24th January 2022 – Were the Mundari tribe be in India, they would have been called as ‘cow-vigilantes’ by the mainstream media. They would have been the targets of misinformation and stories of Mundaris killing people in the name of ‘cow-worship’ would have probably been discussed in the United Nations. Luckily, they are not in India. More importantly, they are not Hindus who are ridiculed, laughed-at and hated for loving and protecting their cattle.
Who are the Mundari Tribe?
In Southern Sudan, lives a cattle herding tribe called the Mundaris. The tribe has their own language, culture and tradition and is distinct from other tribes living in Southern Sudan. Playing music and wrestling are popular activities of this tribe. They are mostly an agriculture based community and their cattle graze of the vast land which is fertile because of the river Nile.
Why do they protect their cattle?
The Mundaris raise their cows for milk and not for their meat. The kids in the tribe are emotionally connected with these cows. They drink their milk and cow’s dung is dried and used to repel flies and mosquitoes in that rough terrain. Mundaris grow as fierce fighters to protect their women and cattle, even though their basic food is milk and yogurt. When the civil war erupted in Sudan, the cattle became a prized possession for the neighboring tribes. With AK-47s in their hands, Mundaris are ready to die and kill to protect their cattle.
