ARTE Documentaire: Les Bishnoïs (en accès gratuit jusqu'au 11 mai 2013)

Les Bishnoïs

EXTRAIT:

Le désert du Thar dans le nord-ouest de l'Inde : dès l'aube, Ramnivas Budhnagar accomplit un rituel, en allant déposer de l'eau et de la nourriture pour les animaux sauvages. Son fils Mahaver l'accompagne, car un jour, c'est lui qui prendra la relève. La famille de Ramnisvas appartient à la communauté des Bishnoï. Le terme Bishnoï, de " bish ", vingt et " noï ", neuf, soit " 29 ", est dérivé des 29 préceptes édictés par Lord Jambeshvar il y a un demi-millénaire. A l'époque, des conflits entre hindous et musulmans secouaient le pays, qui menaçait aussi de se disloquer à cause des rivalités intercastes. Jambeshvar était convaincu que la seule issue possible, était de parvenir à un respect absolu de la vie sous toutes ses formes. Il avait donc édicté 29 règles qui portent tout autant sur l'hygiène quotidienne que sur le langage, le mode d'alimentation, la compassion et le pardon. Elles vont de " Ne tue jamais un animal ", " Protège les animaux sauvages, car eux aussi jouent un rôle dans l'équilibre de la nature " à " Ne mens pas " et " N'abats pas les arbres ". Depuis 500 ans, les Bishnoïs sont respectueux de la nature ; ce sont donc les premiers défenseurs de l'environnement en quelque sorte. Aujourd'hui encore, ils essaient de rester fidèles à leurs idéaux, en dépit de la mondialisation qui laisse peu de place à l'individu et aux modes de vie immuables. Les jeunes Bishnoï émigrent dans les villes. Les autres, ceux qui restent, continuent de se battre pour les droits des animaux ; ils soignent des gazelles blessées, en les mettant à l'abri dans leurs temples. Pourtant, ils ont discerné les signes des temps, à l'instar de Ramnisvas. Ce dernier se sert depuis longtemps de moyens de communication modernes comme le téléphone portable, et il organise des manifestations relayées le lendemain dans les journaux. Mais cela suffira-t-il à porter haut le combat des Bishnoï et à assurer leur survie ?

(France, Allemagne, 2010, 52mn) ARTE

(présentation extraite du site d'ARTE)

Diffusé le 04/05/2013, ce documentaire est en accès gratuit jusqu'au 11 mai 2013:

http://videos.arte.tv/fr/videos/360-geo--7479616.html

India's silent war by Imran Garda - Al Jazeera English

Imran Garda examines the 40-year war that has claimed thousands of lives but been largely ignored outside of India.

A 40-year long civil war has been raging in the jungles of central and eastern India. It is one of the world's largest armed conflicts but it remains largely ignored outside of India. 

Caught in the crossfire of it are the Adivasis, who are believed to be India's earliest inhabitants. A loose collection of tribes, it is estimated that there are about 84 million of these indigenous people, which is about eight per cent of the country's population. 

For generations, they have lived off farming and the spoils of the jungle in eastern India, but their way of life is under threat. Their land contains mineral deposits estimated to be worth trillions of dollars. Forests have been cleared and the Indian government has evacuated hundreds of villages to make room for steel plants and mineral refineries.

The risk of losing everything they have ever known has made many Adivasis fertile recruits for India's Maoist rebels or Naxalites, who also call these forests home.

The Maoists' fight with the Indian government began 50 years ago, just after India became independent. A loose collection of anti-government communist groups - that initially fought for land reform - they are said to be India's biggest internal security threat. Over time, their focus has expanded to include more fundamental questions about how India is actually governed.

In their zeal for undermining the Indian government, Maoist fighters have torched construction equipment, bombed government schools and de-railed passenger trains, killing hundreds. In the name of state security, several activists who have supported the Maoists have been jailed and tortured. Innocent people have also been implicated on false charges. These are often intimidation tactics used by the government to discourage people from having any contact with the Maoists.

The uprising by Maoist fighters and its brutal suppression by the Indian government, has claimed more than 10,000 lives since 1980, and displaced 12 million people. Many of the victims are not even associated with either side. They are simply caught in the crossfire. And the violence is escalating as both sides mount offensive after counter-offensive.

Al Jazeera's Imran Garda travelled to the Indian states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal to get a secret glimpse into the world of the Naxalites and to meet with rebel fighters as well as those victimised by this conflict.

  

[presentation from Al Jazeera - English]

Keywords: Adivasis (tribal - aboriginal communities) in centre-eastern India / Naxal (Maoïst) revolutionaries / Indian army and paramilitary forces / Indian politics /

Extract: 

To see the entire documentary:

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/aljazeeracorrespondent/2011/10/20111019124251679523.html