BOOK of ABSTRACTS XXTh WORld COngReSS InTeRnATIOnAl ...

– B –
Babu, Ravi – Andhra University, India
ravikumbha@yahoo.co.in
PHilantHroPy as an exPression of
sPiritualism
The belief system inbuilt in religions that spirit has its
own existence and that it guides and guards the actions
and activities of the individuals may or may not convince
the rationalists, but it has its practical value both at
individual and the societal level. Convictions, many a
time unspoken, about rebirth and transmigration of soul
require to be perceived as those which prompt humanistic
and philanthropic outlook among the individuals. Most
of the funds received by the Religious elite have their root
in the deep convictions of the people. Majority of the
voluntary or non-governmental organizations involved in
social service activities are found to have affiliation with
some or other religious congregations. A study on the
factors motivating voluntary service and action resulted
in the observation that Spiritual path is essentially linked
with the humanistic outlook requiring philanthropic
disposition.
Babu, Umesh – Ranchi University, India
Puttaiah, E. T. – Ranchi University, India
Parisara75@gmail.com
conservation vs etHnic of triBal
PoPulation: a case study of Jenu kuruBa in
soutHern india
ATribal communities, though rich in traditional
knowledge system, are most exploited sections in
modern society. They used to be exploited by vested
interest groups such as middlemen, land lords, etc.
However, the recent entry to this group appears to be
the State. In its eagerness to show its commitment for
conservation of nature, Government of India has
embarked on creation of National Parks, Wildlife
Sanctuaries in a hurry. This immediate creation of
protected regions has literally added fuel to the fire that
was created by Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Together,
these two institutions have made the life of numerous
tribals very difficult. One such group is Jenu Kuruba
(Honey collection community), spread over Nagarahole
National Park and B.R. Hills Sanctuary. They were
known for their indigenous ways of protecting nature
and also capacity to merge into nature. However, sudden
creation of protected areas has forced them to shift their
roles from that of benefactor to exploiter. In this paper,
we would like to focus on the failures on the part of State
in evolving a proper rehabilitation packages for this
group of tribes. We also present traditional wisdom of
this group in protection of nature.
Baffelli, Erica – University of Otago, New Zealand
Erica.baffelli@otago.ac.nz
Playing WitH asaHara: rePresenting
JaPanese neW religious movements on
video sHaring WeBsites
In the mid 1990s some Japanese new religious
movements (shinshūkyō) established a presence on the
Internet. One of the most active was Aum shinrikyō
(Aum Supreme Truth), the group who would go on to
perpetrate a sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway system
in 1995.
The website was eventually removed and in 2000 was
replaced with another site, this one for another religious
group that called itself Aleph, which had been
established by former members of Aum. On this new
site, the figure of Asahara, who had been imprisoned
since 1995 and was sentenced to death in 2004, was
much less visible. In May 2007, a number of members of
Aleph, including Jōyū Fumihiro, a one-time
spokesperson and public relations manager for Aum,
left the organization and founded another new group
called Hikari no wa (Circle of Light). Hikari no wa’s
website was immediately opened at the time of the
group’s founding. In contrast to the caution exhibited by
Aleph, the leader of Hikari no wa is not only the main
figure on the website, but is also becoming something of
an Internet celebrity in Mixi, the biggest social network
website in Japan.
However, the rise of Jōyū as a Web ‘celebrity’ seems to be
paralleled by an increasing amount of ridicule and
criticism directed at Asahara’s image online. Large
numbers of user-generated videos have appeared on
video sharing websites such as YouTube or Niko niko
dōga, videos that parody the anime films that Aum
Shinrikyō once produced and distributed among
members. In the most common form of these videos, an
original animation movie or video from Aum is
presented with different background music, creating a
humorous effect aimed especially at ridiculing the
ex-leader Asahara.
This paper investigates the differences and similarities
between Asahara and Jōyū’s self-representation wonline.
Is Jōyū creating the image of a new leader or in he
merely replicating the image of Asahara in new
clothing? Is ‘Web 2.0’ giving rise to what Jolyon Thomas
(2006) has called ‘playing with religion’ (shūkyo asobi)?
Do these videos show us the increasingly blurry
boundaries between religion and entertainment? How is
Jōyū’s involvement online impacting his potential
influence offline?
XX tH WORLd CONGREss of the INtERNAtIONAL AssOCIAtION for the HIstORy of RELIGIONs
21