indian society.  Some anthropologists regret the changes, but I feel medical care and education should be available to everyone.  Keeping a people group on display as you would keep an exotic zoo animal is neither compassionate nor fair to them.

Our purpose for today’s journey was twofold:  I was to lead a “Women of God Conference” for three hours, based on my material for pastors’ wives back in Pithapuram.  For the evening service, Russ would give his testimony to the large congregation and many expected visitors.  Word spread through Puttasingh village and the surrounding area. 

Puttasingh Village Baptist Church

Curious Boys

We arrived a few hours early due to our escape from Paralakhemundi, so we were shown to a guest room attached to the impressive Baptist Church.  Russ removed his legs (after we closed the shutters and blocked the stares of curious boys) and we rested on a coir mattress.  Local pigs and dogs rooted in the drainage ditch below our window.  And of course the power went out…so we had no fan.

At 9:50 we went into the sanctuary to begin the Conference at 10AM.  The concrete floor was spread with mats, and thick smoke blew in from the side doors where the men were cooking lunch for the Conference.  Two older women came and sat, then others trickled in over the next hour or so.  About 11:10 we decided to begin. 

Alice Teaching "Women of God", Pani Translating

One hour was already gone, so I further reduced my material to the life of Ruth (“a love story better than a Bollywood movie”) and Proverbs 31.  Bihit’s boyhood friend,

Hazael Pani—who speaks at least 6 languages and reads 10— translated for me.  By the time I was done, there were over a hundred women listening intently—mountain women who probably had never seen a “foreigner” before, nor traveled further than the marketplace in Paralakhemundi in their lives. As I taught them about agape love, faithfulness, and the principle of kinsman-redeemer, I looked into their faces and could feel God moving in their hearts.

Her Village Home

After lunch, the leftovers were taken outside and thrown off the porch to the pigs, dogs, chickens and eventually a wayward cow.  We rested in the guesthouse during the heat of the day. But, I can never stay still for very long, so I took the camera and headed out  to explore the next few streets.  The living conditions were distressing:  Narrow dark alleys crowded with tiny row houses;  murky drain gutters festering with garbage and mosquitoes; a deep open well with trash in the water; pigs, dogs, chickens, goats—and of course children—spilling out everywhere.  The contrast between the beautiful mountain vistas and the immediate reality was huge.

Soura Tribesman at Church

Bihit’s father, Upendra Parichha, and a large contingent of notables arrived.  This was his first place of ministry those long years ago, and the church has grown large for rural India—over 200 crowded into the sanctuary to hear him and Russ, including over a dozen Soura tribesmen.

God continues to touch souls with Russ’ powerful testimony. We see it over and over again:  Curiosity over his legs, amazement that he would risk coming to remote places, questions that lead to the Gospel, encouragement to those who are now experiencing suffering.  Who knew that the anguish of the past two years would be bearing so much fruit across India?

Upendra spoke afterward, mesmerizing his audience with laughter and the love of God.  We can understand his popularity as an evangelist and conference speaker throughout Orissa.  Bihit’s passionate vision for missionary ministry has definitely been passed down in the genes.  Yes, some of Orissa’s mountain villages and tribals have been touched by the Gospel, but so many in the more remote areas have never heard of Jesus Christ.  We are catching the vision too.  

Darkness deepened and we headed on the long journey back.  Bihit casually announced we would be taking another route back to Paralakhemundi through Gunupur:  “The roads are wider and we can make better time.”  A little later the true reason came to light:  The mountain road we originally came on has Naxalite bandits roaming about at night.  He didn’t want us to meet the same fate as two Italian tourists who were kidnapped for three months. 

Bihit is charming and fun, but he has a serious strategy for reaching remote villages—by multiplying missionaries through a “Person of Peace” similar to what is taught in “Perspectives”.   His quiet, studious friend Pani is a great resource; he left his job as teacher in a Kerala Bible College a few weeks early, specifically to translate for us and help Bihit’s ministry.  The mountains are wild and beautiful; the lost souls scattered in them are precious to God.  Help us, Lord, to help these men reach the unreached for You.

More about tribals in our next blog…

--Alice Sharrock