Bagadas are amazing people on Earth

Dear JP,

I am a Christain from South Tamil Nadu. Of course, I visit your site frequently. Let me tell you something, which may be surprising to you.

I was born in a very orthodox Christian family. Now I am 33 years old. I was a very strong beliver of christianity. I never missed praying and reading Bible a day. I was so close to God. I thought I should die for Christ.

I thought Christians were the best people in the world until I met a Badaga 1.5 years back. I was simply moved by that person’s character, hospitality, discipline, Sincerity, affection, honesty, cleanliness, decency and boldness. I have many Hindu friends, but I was only impressed after meeting a Badaga. I suddenly thought thinking, Jesus has asked us to have the above characters and a Badaga has got all these characters, whereas I have not met a single Christian with all these characters. So what is the use of following Christianity?

From that day, I never read Bible, never pray to Jesus and never go to church. My whole community, including my wife and parents were surprised with my change. They never knew that a Badaga was behind that. And I promise you that I and my Badaga friend never spoke about christianity.

The change came to me from my inner soul. No one changed me.

Now I feel daily that I should have born in that community. I felt that it is a curse for not being born in Badaga community. My ambition is to become rich and serve the badaga community. I want to join the community and be one among them.

But the messages in your website creates ‘a bit of a bad feeling’ among Badagas on Christians. What will people like me do?

I want to learn Badaga language. I need a book. I heard that 2 people in Coonoor has written in Tamil. I searched entire coonnor. But in vain. Can you please help me on this regard. Thanks – AR

I was quite amazed to receive this email from AR

[I sincerely thank him for permitting to put this on our websites].

Two things strike me to be extraordinary. AR’s frankness and his ‘unabashed appreciation of Badagas’.

AR, hope  all Badagas will possess “character, hospitality, discipline, sincerity, affection, honesty, cleanliness, decency and boldness”  and live like the person you have described and bring changes in others.

‘This particular individual’  makes  us all very proud.

And here are a couple of clarifications. I wonder why you feel that I do not like Christians and that my views create ‘a bit of bad feelings’.I am a proud Hindu but have great respect to all other religions. Some of my best and closest friends are Christians.

The only thing I am against is the forcible conversion of many Badagas to Christians which is threatening the very fabric of the Badaga Society [supposed to be endowed with all the great qualities you attribute to them].

There are a couple of books to ‘learn Badaga’ by Dr.Haldorai and here are some of his 

Books Published on Badaga  : 

1. badagu oru diravida moli* (Badaga a Dravidian Language) (Tamil)
2. badagu molip palamoligal (Badaga Proverbs)  (Tamil and English meanings)
3. Badaga –English  Self  Instructor (English)
4. A Practical Key to the Badaga Language (English)

for the complete list of books go here

Thanking AR once again and hope we Badagas also live up to possess  such great qualities. – Wg Cdr JP