THE NEED OF A CENTRAL LEGISLATION ON ANTI-SUPERSTITION The assassination of Narendra Dhabolkar has opened a new chapter in the history of social reform movement in post independent India. He is perhaps the first martyr who laid his life for freedom of reasoning and for liberating society from age old blind belief and superstitions. The anti-superstition and Black magic bill in form of Ordinance will see the light of the day as committed by Mahrastra Government. The passage of a bill will not be as easy in face of opposition of orthodox religious forces. The struggle for freedom of reasoning is much wider that includes liberating all spheres social and private life from any kind of bondage that stands opposed to a modern and a secular society. The most drawbacks of different currents social reform movement in colonial India was that it enmeshed social reform with religious reform. The struggle against caste oppression was misled to pacify that we are sons and daughters of one god. The basic social and economic conditions responsible for caste oppression and discrimination was undermined when it took a radical form against landowning class and landed gentry. The social reform movement further derailed when the pioneers’ vision of reason failed to see the dominant ideology that keep the masses under backward consciousness and religions of all denominations contribute in a big way to arrest the forward march of society. The unfinished task of social reform movement demands today a clear and defined programme and that is the scientific and secular alternative with economic emancipation of masses from the clutches of poverty. The question of practice of sati, child marriage, widow remarriage once the focal point in social reform movement has taken a back seat compared to colonial India with spread of women awareness and education. But the much contested idol worship has taken new turn and thousands of places of worship with huge investment are coming up. The crime and violence against Dalits and women are taking an ugly turn and Honour killing is manifestation of barbaric and savage practice no society ever seen. Alongside it there is steep rise in fortune tellers with their religious commercial bag filled with stones and rings. New Babas, Matas and modern religious gurus have spread their empire every sphere of society. BOL BOM, the so-called Siva devotees are new generations of fanatics and that involves today the business of crores. The modern sophisticated Gurus have their own Prathana Channels and the patronization for it definitely comes from big sharks of politics and economy. The tribal society and Dalit section while fall prey to theses nefarious designs, the big baboos patronize gurus and religious institutions in different forms. It is a shame that the prominent leaders of our society go to those Gurus and places of worship to get blessings and arrange sacred pyre for success in the election. If Maharastra would take a lead as expected, let the Union Government start dialogue and deliberation among different rationalist associations, social reform organizations and forces who are working in different spheres of society to liberate the people from blind belief and superstition to bring a central legislation on this vital issue. Alongside the need of a progressive legislation to combat the forces that foster superstition to arrest the modern advance of society a recasting of education syllabus and curriculum in the line of reasoning and scientific temper is also equally important. Let us start an all India campaign to see that the dreams of our social reformers including Narendra Dhabolkar to usher a society where freedom of reasoning, scientific temper and secular outlook inform our life.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:29:05 +0000
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