Amid allegations from the Adibasi Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (AVKA), an organisation ideologically aligned with the BJP, that foreign missionary groups are actively converting tribal communities across Bengal and other parts of India, the three-day Janajati Sammelan (Tribal Convention) at ISKCON’s headquarters in Sri Dham Mayapur became a platform for voicing concerns against such activities.

Tribal delegates from Eastern, North-eastern, and Central India attended the convention, raising alarms over the erosion of their indigenous culture. The event, organised by ISKCON, aimed to empower tribal communities through education, women’s development programmes, economic upliftment, and healthcare initiatives. Representatives from various tribal groups—Santhal, Oraon, Munda, Ho, Bhumij, Kharia, Birhor, Mahali, and Shabar—spanning West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, as well as regions in the Northeast and Central India, participated in the gathering. Many attendees voiced their resentment against missionary organisations, accusing them of exploiting poverty and illiteracy to convert tribal populations.

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A few days ago in Kolkata, Satyendra Singh, president of the Adibasi Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, alleged that missionary groups were luring tribals in Sundarbans, Hooghly, North Bengal, and parts of Arunachal Pradesh with monetary benefits and promises of foreign travel. Chintamani Oraon, a young graduate from a remote village in Dhupguri who joined the three-day tribal convention, shared her concerns: “I have brought 12 others to attend ISKCON’s programme. In North Bengal, missionaries from abroad are systematically converting entire tribal villages by offering money and foreign visits.

They are setting up religious establishments to train us in different practices. We want to live with our traditions and culture, but they exploit poverty to change our identity.” Dheeraj Munda, who led a 30-member delegation from the Bengal-Assam border near Cooch Behar, echoed similar sentiments: “We thank ISKCON for helping us preserve our traditional way of life. They are teaching us about our heritage and spiritual values so that we don’t lose our identity.” From Purulia, Paresh Mahali highlighted ISKCON’s efforts: “ISCKON’s Tribal Care initiative is working closely with tribal communities in remote villages and forest areas to educate them about their culture and spiritual traditions. If such efforts are not made, we Adivasis will lose our very existence.”

ISKCON’s Public Relations Officer, Rasik Gauranga Das, distanced the organisation from taking a political stance on missionary activities. “We are not here to comment on what foreign missionary groups are doing. Over 2,500 tribal and marginalised individuals from backward communities have gathered here. They are celebrating their heritage through traditional dance, music, theatre, and various art forms, including drawing and embroidery. Some of them have never even travelled by train before.

Our goal is to ensure each community can thrive while preserving its own traditions. We oppose any form of forced religious or cultural imposition.” The three-day convention has spotlighted the ongoing debate about tribal identity, cultural preservation, and external influences. While ISKCON positions itself as a neutral force promoting indigenous heritage, the allegations against missionary organisations are likely to fuel further political and social discourse in the days ahead.