Tribals call meeting after Bible translation attacks their b

NAT12National/ReligionTribals call meeting after Bible translation attacks their beliefsRanchi, Oct 13 IANS In the wake of a controversy following the recent translation of the Bible into a local language Kuduk, a number of tribal organisations have called a Mahapanchayat large meeting here Oct 19 to discuss issues related to their cultural identity.The translated version exhorted people to destroy the trees and the places they worship. The issue had rocked the state assembly. The Bible Society of India has apologised for the error in translation and both the society and the state government have decided to recall all copies of the translated Bible from shops."The Mahapanchayat, to be attended by the representatives of seven states, will discuss many issues related to tribal people. There is a conspiracy to end the tribal identity across the state and in the country," president of Kendriya Sarna Samittee KSS Ajay Tirkey told IANS. "The Mahapanchayat will discuss how the cultural identity of tribals can be protected."The meeting will be attended by the representatives from Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajashthan, West Bengal and Jharkhand. "It will also discuss the translated Bible issue and decide our course of action," said Tirkey. Kuduk is the language of one of the tribal groups who live in Jharkhand.--Indo-Asian News Servicens/pb/jg224 Words13101244