Last week a 27 year old American was killed by a tribe as he set his foot on an isolated island, part of India's Andaman & Nicobars. The reclusive Sentinelese tribe who live there are known to be allergic towards outsiders.
The local fishermen he supposedly bribed 25,000 ($350) in local currency to take him to the island last saw him walking towards the hostile inhabitants as they welcomed the intruder with a volley of arrows which got him killed. The last the fishermen saw him was lying in SARA SAJYA (Bed of arrows) a la Pitamah Bhishma of Mahabharat fame.
The young man was a Christian missionary apparently on a conversion mission. The terrible misadventure cost him his life. It is another thing to debate over the veracity of these missionary activities. But can't but admire the risk they take, fully aware of their lives being at stake when they venture into these dangerous, often life threatening jaunts into arguably the most inhospitable spots of the world.
There are frequent, multiple reports of preachers getting killed in Africa, Latin America and the theocratic Afghanistan - where it will be foolish go on a normal visit, forget trying to convert the hard core Jihadists who are more suicidal than the Christian missionaries.
During the mid 1990s in Calcutta, I saw a leper whose entire torso was covered in wound filled with pus. Flies swarmed around, feasting on it. I was too scared to stare, soon turned my head and back to this helpless guy. Engraved and entrenched in my memory, that abominable sight refuses to go away. I feel short of kudos for the likes of Mother Teresa who sheltered them and nurtured their wounds.
They have their admirers and critics. I belong to the former category. The missionaries do have intention to convert, but they do some decent charity work. My cousin belonging to Indian Police Service was once posted as SP in a remote district of Chattisgarh. He narrated me his AANKHON DEKHA HAAL (First Hand Information) of a densely forested area which was under his supervision for maintaining the law and order.
Most part of that district was remote, inaccessible, evenly infested with Maoists and Mosquitoes who can carry you for miles. The administration is virtually non existence. Only folks who tread inside and tend to the tribals are Christian Missionaries.
They provide them food, shelter, education and healthcare. They dare to go where our government spectacularly fails to do their job, i.e. provide the basic governance. If I am suffering from hunger and shivering from malaria, it may not take me long to prefer Jesus over Ram or Rahim if seduced by the persuasion of someone who helps me at that time.
In contrast our Hindu zealots are mostly frauds, cheats and social media warriors who are chicken hearted and don't even have a fraction of guts these evangelicals possess. Champions of long sermons, they bicker amongst themselves and have an abysmal record of social service. Forget about being adventurous, rarely you will see a Sadhu (mendicant) serving poor and destitute, most of these charlatans can be seen well ensconced in their airconditoned abodes, surrounded by their female disciples (Usual disclaimers apply).
It is perhaps the soft aspect of Hinduism and lack of hard adventurism which enabled us to be ruled over by Muslims and Christians for more than thousand years. Not much have changed ever since. We are still by and large a soft nation. Though being over adventurous can backfire big time as was in this ill fated mission by the young American Evangelist, the spirit of human adventure will never die.
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