Chandana Chakrabarti
Look at the damage we do
to our environment. We immerse our gods and goddesses in natural water bodies
demonstrating a complete disregard for the environment. Idols made from
materials that are non-biodegradable and are coated with chemical paints leach
cadmium, mercury and lead in the water, threatening every life-form that
depends on it. In the din created by all religions, the voice of reason from
freethinkers is hardly ever heard.
I feel greatly
privileged in being asked to deliver the fourth Premanand Memorial lecture. I have
had the privilege of knowing Premanand from the eighties when I was in CCMB. I
have had the pleasure of interacting with him on several occasions in the
intervening years. The last I spoke to him was in mid-2009 when I received a
surprise call from him, a few weeks before he passed away. I still remember his
zest for life and the complete absence of remorse, regret or self pity. He was
going through a great deal of pain and suffering but he still managed to keep
his smile and laughter and his characteristic light-heartedness. The most
admirable qualities of Premanand were his tremendous courage, openness, brutal
frankness, and his relentless fight against irrationality. He has been an
inspiration for many like me and that is why I am especially privileged to be
here today.
Until recently, free
thinkers like us viewed irrationality, blind belief, and the lack of scientific
temper as something that promotes superstition and obscurantism, and also comes in the way of individual and
collective development. Freethinkers like Premanand propagated quite
passionately that blind faith has been the bedrock of exploitation by
charlatans, godmen and priests in all religions. We have known all along how
obscurantism can not only lead to wasteful expenditure but also endanger
lives. We have known that meaningless
religious rituals have an inherent gender bias, that lack of rationality makes
us accept injustice, and also that it makes us fatalistic. Belief in
supernatural power and the belief in divine protection gives us an illusion of
protection and prevents us from being proactive in governing our lives. That
irrationality and self-reliance cannot go hand in hand. In other words the absence of rationality can
seriously hamper one’s growth and realizing one’s true potential. We were clear about the harm irrationality can
do to society, but even so I am
beginning to realize that perhaps we did not fathom the extent to which
irrationality has damaged the fabric of our society. Let me give a few examples.
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| Chandana Chakrabarti |
The communal lines on
which our society is divided, fuelled by caste-based and communal politics
shows how polarized our society is getting on religious grounds. Rising
religiosity with its frenzied festivals is not only reducing tolerance but also
lessening regard for the freedom of people of other faiths and the faithless.
Thus loudspeakers blaring azaans from mosques or chants from temples,
encroachment of public spaces, a heightened sensitivity to any form of
criticism that often gives way to aggression, and violation of private spaces,
are only some of the fallouts of a mindless display by organized religion.
Look at the way myth is
passed off as history, be it Rama’s place of birth or the bridge built by
monkeys. Right now, the historical Charminar in Hyderabad is under threat from
communal politics. A temple allowed to be built in the historic monument only a
few decades ago is threatening to usurp the historicity of the monument itself.
We haven’t forgotten Ayodhya. Temples, churches and mosques are allowed to grow
from moles to mountains in the middle of the road like cancerous tumours,
choking the flow traffic. No one dares apply laws that are supposed to govern
each of us to such structures. We have let the nation go too far, from hate
speeches to pogroms.
The gruesome rape in
Delhi last December shook the nation. Rapes have been happening for a long
time. Rapes have continued in every part of the country in spite of the
nation’s fury. This incident is a
clarion call to the fact that violence against women in our society has reached
enormous proportions. Dalit women being regularly raped by upper caste men go unreported. Rape, domestic violence,
violation of women’s rights, highly discriminatory practices against women,
female infanticide, female foeticide are just some weapons our society uses
against women. What can be the future of a society that unleashes such violence
against 50 percent of its population? And
where does all this prejudice arrogance and violence stem from ? From irrationality.
It is deeply etched in our minds that women, the lesser beings were made by god
to serve men.
It is time that we take
a hard look at our culture. We need to see what goes on in our homes and
schools that leads to a mind-set where bias, prejudice, and violence become natural
fallout. Irrationality forms the sheet anchor of bias, prejudice, hate and
violence. It is in that space that the task of freethinkers must go on with
strategic and renewed enthusiasm.
It is fashionable today
to romanticize every aspect of Indian culture. Jingoistic elements in our
country are highly intolerant to any critical evaluation of our culture. No
doubt that India’s ancient culture has innumerable aspects that make us
justifiably proud and sets us apart from the rest of the world. Yet there are
many aspects of our culture that come in the way of our individual and
collective progress. Unless we are prepared to change our mindset, which is
dictated by the culture in which we grow up, there is really no hope for a
violence-free, prejudice-free, equal society that would allow an individual to
realize his or her potential. One of the basic criteria for progress is change.
Without change there can be no progress, there can be only stagnation.
Why is our nation soaked
in irrationality, irrespective of class or level of education. Scientists who
are expected to be the beacon of rationality, fail us the most. People who are
privileged with everything from wealth and fame to power and position to make
them secure, are the ones who generally exhibit the greatest level of
irrationality.
Bringing up children
First, look at the way
we bring up our children. Questioning is discouraged among children both at
home and in schools. Children who question are labeled as naughty or precocious
by both parents and teachers. A questioning child is first and foremost seen as
a trouble-maker. So silencing the child is the first option parents and
teachers resort to. Curiosity is built in our genes and that is why even
toddlers are curious about everything that surrounds them. We forget that it is
curiosity that has taken the human race to where it is today. And it is that
curiosity that is nipped in the bud in most homes and schools. In fact, by and
large, in our educational institutions, while we are willing to patronize those
who do not question, there is virtually no nurturing of independent thinking.
It is not just the inconvenience of furnishing logical answers to questions
asked but also the reluctance to revisit what is being questioned when logical
answers are not available. A strong emphasis on unquestioned acceptance in
contemporary society, especially if it comes from any kind of authoritative
position, be it age, power or position, has become a bane of our society.
It is, therefore not
surprising that very few ever ask (if one were a Hindu) as to why one’s mother
is required to change her whole lifestyle from what she eats to how she dresses
or how she interacts socially when one’s father passes away. Why is a widow
prescribed a code of conduct - ostensibly to keep her carnal desires under
check, while a widower is free to bring home another bride soon after he lights
the pyre of his dead wife?
Similarly, in every
religion, age-old, irrelevant, irrational customs, rituals, and traditional
practices not only go unquestioned but are perpetrated from one generation to
the next.
Obedience is a quality
that is oversold in our culture. Children in our society, by and large, face
violence in their homes and schools. In the name of strict discipline and
extracting obedience, both parents and teachers resort to violence. Corporal
punishment is banned only on paper but is prevalent everywhere. Not only that
most parents also see nothing wrong in a teacher resorting to the cane.
Appealing to the child’s sense of reason is completely lacking, forget about
evaluating the unfair and sometimes unreasonable expectations of parents and
teachers. Consequently, we learn only to toe the line or blindly follow what is
told. It makes one docile and automatically discourages dissent and rebellion
of any kind.
An undue emphasis on
respect for elders often translates into our inability to stand up to age or
authority of any kind, be it religious, professional or whatever else. We can’t deal with dissent whether it is within
families or in institutions. We cannot even deal with criticism.
Children who grow up facing
violence, grow up with the belief that violence yields results and one should
not hesitate using it. It is just another way of wielding power. Children who
grow up facing violence will indeed become violent human beings.
We also know that no one
in the world has ever achieved anything great without questioning or rebelling.
What does religion do to
believers?
All religions propagate
dependence on supernatural forces which is an antithesis to self-reliance. On
the other hand, the basic premise of scientific temper to which all atheists
adhere, is the non-existence of
supernatural powers that can be ordered to serve humans, which means that all
problems can and must be faced in terms of one’s moral and intellectual
resources. The mistaken belief that an omnipresent and omnipotent god is our
savior, ever-willing to protect us, takes away the will to be self-reliant or
bold. It gives one the illusion of being protected and makes one complacent.
All religions promote
fatalism, by convincing followers that everything in the world is pre-ordained
and is a part of a grand design. Our joys, sorrows, trials, tribulations,
victories and everything else is decided by God, as all the mushrooming
religious television channels spout day in and day out. One is constantly
taught that one is not responsible for one’s deeds. God is responsible. If
“what has to happen will happen”, why on earth would anyone even try to do
anything at all? Why would one want to take responsibility for oneself if one
believes that a so-called power willingly creates problems, provides solutions
and everything else and also acts as a guide?
The clergy of every
religion propagate that all wisdom and knowledge known to mankind is written in
their holy books or ancient scriptures. Religions, therefore, encourage followers
to be backward-looking instead of forward-looking. Science, on the other hand,
which atheists have no problem in accepting, is forward-looking. Scientific
temper implies recognition of the fact that knowledge often progresses by
disproving earlier ideas, beliefs, theories and laws. It considers knowledge as
open-ended and ever-evolving.
Religions never
encourage questioning since any application of logic or rationality would make
the entire edifice of religion crumble like a pack of cards. This is contrary
to what happens in science. One of the most important attributes of science is
the right to question. Knowledge advances and science progresses because people
exercise their right to question.
Fear
Instilling fear of
retribution is a part of every religion. The clergy, irrespective of religion,
exploit believers by a self-proclaimed closeness to god and by claiming
knowledge of how to appease gods, through which a sinner can escape imminent
punishment. That is where bribery comes in. Wrong-doers and those looking for
out of turn rewards, begin to bribe gods in anticipation. The rich give god
cash or gold and diamond crowns, but not a penny to the needy, since only god
can give him favours, which no needy person can give. Pay-offs are meant only
for gods, so that the cycle of sinning and being let off can go on. Indians go
abroad and build temples only to keep almighty on the right side. Non-resident
Indians send money to India for temples, mosques and churches. When did anyone
last hear of rich non-resident Indians giving money for educational
institutions or hospitals. According to laws of every country, all gods should
be in prison as they are the largest recipients of bribe. Indians take it a
step further – they believe that if god accepts money for doing favours, there
is nothing wrong in their doing it. That is why Indians are so easily
corruptible. Our habit of placating god
for personal benefits gets naturally extended to placating the rich and the
powerful. In a country like India where laws are lax, and justice is delayed
and denied, as long as religions continue to hold a sway over people by
providing them escape routes through
confessions or bathing in holy rivers or
other ritualistic appeasements, immoral, unethical and illegal practices will
continue to thrive. True character is built not out of fear of god but out of
accountability to one’s own conscience – a conscience that relies on reason.
All these factors work
against building confidence and conviction, or increasing one’s knowledge, or
acquiring a fearless and questioning attitude, or nurturing the capacity and
willingness to understand and analyse issues which are essential ingredients
for being bold.
Being human
One of the most
essential conditions of being human is to recognise another individual as a
human – no more, no less - which implies that there be no discrimination
whatsoever, be it based on colour, race, religion, caste, creed, language,
gender or circumstances of birth. While
discrimination of any kind is unacceptable in a civilized society, it is
important to know how to make a distinction. All humans are not born equal in
terms of abilities and potential, and distinction allows one to differentiate
between bad, good, better and best.
Kindness, compassion and
altruism are other essentials of being human. All humans are born with these
qualities, which have given humans an evolutionary advantage. But it is social
conditioning and dictates of religion that very often lead to aberrant
behavior. When a mother or a loved one cries, a toddler who still hasn’t learnt
to stand erect tries its best to assuage him or her, since kindness and
compassion is a natural phenomenon. When someone drowns, it is human instinct
that pushes another human to endanger one’s life and save the other; one does
not wait to check the religion of the one who is drowning before attempting to
save him or her.
In spite of our natural
propensity to such human qualities, what happens in reality is quite the
opposite. We live in a society that
constantly discriminates based on the colour of our skin, the language we
speak, the religion, caste or creed we belong to, not to mention one’s gender.
Naturally, these are also the basis on which we seek our identity.
Discrimination and such identity-seeking makes us all a highly divided lot.
Religion divides people
by strengthening narrow identity-seeking behaviours. All major wars through
history have been instigated by religion. Believers argue that religions
propagate moral values. This is not entirely true as every religion has two
aspects to it, the moral and the dogma. All religions preach the same as far as
the moral aspect goes, which we have no quarrel with. In fact, religion is not
necessary to inculcate the right values. It is the dogma of a religion that forms
the backbone of a religion and sets it apart from others by giving it a
distinct identity. This is precisely what divides humans along the lines of
their belief systems which are not based on logic and reason.
Science, the guiding
light of atheists, on the other hand, is truly international, uniting people
across borders, races and religions. Scientists around the world use the same
method, that is, the method of science, employ the same techniques, use the
same materials, and publish in the same journals.
Being human requires the
inculcation of an attitude that people can live an honest and meaningful life
without following a religious creed. It also requires that one recognizes that
the need for moral action is for the welfare of humanity and not for fulfilling
the will of god.
Equality
We would like to live in
a world where there are equal opportunities for all, irrespective of the
circumstances of one’s birth, where every citizen enjoys equal rights and is
expected to discharge equal responsibilities. While equal rights and
responsibilities are enshrined in our Constitution, what happens in reality is
far from equal. As far as equal opportunities go, despite 65 years of
independence, our country is far from its goal of providing equal opportunities
to all its citizens.
The recent Right to
Education (RTE) Act, which ostensibly attempts to make quality education accessible to all is
touted as one of the major achievements of the present government. The RTE bill
provides for a certain percentage of seats to be reserved in all private
schools for the unprivileged who will be given a voucher by the government. It
was a foregone conclusion that this bill will achieve little in universalizing
education. As an example of how strongly rooted discrimination is in our
society, let’s take the example of what happened in a private school in
southern India after the RTE was implemented, The school took in such students
but insisted on their hair being chopped in a certain way to easily distinguish
them from the rest of the regular students who came from a rich background.
Other schools have deployed a separate area to keep such discrimination going.
If the government truly wishes to make education accessible to the poorest of
the poor, the only way it could do so is to make neighbourhood schooling
compulsory for all.
Ours is a nation of
unequals. Being a feudal society, Indians have made inequality a part of their
culture. We are so attuned to inequality that we not only accept it without a
whimper, we also no longer strive for equality.
Women accept that they
are not equals of men. Men are taught to behave as superiors. We bring up our
children accordingly and the idea and practice of equality is perpetrated from
generation to generation. A linguistically divided nation, each region
considers its language and culture superior to the rest.
We believe that Brahmins
have the best genes, dalits have the worst genes. There is absolutely no truth
in this belief. Fair-skinned people think they are superior to dark skinned people.
The rich believe they are better than the poor. The urban think they deserve
more than the rural. We think that fair skin is better and more deserving than
dark skin. The whites show tremendous superiority complex for no reason at all.
Except for friends of
the same age, our social relations are essentially hierarchical. We don’t
usually establish equal relationships. The minute one addresses someone as anna
(elder brother) or akka (elder sister) it takes away one’s moral right to defy
or say anything contrary to the person lest it shows disrespect. Adults talk
down to younger people. The young are taught not to talk back to adults.
Forging equal relationships across age and gender barriers does not come easily
to us.
As regards rights, there
are numerous instances of the rich and the powerful who think that they are
more equal than the rest. Politicians, celebrities, and VIPs behave as if they
have more rights than the common people. Thus a rich youngster in a drunken
stupor can run-over pavement dwellers in the dead of night and expect not to be
punished, or politicians, bureaucrats and industrialists caught looting the
country through an unholy nexus, expect to be treated better than petty thieves
and ordinary criminals in jail.
As far as obligations
go, it is often among the rich and the powerful that one would find those who assume a freedom
from all obligations to the country or
society. The poor and the lowly employed would think twice before breaking
rules or evading taxes. It is the rich who do that.
Religion by definition
is unequal and therefore cannot ever endorse equality. Each religion claims to
be the best. Therefore, Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and so on
believe that no other religion equals them. Their god, their religion, their
religious books and their clergy are the best. Thus a Christian is taught to
believe that there can be no better human being than a good Christian; those
who follow Islam believe that those who don’t follow their faith are infidels;
and Hindus think theirs is the best religion. Seeds of conflict are sown right
there. Besides, there are inequalities within each religion: Hindus have the
caste system; Muslims too are divide hierarchically much in the same manner,
and the Christians have countless denominations.
As far as women are
concerned, they have been at the receiving end of the worst form of
discrimination mandated by all religions through the ages. All religious
rituals, practices and traditions have been designed to be discriminatory and
suppressive. Take, for instance, the tradition of karva chauth - a practice in
north India of married women fasting for the well-being of their husbands and
other similar practices. Apart from there being no logic in this practice, it is important to recognize that it is only
women who are expected to follow meaningless rituals in the name of devotion
and protection of the husband: the reverse is never mandated. Is there one
practice or a ritual or a fast that men keep for the well-being of their wives?
A woman is expected to display a mark of marriage, like sindur or mangalsutra,
to signify to the world that she is taken, never a man.
In fact, when it comes
to women, religions diligently pay a heavy lip service to women. Devout Hindus
argue that their religion confers a
special place to women as evidenced by the qualities bestowed on their
goddesses, for instance, for wealth they worship Lakshmi; for education they
worship Saraswati; for power, Durga; and for rage, Kali. So all the clout seems
to be with the goddesses, while the gods are like ministers without portfolio!
Let us see what happens
in practice. Women are denied freedom or independence of any kind. According to
Manu’s diktat (the Hindu progenitor of mankind) which is followed till date, a
woman is the property of her father till she is married, a property of the
husband after marriage, and then the property of her son after the death of the
husband.
Grooms are for sale and
it is becoming increasingly difficult to have girls married when there is not
enough money for dowry (groom price). Brides are meant to be burnt if they
don’t bring enough dowry to satiate the greed of the groom and his family.
Therefore, a daughter becomes a burden who takes away wealth to her husband’s
home. Consequently, there is a premium on the male child. The obsession for the
male child is driving little girls out of our world, either soon after birth when
they are stifled, or right in their mother’s womb before they see the world.
The bias against the girl child has reached such proportions that in several
states in India the ratio of boys to girls in the population is so skewed that
there simply aren’t enough girls available for marriage. Several states like
Punjab and Haryana where female foeticide is rampant, have started ‘importing” brides from poorer
states like Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal to take care of their home and their
hearth and suffer indignity. Why don’t educated boys decline dowry? Because
they have learnt obedience and blind acceptance. Why don’t girls refuse
marriage with dowry – because they been taught to accept subjugation.
Women cannot show anger
- that is reserved only for men who are free to express rage at the drop of a
hat. Women are meant to be beaten for the most innocuous of reasons like not
cooking a tasty meal, or perceived to be neglecting children, or stepping out of
the house without permission even if it is to visit her parents or siblings, or
speaking to strangers. According to a study, in Andhra Pradesh (AP) 21% married
women face domestic violence for the above reasons. What is even more sad is
about 80% women in AP agree that
husbands are justified in beating their wives. This is because our girls are
taught to accept all kinds of subjugation and remain mute, since they are
enslaved to the men folk in their lives. Rape is an instrument unleashed on
women who show courage, to teach her a lesson. Where have Kali or Durga gone,
may I ask? While girls are taught to stew in the silence of shame after being
raped or violated, boys learn how to aggressively get what they want, even if
it means throwing acid on a girl who dares to spurn his love.
Being employed does not
automatically bring financial independence for women. Not only are all
financial decisions generally taken by the man, he also gets to keep the money.
What happened to Lakshmi’s portfolio? In India nine out of ten married women
have neither freedom of mobility or financial freedom, nor the independence to
take any major decision of the household including her own healthcare.
Girls can do without
adequate nutrition and education, while boys must be given both. As for purity,
chastity and fidelity like Sita, these ‘virtues” are meant only for the fairer
sex. The men are free to indulge in any amount of promiscuous behavior for in
his case it is not at all about purity as it is about virility.
Oppression, insubordination,
enslavement, preferential treatment or annihilation are equally detestable,
whichever gender, race, religion, caste or creed it is aimed at or rooted in.
The way forward
Traditional culture and
religious attitudes clearly come in the way of producing bold and human
individuals who wish to march towards equality. Only those who free themselves
from the above shackles become truly fearless, rational, human and equal, and
we have a number of examples of such individuals in our country.
A change in the mindset
of men and women is the first requirement. Women themselves will have to be the
change they wish to see since they are the ones who would nurture and educate
future generations. If women are looking for sympathetic men, let me assure you
the numbers are very small. Those kinds of men will have to be created and
raised. And only a mother can do this best. Equality, like charity, begins at
home. The day we learn to bring up our daughters and sons equally in every
respect, we will be firmly on the path to an equal society.
Children must be
encouraged to question and to find answers. They are born with curiosity,
kindness, compassion, reason and sensitivity. If only we would guard and
nurture these qualities without imposing on them any dogmatic belief or even
atheism for that matter, the chances are that they would naturally grow up to
be rational and humane. Values such as honesty, integrity, courage, free
thought, freedom, equality and dignity
are best imparted through practice. Imbibing a scientific attitude from a very
early age and employing the method of science to answer questions or solving
problems will guarantee the foundations on which boldness and the desire to be
humane and equal can be built.
We will need to take a
re-look at our notions of success, which is becoming increasingly equated with
wealth and fame. The end has become important, the means unimportant. We seem
to have forgotten that one cannot be happy in isolation that much of our
happiness depends on other people’s happiness.
Education and knowledge
are important tools to empower any individual. It makes us aware of our rights
and responsibilities. Science gives us knowledge that hits at the root of
irrational beliefs and practices. Technology frees us from needless drudgery,
releasing time for creative pursuits. Law gives statutory protection. Hence, education, knowledge, technology and
law are the four pillars on which we can empower our future generations.
The best tribute that we
can pay to Premanand is to carry forward his struggle to some day free all
those who are victims of inequality and fear, and prisoners of irrationality
and customs - and enable them to march towards equality, making the world a
more humane place to live in.
This is the text of the fourth
Premanand Memorial Lecture (Science Trust, Kozhikode, Kerala) delivered on
January 20, 2013. Reproduced with the permission of the author.
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