WORTH READING ARTICLE
INTRODUCTION: The following article was written by late Shri. P.L Deshpande alias Pu La about thirty five years ago published in a book- Ek Shunya Me. He was one the most popular Marathi artistes, intellectuals and writers who ruled over Maharashtrian minds for about fifty years. I have translated the original Marathi article into English for the benefit of all.
TITLE:
Religion, blind faith and you and all of us.
“I did not have any affinity toward any religion, God and religious rituals. I used to like the idols
of deities as the works of sculptors.
Right from my adolescent age I have not prayed
with folded hands to any deity. I have never believed in gimmicks of birth in
previous life or rebirth after the death. There is no doubt in my mind that the
ideas of God, religion have been used by the cunning rulers or power hungry
people for their selfish purposes.
In our country (society) it would have been better
if the scientists dealing with fundamental and natural sciences were born
instead of religious saints. Our country would have become happier and
prosperous.
For me the inventor of technique of anaesthesia in
medical science to relieve the pains is more superior than any saintly person.
The fundamentals of Science is that it does not
treat anyone as superior or inferior. Those scientists who advocated for the existence
of the truth were ruthless harassed and tortured by the orthodox priests and
the mediocre rulers who used to blindly obey their commands. Those who
relentlessly preach and practice the religion are the main enemies of the truth
and of existence of ground realities.
Such orthodox people used to send widows to the
pyres of their deceased husbands, sacrifice the human beings either to
construct the palaces or temples, would desecrate the human beings labelling
them as untouchables, boycott some people from the society and what not …..
The people have shed their blood over the
dominance of their religion or sect. On account of this many authoritarian
rulers emerged.
Our history is of full of wars. In olden days, the
Rulers used to fight with each other to grab more territories. There used to be
defeats and victories. The tendency of the people in general used to be to
salute or bow respectfully before the Victor and this trend is still continuing
which you are observing. Such selfish people would eulogise the Victor in such
glorious way that people would start believing as the authentic history.
Now a days, the main leaders are being equated
with Lord Buddha or Jesus Christ by their followers(?). In such country to
write or speak with rationality along with evidences is treated as an offence.
In our country there a great deal of significance
to the personality cult by chanting the names continuously (Nam Smaran).It is
believed that by doing it one can
overcome the problems. However, there is no rationality behind it.
By following blind faith, people do not possess
the strength to examine the facts with rationality. A few people from the
society with vested interests lucidly articulate the things to lure the people.
There is no parity between the pronouncements and practices and no one feels
ashamed of it.
There is a Vedic prayer which states: “Sahanavavtu
Sahanau bhunaktu” which talks about humanity means “sahanavavatu” but at the
same time abhors others saying, “get lost, we will be spoiled !”. Still Vedic
teachings are treated as superior and those preach them are more superior and
those who felicitate such people are still greater.
In the morning time there are prayers with music eulogising
the God as caretaker of down trodden, but
when one stands in the gallery one would find the young orphans searching for the
stale food in the heap of garbage. There are praiseworthy showers on the God and
for those who occupy the power. But for ground realities the showers of praises
are of no relevance.
However, such praises are favourable who live in
the world of imaginations. Calling “Untouchables” as “Harijans” or the “Women”
as “deities” as magic mantra would not do away their slavery. Such things are
matter of imaginations, far away from the ground realities.
At Pune Vegetable Market, the orthodox elements
arrange Satya Narayan Puja openly as a mark of protest against Satya Shodhak
volunteers who demonstrate against the blind faith practices. But the people in
general are satisfied with prasadam of puja with sense of blissfulness and
regrettably the Government also encourage such activities of blind faith in the
society.
Now I have crossed age of sixty.
But in the last few years I have been observing
many Godmen and women are becoming smart like Hindi actors and actresses which
I did not observe when I was young. To construct a temple has become business
like crossing over to a political party in power.
I have never heard the name of any Shankaracharya.But
now a days people stand in a que by paying hefty amount to pay their obeisance to Godmen. The Prime
Minister of a secular country also visits them to seek their blessings. The
income of temples, churches and mosques are increasing enormously. But people
do not gain anything out of it except that of proud feeling of belonging to a certain
sect or faith.
When I look at the social reality I find the word
“counselling” useless. The leaders who are insecure of loosing the power, the rich
people of fear of losing their wealth, and the helpless poor expecting that the
God would rescue them out of poverty, such is the situation in the society.
There is not any effect of modern rational
thinking on the society so far. Sometimes I feel this is what is the ultimate
truth”.
