Irudhaya Jothi SJ

Unokoti: Women of a tribal community in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura show the way to Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

They take a fist full of rice before putting it in the cooking pot, and this rice is collected and shared with the poor in the village every Sunday.

The women belong to Halam tribe in Jamtalibari village under the Unokoti district of Tripura.

Chongnaichong Halam, the president of Maria Sanga (St Mary’s community), a woman’s group, says when Covid ravaging the country brings distress, negativity, anger, helplessness all around, they share what they have with less fortunate and live humbly and happily.

“Every day before cooking the rice we take out a fistful of rice and keep it aside for the poor, at least three handful of rice is saved at every Catholic house daily,” says Chongnaichong Halam, told Matters India.

Lienhaiden Halam, the group’s secretory, says some of them visit houses every Wednesday and Saturday to collect the rice and bring it to the newly erected St. Ignatius Church, the only Jesuit parish in Tripura, to distribute on Sundays.

The villagers, the secretary told Matters India, are basically laborers who work in tea estates, and farms.

The meager rice they get from ration shops does not meet all their needs. Some do not get what they should. “Such poor have one sure place to get their weekly quota of rice for cheaper rate,” the secretary explained.

Chongnaihoi Halam, the group’s cashier, says they do not distribute rice freely, but charge a nominal rate. “The money we collect from the sale is used again to help the poor with finance or with materials, she adds.

She also said the mothers know more than anyone the importance of food as they have to feed their children and family members. So, they have resolved not to let any family go hungry to bed.

Their parish priest, Jesuit Father James Morais is happy with the women group’s initiative. “I shall promote it and spread in every mission stations of the parish,” he told Matters India.

The Jesuit mission of Tripura is under the Kerala province. It started with Father Morais and conferrer Babu Paul with the blessings of Bishop Lumen Monteiro of Agartala. The Jesuits were given the Kailasahar subdivision in Unokoti district as their mission field.

In the past three years, including one year of lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, the two Jesuits ventured into many areas of intervention and have established their presence in the state.

Morais is parish priest of Jamtalibari St. Ignatius Parish and Father Paul the headmaster of St. Mary’s School, in Jambuijala close to Agartala, around 5=hour drive south of the Jesuit parish.

The Jesuits collaborate with the sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy and the Daughters of Vincent de Paul in both the mission places.

The Jesuits also plan to set up the social action center and initiate developmental and rights-based works in a new mission.

Tripura is the third-smallest state in the country, and is bordered by Bangladesh to the north, south, and west, and the Indian states of Assam and Mizoram to the east.

According to 201 census data the state has 3,671,032 people, just 0.3 percent of India’s population.

Halam is one of the 19 tribal communities in Tripura. They are Tripuri, Jamatia, Noatia, Uchai, Chakma, Mog, Lushai, Kuki, Munda, Kau, Orang, Santal, Bhil, Chaimal, Garo, Khasia and Lepcha.

Halam is one of the smallest tribe with around 57,000 people. “But they are a vibrant and convinced upward looking community,” Father Morais explained.

According to the Tripura state portal information, only 31 percent of the state’s 3.6 million people are tribals and the rest are Bengalis. The state language is Bengali.

The Church has been active among the tribal population since the Holy Cross fathers entered area.

It is not the first time, the Jesuits have come to this area. According to historian David Syiemlieh, Jesuits were present in Tripura in the 17th century.

Jesuit Father Ignatius Gomes visited the Mariamnagar in Agartala in 1683. And later the Holy Cross missionary P Barber visited in 1843.

The diocese of Agartala now has 23 parishes with a Catholic population of around 47, 000.

Holy Cross Father Lumen Monteiro was appointed the first bishop of Agartala in 1996.

The silver jubilee of the diocese is in this year.