Christianity among the Scheduled Tribes of the Northeast: Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland
With the level of Christianity among the Scheduled Tribes having reached
saturation levels, the direction of conversion seems to have shifted towards
the non-Scheduled Tribes populations. In the last two decades, the share of
Christians in the non-ST population of Mizoram has increased from 4.7 to 37.7
percent and that of Nagaland from 9.3 to 22.1 percent. In Manipur, it is the
share of the ORPs rather than Christians that has recorded extraordinary
increase from nearly nil to 13 percent in these two decades. The ORPs, as we
have seen, are often a half way house between Hinduism and Christianity. The
share of Hindus in the non-ST population has declined everywhere, from 72.3 to
39.7 in Mizoram, from 87.7 to 69.5 percent in Manipur and from 74.5 to 59
percent in Nagaland.
Among
the smaller States of the Northeast, Manipur is unusual in having a low share
of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in its population. Of the total population of
28.55 lakh counted in 2011, 11.67 lakh is from the STs. They form only about 41
percent of the total population. This is because the STs inhabit mainly the
hilly districts of the State, while the non-STs dominate the much more densely
populated districts in the valley and the plains. As seen in the topographic
map of Manipur here, Manipur is divided into Manipur Valley comprising
Bishnupur, Thoubal and Imphal East and the surrounding hills that comprise
Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel, Charachandpur and Tamenglong districts. Parts of the
last two and the whole of Imphal West also fall in the flat plains. The valley
and plains districts are naturally more densely populated than the hills; the
latter are inhabited mostly by the Scheduled Tribes, the former by the non-ST
populations.
In the
Map here, we show population of the major tribes in different districts of the
State as counted in the Census of 1991. Similar data for 2011 is not yet
available, and the data for 2001 is not complete because no census was
conducted in parts of Senapati district. In 1991, Imphal East and Imphal West
were not yet separated; the data given here is for the combined district.
Different Naga tribes dominate different parts of
Nagaland. Mon is the district of Konyak Nagas, Mokokchung of the Ao, Wokha of the
Lotha, Zunheboto of the Sema and Phek of the Chakhesang. The Angami are
distributed mainly in Dimapur and Kohima. But in Dimapur, the Sema have the
largest numbers and there are almost as many of the Ao as of the Angami. Kohima
has considerable numbers of the Zeliang and Rengma besides the Angami.
Tuengsang seems dominated by the Phom, but there are also considerable numbers
of the Sangtam, Yimchungre, Chang and Khiemnungan. Phek has a noticeable
presence of the Pochury besides the dominant Chakhesang. This great
individuality and diversity of the Naga tribes seems to have now been subsumed
within Christianity.
The Scheduled Tribes of Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland
have been nearly completely converted to Christianity. This has happened
already two or three decades ago.
In Mizoram, Christians now form 90 percent of the ST
population. Besides the Christians, there are 8.8 percent Buddhists among the
STs; most of them are Chakmas, who are unlikely to convert. Christians have a
presence of nearly 99 percent in all other tribes, excepting the Kuki and the
unclassified Generic tribes. The share of Hindus in these two tribes is now 5
percent and 3.4 percent respectively, sharply down from their share of 24 and
13 percent in 1991. Before 1991, there was also a considerable number of the
Hindu Bru Reang tribe in Mizoram; all of them are now living in refugee camps
in north Tripura, where there are larger numbers of that community.
In Manipur, Christians have a share of 97 percent in
the ST population. Christianity has penetrated deep into every numerically
significant tribe of the State. Christian presence is near 98 percent in 15 of
the17 tribes with a population of more than 1,000 in 2011. The two exceptions
are the Kabui and the unclassified Generic Tribes, among whom the share of Christians
is 90 and 94.5 percent, respectively. The Kabui have 1,491 Hindus and 7,657
ORPs in their population of 1.04 lakh. Of the ORPs among the Kabui, 5,949 are
followers of the Heraka faith.
In Nagaland, Christians form more than 98 percent of
the ST population. The share of Christians is near or above 98 percent in all
of the numerically significant Naga tribes, except the Zeliang. Among them, the
share of Christians is 95 percent. This is because there continue to be about
2.5 thousand followers of the Heraka faith among them.
In each of the three States, there are a very large
number of diverse tribes often inhabiting geographical distinct districts or
regions. All this diversity of beliefs, practices and ways of life has now been
reduced to the uniformity of Christianity. Only a few followers of the Heraka
faith remain among the Kabui of Manipur and the Zeliang of Nagaland as
reminders and remnants of that diversity.
MIZORAM
|
Religious Demography of the Scheduled Tribes and Others in
Mizoram, 2011
|
||||||
|
Total
|
Christian
|
Buddhist
|
Hindu
|
Muslim
|
Other
|
|
|
Total
Pop
|
10,97,206
|
9,56,331
|
93,411
|
30,136
|
14,832
|
2,496
|
|
ST
Population
|
10,36,115
|
9,33,302
|
91,054
|
5,920
|
4,209
|
1,630
|
|
Non-ST
Pop
|
61,091
|
23,029
|
2,357
|
24,216
|
10,623
|
866
|
|
%
of Total Pop
|
100.00
|
87.16
|
8.51
|
2.75
|
1.35
|
0.23
|
|
%
of ST Pop
|
100.00
|
90.08
|
8.79
|
0.57
|
0.41
|
0.16
|
|
%
of non-ST Pop
|
100.00
|
37.70
|
3.86
|
39.64
|
17.39
|
1.42
|
The Scheduled Tribes of Mizoram are either Christian
or Buddhist
Of the
total population of 11 lakh counted in Mizoram in 2011, 9.6 lakh, forming 94.4
percent of the total is from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities and 90.1
percent of the Scheduled Tribes are Christian. There are also about 91 thousand
Buddhists among the STs; they form 8.8 percent of the ST population. Besides
the Christians and Buddhists, there are 11.8 thousand STs in the State; of them
half are Hindu.
Religious demography of the non-ST population
There
are only about 61 thousand non-Scheduled Tribe persons counted in Mizoram in
2011; they form 5.6 percent of the population. Christians have a share of 37.7
percent even among them. Muslims form another 17.4 percent. Only 39.7 percent
of the non-STs are Hindu. In 1991, the share of Hindus in the non-ST population
was 72.3 percent.
Sudden rise of Christianity in the non-ST population
|
Rise
of Christians in the non-ST
population, 1991-2011 |
|||
|
|
Total
|
Christian
|
%C
|
|
1991
|
36,191
|
1,701
|
4.70
|
|
2001
|
49,263
|
13,027
|
26.44
|
|
2011
|
61,091
|
23,029
|
37.70
|
As in
Meghalaya, the number and share of Christians in the non-ST population of
Mizoram has risen suddenly during the last two decades. In 1991, there were
only 1.7 thousand Christians in the non-ST population; their number has now
risen to more than 23 thousand and their share in this population has gone up
from 4.7 to 37.7 percent in the last two decades. The share of Muslims in this
period has also risen from 11.6 to 17.4 percent. The share of Hindus in the
non-ST population has consequently declined from 72.3 to 39.6 percent.
Christian share in the STs has stabilised
|
Share
of Christians in the
ST population, 1991-2011 |
|||
|
|
Total
|
Christian
|
%C
|
|
1991
|
6,53,565
|
5,89,641
|
90.22
|
|
2001
|
8,39,310
|
7,59,782
|
90.52
|
|
2011
|
10,36,115
|
9,33,302
|
90.08
|
As
seen in the Table here, the share of Christians in the ST population has
remained stable at about 90 percent for the last two decades. This is because
nearly all of the STs of Mizoram—except the Buddhists who constitute about 9
percent of the ST population—have already converted to Christianity. Christians
and Buddhists together thus account for more than 98 percent of the ST
population. Further accretion to Christianity is therefore possible only in the
non-STs, which seems to have happened in the last two decades, as we have
noticed above.
Buddhist share has slightly improved
|
Share
of Buddhists in the
ST population, 1991-2011 |
|||
|
|
Total
|
Buddhist
|
%B
|
|
1991
|
6,53,565
|
52,243
|
7.99
|
|
2001
|
8,39,310
|
69,441
|
8.27
|
|
2011
|
10,36,115
|
91,054
|
8.79
|
While
the share of Christians in the ST population has remained stable, that of the
Buddhists has slightly improved. This is mainly because the population of the
Buddhist Chakma tribe has grown faster than the total ST population of the
State. Total population of STs has grown by 58 percent between 1991 and 2011;
the Chakma have grown by 79 percent in the same period.
Christianity among the individual tribes of Mizoram
|
Christianity among the individual tribes of Mizoram
|
|||
|
|
Total
|
Christian
|
%C
|
|
All
Scheduled Tribes
|
10,36,115
|
9,33,302
|
90.08
|
|
Mizo (Lushai) Tribes
|
7,34,910
|
7,26,999
|
98.92
|
|
Pawi
|
51,406
|
51,039
|
99.29
|
|
Kuki Tribes
|
45,754
|
43,075
|
94.14
|
|
Lakher
|
42,855
|
42,586
|
99.37
|
|
Hmar
|
29,587
|
29,289
|
98.99
|
|
Paite
|
23,183
|
22,950
|
98.99
|
|
Generic Tribes etc.
|
7,340
|
6,908
|
94.11
|
|
Man Tai
|
1,263
|
1,247
|
98.73
|
|
Khasi and Jaintia etc.
|
1,034
|
1,022
|
98.84
|
|
Chakma
|
96,972
|
7,121
|
7.34
|
|
|
|
|
|
All tribes except
the Chakma are now predominantly Christian
As
seen in the Table above, all the Scheduled Tribes of Mizroam, except the
Buddhist Chakma, are now nearly fully converted. The Mizo or Lushai are the
largest tribal group in the State; of the total 10.4 lakh STs, 7.3 lakh are
Mizo (Lushai) and nearly 99 percent of them are now Christian. Christians have
a share of 99 percent or more in the smaller tribes of Pawi, Lakher, Hmar and
Paite also. The share of Christians in these tribes had reached this level
already in 1991. The level of Christianisation is somewhat lower at around 94
percent in the Kuki and the unclassified Generic Tribes. There is some Hindu
presence in these two groups; about 5 percent of the Kuki and 3.4 percent of
the Generic Tribes are still Hindu. In 1991, the share of Hindus in these two
groups of tribes was about 24 and 13 percent, respectively. There was once considerable
number of the Hindu Bru Reang in Mizoram; they are now living in refugee camps
in northern Tripura.*
Even the Man Tai in Mizoram have become Christian
The
Table above lists all tribes with a population of 1,000 or more. Surprisingly,
the small community of the Man Tai in the State, who are nearly all Buddhists
in Meghalaya, seem to have been entirely converted. Of 1,263 Man Tais counted
in 2011, 1,247 are Christian. Incidentally, only 3 Man Tais were counted in
Mizoram in 2001.
Only the Chakma have escaped conversion
|
RDI of the
Chakma, 2011
|
||
|
|
Population
|
%Share
|
|
Total
|
96,972
|
100.00
|
|
Buddhist
|
88,885
|
91.66
|
|
Christian
|
7,121
|
7.34
|
|
Hindu
|
526
|
0.54
|
|
Muslim
|
183
|
0.19
|
|
Jain
|
177
|
0.18
|
The
Chakama are the only significantly numerous tribal community of Mizoram to have
largely escaped conversion to Christianity. In 2011, total population of the
Chakma is about 1 lakh, of which only about 7 thousand are Christian. There are
also 526 Hindus, 183 Muslims and 177 Jains among them. The remaining 91.7
percent of the Chakma are Buddhist. It is indeed a measure of their commitment
to Buddhism that they have continued to follow the path even when all others around
them have been converting to Christianity.
Distribution of the various tribes in Mizoram
Census of India lists 16 Scheduled Tribes in Mizoram,
including the unclassified or Generic Tribes. We have listed 10 of the larger
tribes in the Table above; these ten have a population of more than a thousand
in 2011. The remaining 6 include Dimasa (Kachari), Garo, Hajong, Mikir, Synteng
and Naga tribes. Of these, Garo and Naga have a population of around 760;
population of the other four is less than a hundred each.
In the Map here, we have given the population of the
major tribes in different districts for 2001; such district level data is not
yet available for 2011. As seen in the Map, the Mizo or Lushai tribes have a
significantly high presence in all districts except the two southernmost
districts of Lawangtlai and Saiha. The Chakma and the Pawi dominate Lawangtlai,
and the Lakher and the Pawi dominate Saiha. Both the Lakher and the Pawi are now
nearly fully converted. The Chakma, of course, remain Buddhist; they form a
majority of the ST population in Lawangtlai. There are substantial numbers of
the Chakma in Lunglei and they have a notable presence in Mamit also. The Hmar,
who are also nearly all Christian, have a notable presence in Aizwal. There are
significant numbers of Kukis in Mamit, Lunglei and Lawangtai. Other tribes do
not have a notable presence in any district.
MANIPUR
|
Religious Demography of the Scheduled Tribes and Others in
Manipur, 2011
|
||||||
|
Total
|
Christian
|
Hindu
|
Muslim
|
ORP
|
Other
|
|
|
Total
Pop
|
28,55,794
|
11,79,043
|
11,81,876
|
2,39,836
|
2,33,767
|
21,272
|
|
ST
Population
|
11,67,422
|
11,37,318
|
8,784
|
4,296
|
11,174
|
5,850
|
|
Non-ST
Pop
|
16,88,372
|
41,725
|
11,73,092
|
2,35,540
|
2,22,593
|
15,422
|
|
%
of Total Pop
|
100.00
|
41.29
|
41.39
|
8.40
|
8.19
|
0.74
|
|
%
of ST Pop
|
100.00
|
97.42
|
0.75
|
0.37
|
0.96
|
0.50
|
|
%
of non-ST Pop
|
100.00
|
2.47
|
69.48
|
13.95
|
13.18
|
0.91
|
Scheduled
Tribes form only two-fifths of the population
Among
the smaller States of the Northeast, Manipur is unusual in having a low share
of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in its population. Of the total population of
28.55 lakh counted in 2011, 11.67 lakh is from the STs. They form only about 41
percent of the total population. This is because the STs inhabit mainly the
hilly districts of the State, while the non-STs dominate the much more densely
populated districts in the valley and the plains. As seen in the topographic
map of Manipur here, Manipur is divided into Manipur Valley comprising
Bishnupur, Thoubal and Imphal East and the surrounding hills that comprise
Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel, Charachandpur and Tamenglong districts. Parts of the
last two and the whole of Imphal West also fall in the flat plains. The valley
and plains districts are naturally more densely populated than the hills; the
latter are inhabited mostly by the Scheduled Tribes, the former by the non-ST
populations.
Scheduled Tribes have almost all been converted
As
seen in the Table above, nearly all of the Scheduled Tribes have been converted
to Christianity. Of 11.7 lakh STs counted in 2011, 11.4 lakh are Christian. Of
about 30 thousand non-Christian STs, 11 thousand are ORPs—mainly Sanamahis, about
9 thousand Hindus and about 4 thousand Muslims. There are also 2.3 thousand Buddhists
among the STs and 3 thousand STs have been counted under the category of
Religion Not Stated (RNS). Christians now form more than 97 percent of the ST
population of Manipur; this proportion has remained more or less unchanged
since 1991.
Decline of Hindus in the non-ST population
|
Changing
Religious Demography of the non-ST*
|
||||
|
Non-ST Population
|
%Share
|
|||
|
1,991
|
2,011
|
1,991
|
2,011
|
|
|
Total
|
12,04,976
|
16,88,372
|
100.00
|
100.00
|
|
Hindu
|
10,56,811
|
11,73,092
|
87.70
|
69.48
|
|
Muslim
|
1,33,165
|
2,35,540
|
11.05
|
13.95
|
|
ORP
|
2,886
|
2,22,593
|
0.24
|
13.18
|
|
Christian
|
8,832
|
41,725
|
0.73
|
2.47
|
|
* Religious breakup of
the population for 2001 is not
available for three divisions of Senapati division and hence for the whole of Manipur. |
||||
As in
Meghalaya and Mizoram, the share of Hindus in the non-ST population has
declined considerably in the last two decades. They formed 87.7 percent of the
non-STs in 1991; their share in 2011 is near 69.5 percent. But unlike in
Meghalaya and Mizoram, this decline is largely because of the increase in the
share of the persons counted as ORPs. There were less than 3 thousand persons
counted under this category in 1991, the number in 2011 is 2.2 lakh; the share
of the ORPs in the non-ST population has therefore gone up from almost nil to
more than 13 percent; much of this increase in the share of the ORPs had
occurred during 1991-2001. The Muslims and Christians have also improved their
share in the last two decades. The share of the former has gone up from about
11 percent in 1991 to 14 percent in 2011 and that of the latter from less than
1 percent to about 2.5 percent. All this has been at the cost of Hindus, who
have lost 18 percentage points off their share between 1991 and 2011.
The rise of Sanamahis in the non-ST population
Most
of the ORPs counted in 2011 are followers of Sanamahi, an ancient faith of the
Meities; during the twentieth century there has been much concerted effort to
represent the Sanamahi way as a religion separate and distinct from Hinduism.
Of 2.34 lakh ORPs counted in 2011, 2.22 lakh are Sanamahis. The number of
persons identifying themselves as Sanamahis, as distinct from Hindus, rose
suddenly during 1991-2001, but their number in 2011 is almost exactly the same
as in 2001.
Christianity among the individual tribes of Manipur
|
Christianity among the individual tribes of Manipur
|
|||
|
|
Total
|
Christian
|
%C
|
|
All
Schedule Tribes
|
11,67,422
|
11,37,318
|
97.42
|
|
Thadou
|
2,15,913
|
2,11,272
|
97.85
|
|
Tangkhul
|
1,78,568
|
1,75,200
|
98.11
|
|
Poumai Naga
|
1,27,381
|
1,26,092
|
98.99
|
|
Kabui
|
1,03,908
|
93,416
|
89.90
|
|
Mao
|
93,343
|
92,602
|
99.21
|
|
Kacha Naga
|
66,158
|
64,357
|
97.28
|
|
Paite
|
55,542
|
54,815
|
98.69
|
|
Hmar
|
48,375
|
47,804
|
98.82
|
|
Vaiphui
|
42,957
|
42,224
|
98.29
|
|
Any Kuki tribes
|
28,342
|
27,784
|
98.03
|
|
Maram
|
27,524
|
27,221
|
98.90
|
|
Maring
|
26,424
|
25,858
|
97.86
|
|
Zou
|
24,294
|
23,718
|
97.63
|
|
Anal
|
23,509
|
23,107
|
98.29
|
|
Generic Tribes etc.
|
20,806
|
19,668
|
94.53
|
|
Gangte
|
17,178
|
16,859
|
98.14
|
|
Kom
|
14,528
|
14,345
|
98.74
|
Almost all tribes of Manipur have become nearly entirely
Christian
As we
have seen earlier, nearly all of the ST population of Manipur has been
converted to Christianity; and this seems to be true of every individual tribe.
The Census of India lists a total of 34 Scheduled Tribes in Manipur, including
the category of Generic or Unclassified tribes. In the Table above, we have
compiled data for the 17 tribes that have a population of more than 10,000. The
proportion of Christians in the population of 15 of these 17 tribes is around
or above 98 percent. The two exceptions are the Kabui and the Generic Tribes.
The Kabui have 1,491 Hindus and 7,657 ORPs in their population of 1.04 lakh. Of
the ORPs among the Kabui, 5,949 are followers of the Heraka faith.
ORPs among the Scheduled Tribes
Of about
11 thousand ORPs counted among the Scheduled Tribes of Manipur in 2011, more
than 6 thousand are followers of the Heraka faith and of about 2 thousand of
Judaism. There are also 710 Sanamahis and 604 Pagans among them, besides small
numbers of followers of numerous other faiths. The Heraka are mostly among the
Kabui and the Judaists mostly among the Thadou, though there are a few
followers of these faiths among several other tribes. As in Meghalaya and
Mizoram, the great diversity of religious practices that prevailed among the
tribes of Manipur has been more or less replaced entirely by Christianity. The
numerous practices and faiths of the diverse tribes of Manipur that had
survived within the benignly protective and tolerant mainstream of Hinduism are
now largely extinguished; only the memory of those seems to have been preserved
among a few families and villages here and there.
Hindus among the Scheduled Tribes
The
few Hindus that survive among the Scheduled Tribes of Manipur are mostly among
the Tangkhul, Kabui, Thadou and Kacha Naga; all of these have more than a
thousand Hindus among them and the share of Hindus in the population of
Thangkhul, Kabui and Kacha Naga is near or a little above 1 percent, it is only
0.5 percent among the Thadou. Hindus have a higher share in some of the smaller
tribes; the highest is of about 12 percent among the Purum, who number only
278. Hinduism among the STs, like many of the traditional faiths of the diverse
tribes of Manipur, now survives only as a remnant.
Distribution of different tribes in Manipur
In the
Map here, we show population of the major tribes in different districts of the
State as counted in the Census of 1991. Similar data for 2011 is not yet
available, and the data for 2001 is not complete because no census was
conducted in parts of Senapati district. In 1991, Imphal East and Imphal West
were not yet separated; the data given here is for the combined district.
As
seen in the Map, the Mao dominate Senapati district, while there is also a
considerable presence of Thadou. The Thadou, who are the largest tribe of
Manipur, do not seem to dominate any district, but they have a presence in
almost all of the districts. The Tangkhul, who are the second largest tribe of
Manipur, dominate Ukhrul district. The Poumai Naga, the third largest tribe in
2011, were counted along with the Mao in 1991 and 2001. The Kabui seem to
dominate Tamenglong along with the Kacha Naga. In Churachandpur and Chandel
several tribes are present in large numbers; among these the Paite, Hmar, Vaiphui
and Zou are mainly in Churachandpur and Maring and Anal in Chandel. Manipur
hills are thus inhabited by a great diversity of tribes, all of whom have now
been absorbed into the uniformity of Christianity.
NAGALAND
|
Religious
Demography of the Scheduled Tribes and Others in Nagaland, 2011
|
|||||
|
Total
|
Christian
|
Hindu
|
Muslim
|
Other
|
|
|
Total
Pop
|
19,78,502
|
17,39,651
|
1,73,054
|
48,963
|
16,834
|
|
ST
Population
|
17,10,973
|
16,80,424
|
15,035
|
5,462
|
10,052
|
|
Non-ST
Pop
|
2,67,529
|
59,227
|
1,58,019
|
43,501
|
6,782
|
|
%
of Total Pop
|
100.00
|
87.93
|
8.75
|
2.47
|
0.85
|
|
%
of ST Pop
|
100.00
|
98.21
|
0.88
|
0.32
|
0.59
|
|
%
of non-ST Pop
|
100.00
|
22.14
|
59.07
|
16.26
|
2.54
|
Nagaland like Meghalaya and Mizoram is now a Christian
tribal State
Of the
total population of 19.78 lakh counted in Nagaland in 2011, 17.11 lakh is from
the Scheduled Tribes. The STs thus form 86.5 percent of the total population
and 98.2 percent of the STs are Christian. This makes Nagaland even more of a
Christian tribal State than Meghalaya or Mizoram. There are only 30.5 thousand
non-Christians among the Scheduled Tribes; of them, 15 thousand are Hindus, 5.5
thousand Muslims and 10 thousand others. The last include about 5 thousand
Buddhists and 3 thousand ORPs.
Christians form more than one-fifth of the non-ST
population also
In the
non-ST population of about 2.68 lakh, there are 1.58 lakh Hindus. But there are
also more than 59 thousand Christians, forming 22 percent of the non-ST
population; this makes them the second largest religious community in that
group. Besides them, there are 43.5 thousand Muslims and about 7 others. Among
the last, there are around 2 thousand each of Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs.
The recent rise of Christianity in the non-ST
population
|
Rise
of Christians in the non-ST
population, 1991-2011 |
|||
|
|
Total
|
Christian
|
%C
|
|
1991
|
1,48,724
|
13,803
|
9.28
|
|
2001
|
2,16,010
|
43,087
|
19.95
|
|
2011
|
2,67,529
|
59,227
|
22.14
|
As in
Meghalaya and Mizoram, the rise in the share of Christians in the non-ST
population in Nagaland is a recent phenomenon. There were less than 14 thousand
Christians in the non-ST population of Nagaland in 1991; their number now is
more than 59 thousand. Christians formed 9.3 percent of this population in
1991; their share now is above 22 percent. A large part of this rise in their share
has occurred during 1991-2001. With this rise in the share of Christians, and
with the Muslim share rising from 13.5 to 16.3 percent, the share of Hindus in
the non-ST population has declined steeply from 74.5 percent in 1991 to 59
percent now.
Share of Christians among the STs is now stable
|
Share
of Christians in the
ST population, 1991-2011 |
|||
|
|
Total
|
Christian
|
%C
|
|
1991
|
10,60,822
|
10,44,137
|
98.43
|
|
2001
|
17,74,026
|
17,47,262
|
98.49
|
|
2011
|
17,10,973
|
16,80,424
|
98.21
|
As
seen in the Table here, the share of Christians in the Scheduled Tribes has now
stabilised at above 98 percent. It is probably not possible to make
Christianity penetrate beyond this level. It needs to be noted that there has
been a decline in the ST population, as also in the total population of
Nagaland, during 2001-11. But this decline has come after an extraordinary
growth during 1991-2001, when the ST population rose from 10.6 lakh to 17.7
lakh. The decline seen during 2001-11 is perhaps a consequence of some
over-counting that might have happened during the previous decade.
Christianity among the individual tribes of Nagaland
The
Census of 2011 lists 19 Naga tribes and 4 non-Naga tribes among the Scheduled
Tribes of Nagaland. Of the total ST population of 17.1 lakh, 16.7 lakh is of
the Naga tribes; there are only about 34 thousand persons of the non-Naga
tribes and another about 9 thousand of the unclassified “Generic” tribes. Among
the non-Naga tribes, the major population is that of the Kuki and the Kachari. Among
the Kuki 98.6 percent are Christian. Of the Kachari, 69 percent are Hindus and
the remaining largely Christian. Of about 15 thousand Hindu STs in Nagaland, 9
thousand are Kacharis.
|
Christianity
among the individual tribes of Nagaland
|
|||
|
|
Total
|
Christian
|
%C
|
|
Naga
|
16,67,712
|
16,47,480
|
98.79
|
|
Konyak(ST)
|
2,37,568
|
2,32,619
|
97.92
|
|
Sema(ST)
|
2,36,313
|
2,34,762
|
99.34
|
|
Ao(ST)
|
2,26,625
|
2,24,525
|
99.07
|
|
Lotha(ST)
|
1,73,111
|
1,71,771
|
99.23
|
|
Chakhesang(ST)
|
1,54,874
|
1,53,740
|
99.27
|
|
Angami(ST)
|
1,41,732
|
1,39,781
|
98.62
|
|
Sangtam(ST)
|
74,994
|
74,439
|
99.26
|
|
Zeliang(ST)
|
74,877
|
71,305
|
95.23
|
|
Yimchaungre(ST)
|
66,972
|
66,514
|
99.32
|
|
Chang(ST)
|
64,226
|
63,603
|
99.03
|
|
Rengma(ST)
|
62,951
|
62,285
|
98.94
|
|
Khiemnungan(ST)
|
61,647
|
61,246
|
99.35
|
|
Phom(ST)
|
52,682
|
52,255
|
99.19
|
|
Pochury(ST)
|
21,948
|
21,704
|
98.89
|
|
Tikhir(ST)
|
7,537
|
7,468
|
99.08
|
|
Naga
(ST)
|
5,843
|
5,780
|
98.92
|
|
Viswerna(ST)
|
3,664
|
3,536
|
96.51
|
|
Chirr(ST)
|
138
|
138
|
100.00
|
|
Makware(ST)
|
10
|
9
|
90.00
|
|
Non-Naga
|
34,366
|
24,418
|
71.05
|
|
Kuki
|
18,768
|
18,514
|
98.65
|
|
Kachari
|
13,034
|
3,938
|
30.21
|
|
Garo
|
2,346
|
1,834
|
78.18
|
|
Mikir
|
218
|
132
|
60.55
|
|
Generic
|
8,895
|
8,526
|
95.85
|
Christians
have a share of more than 98 percent in 15 of the 19 Naga tribes. The share is
somewhat lower only among the Zeliang, Viswerna, Makware and Konyak. Of these,
Viswerna is a very small tribe with a total population of less than 4 thousand;
presence of only a few Hindus and Muslims among them has resulted in a somewhat
lower share of Christians. Makware is even a smaller tribe with a population of
10 of whom 1 is a Hindu. The Konyak are the largest Naga tribe; the number of
Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists among them is relatively high, but Christians
still form nearly 98 percent of their population. The share of Christians among the Zeliang is
relatively low because of a significant presence of the ORPs; of a total of
3,096 ORPs among the STs in Nagaland, 2,478 are from the Zeliang. They form 3.3
percent of the Zeliang population. Incidentally, 2,441 of the 2,478 ORPs among
the Zeliang are followers of the Heraka persuasion. Thus, one of the numerous
faiths of the Naga seems to be still surviving among the Zeliang; all others
seem to have become nearly extinct.
Distribution of different tribes in Nagaland
Different Naga tribes dominate different parts of
Nagaland. Mon is the district of Konyak Nagas, Mokokchung of the Ao, Wokha of the
Lotha, Zunheboto of the Sema and Phek of the Chakhesang. The Angami are
distributed mainly in Dimapur and Kohima. But in Dimapur, the Sema have the
largest numbers and there are almost as many of the Ao as of the Angami. Kohima
has considerable numbers of the Zeliang and Rengma besides the Angami.
Tuengsang seems dominated by the Phom, but there are also considerable numbers
of the Sangtam, Yimchungre, Chang and Khiemnungan. Phek has a noticeable
presence of the Pochury besides the dominant Chakhesang. This great
individuality and diversity of the Naga tribes seems to have now been subsumed
within Christianity.
CONCLUSION
Mizoram
1. Of
the total population of 11 lakh counted in Mizoram in 2011, 9.6 lakh, forming
94.4 percent of the total is from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities and 90.1
percent of the Scheduled Tribes are Christian.
2.
Besides the Christians, there are 8.8 percent Buddhists among the STs. Most of
the Buddhists are Chakmas, who are unlikely to convert.
3. The
possibilities of further expansion of Christianity among the STs of Mizoram are
now exhausted. Since 1991, their share in the ST population has remained
unchanged at slightly above 90 percent.
4.
There has however been considerable growth of Christianity in the non-Scheduled
Tribes population of Mizoram in these two decades. There were only 1.7 thousand
Christians in the non-ST population in 1991; their number in 2011 is above 23
thousand and their share in this population has risen from 4.7 to 37.7 percent.
5. The
main Mizo or Lushai tribe of Mizoram is nearly 99 percent Christian. The share
of Christians is near or above 99 percent in 6 of the remaining 10 tribal
groups with a population of more than a thousand. The only exceptions are the
Chakma, the Kuki and the unclassified Generic tribes.
6.
Christians form 94 percent of the population of the Kuki and the Generic
tribes. There are still some Hindus left in these two communities; they form 4.8
percent of the population of the former and 3.4 percent of the latter. In 1991,
the share of Hindus in these two groups of tribes was much higher at 24 and 13
percent, respectively.
7.
There also used to be considerable number of the Hindu tribal community of the
Bru Reang; they are now living in the refugee camps of north Tripura, where
there is a larger population of the Hindu Bru Reang.
8.
Surprisingly, 7.3 percent of the Chakma also have been converted; in 2011, 7
thousand Christians have been counted in their population of about 97 thousand.
9. A
large part of the Chakma population is concentrated in the southern Lunglei and
Lawangtlai districts.
Manipur
10.
Scheduled Tribes form only 41 percent of the total population of more than 28
lakh in Manipur. This is because Manipur is geographically divided; the
Scheduled Tribes inhabit the hills, others inhabit the more densely populated but
much smaller area of the valley and the plains.
11.
Christians have a share of more than 97 percent among the Scheduled Tribes of
Manipur.
12.
The Census lists a total of 34 tribes in Manipur. Of these 17 are sufficiently
numerous to have a population of 10 thousand or more in 2011.
13.
Christians have a share of around or above 98 percent in the population of 15
of these 17 tribes. The only exceptions are the unclassified Generic tribes and
the Kabui.
14. The
Kabui have 1,491 Hindus and 7,657 ORPs in their population of 1.04 lakh. Of the
ORPs among the Kabui, 5,949 are followers of the Heraka faith.
15. As
in Mizoram, the possibility of further expansion of Christianity among the
Scheduled Tribes of Manipur seems to have been exhausted.
16.
Major changes have, however, taken place in the religious demography of the
non-ST population. In Manipur, it is not so much the share of Christians, but
that of the ORP that has risen from 0.2 to 13.2 during 1991-2011.
17. More
than 2.2 lakh non-STs have been counted as followers of the Sanamahi faith in
2011; their number was almost the same in 2001, but only a few had mentioned
their faith as Sanamahi in 1991.
18. As
in other States of the region, the share of Hindus in the non-ST population has
come down from 87.7 to 69.5 percent. The share of Hindus in the ST population
is in any case less than 1 percent.
Nagaland
19.
Nagaland, like Meghalaya and Manipur, is now a Christian tribal State. Of the
total population of 19.8 lakh, 17.1 lakh are from the Scheduled Tribes, and of
the latter more than 98 percent are Christian.
20.
The share of Christians in the ST population has remained stable at somewhat
above 98 percent since 1991. The possibility of further expansion of
Christianity into the Scheduled Tribes is now exhausted.
21.
However, there has been considerable expansion of Christianity in the non-ST
population. Their share in the ST population has risen from 9.3 percent in 1991
to 22.1 percent in 2011.
22.
Christians have a share of around or more than 98 percent in almost all but 3
of the Naga tribes inhabiting Nagaland. The only numerically significant tribe
among these three is the Zeliang. Christians form 95 percent of the Zeliang
population of about 75 thousand. There are about 3.3 percent ORPs among the
Zeliang; most of the ORPs are followers of the Heraka faith.
General
23.
Thus of the innumerable religious beliefs and practices of the numerous
Scheduled Tribes of Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya, only the Heraka survives as
a remnant and reminder of that rich diversity.
24.
Hinduism also now survives as a mere remnant among a few tribes like the Kabui
of Manipur. And even among the non-Scheduled Tribes populations of this region,
Hinduism is in rapid retreat. The share of Hindus in the non-ST population has
sharply declined since 1991 in all the three States that we have considered
here, as also in in Meghalaya that we have described in an earlier note.
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