India is making significant advancements in various areas of scientific development. Be it in the field of satellite or atomic research, exploration of space or underwater, rocketry or mission to moon, everywhere India has left a stamp of scientific temper that is in construct of our modern nation.
However, that is one side of the story; the other is, Indians are deeply engrossed in superstition and greed, the scientific temper that we are talking about hardly has brushed some Indians. They remain trapped in time and space and they have hardly moved into the new age that we are taking about.
A few examples here may illustrate how Indians seek solace in superstition and greed and how they are blind to the colors of reasons and scientific temper.
YSR leads ‘superstitious’ team
Superstition and politics go in tandem. Politicians believe in ‘good time’ and it’s a general practice they consult the astrologers before entering into any new venture.
Take the case of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. He was sworn in as Chief Minister for second time on May 20, 2009 but he never entered his chamber till June 3, because astrologer told there no good date for him till Nirjala Ekadasi, considered to be an auspicious day in Hindu calendar.
The Chief Minister, who is medical doctor by profession, meticulously followed the advice of the priests, and sat on the chair exactly at 7-15 AM, the time that suited his stars the best. This was preceded by religious ceremonies, including pooja to Lord Venkateswara, prayers by a Christian pastor and a Muslim cleric. He earlier visited a Hanuman temple in the vicinity of his office for a trouble-free second inning as Chief Minister of an highly developed Indian state.
That day eight other Ministers also assumed office in Andhra Pradesh before the clock ticked 9 a.m. They all went by the astrological strength of the day. One entered his chamber at 5.30 AM, others followed, at 7.50 AM, at 8 AM, at 8.01 AM, at 8.11 a.m. Two others completed their rituals by 9 a.m. All performed this auspicious act, amidst hustle and bustle of poojas and other religious rituals.
This superstition bug is not confined to the politicians of Andhra Pradesh alone. The entire nation’s corridor of power is infested by it. It suggests modern India hardly draws its strength from reason, on the contrary it’s the superstition that guides their action.
Superstition and Greed
Superstition and greed makes a lethal combination. Take the case of Ashok Jadeja, an Ayurvedic practitioner turned Goodman of Ahmedabad who has supposedly swindled over 100 crore rupees preying on people’s panache for greed and superstition.
Jadeja posed as someone who had received the divine blessings of a local deity, at a temple near his small clinic and claimed that he had divine powers which could enable him multiply any amount of money kept in his care.
This enticed many to turn to Jadeja to take up such a divine return. The devotees lined up outside the temple where Jadeja and his wife sat and placed on his feet their life savings. They came back after a few days to collect their money and returned in delight with multiplied fortunes.
Jadeja initially targeted specific communities, promising them unimaginable riches. Later he opened the gates of his divine power to people outside those specific communities. The word of easy money multiplying scheme spread like wildfire. Gullible from all across the country gave in to their greed.
While some pawned jeweler and valuables, others mortgaged their house; some took a large sum on loan, while others cheated on their husbands to lay their hands on some money. The Goodman’s fame was not only confined to India it went across the national boundaries and people from Pakistan too put their fortune on his feet.
When huge money started pouring in, Jadeja did the vanishing act. It took a while for people to realize they were cheated, over 500 hundred of them from different parts of the country lodged complaints to the police against this conman. Jadeja, his wife and his other accomplices were arrested, thus putting an end to a saga of superstition and greed that can provide a readymade script to churn out a thrilling boyhood flick.
Incest-and-serial-rape
Superstition and greed fangs in different forms as well; in a chilling account, a 49 year-old businessman allegedly raped his daughter for over nine years to get quickly rich on the advice of a black magic practitioner.
The Thane based businessman was under severe financial strain. He met a Tantrik who advised him that he would be out of the financial troubles, if he has sex with his teen age daughter. The crimes were committed in connivance with mother who had physical relations with the Tantrik.
The matter came to light when the 55 year old Tantrik allegedly started raping the 15-year-old younger daughter under the pretext of making the family get rich quickly.
The traumatized girls then took courage and narrated the entire matter to their grandmother and their maternal uncle who finally took them to the police and registered a complaint.
The father, the mother and the Tantrik were arrested. While the father was charged with raping his eldest daughter, the Tantrik was booked for raping both the girls and the mother was held for abetting the crime.
If we analyze the content of the three illustrations, one thing comes out very clearly that scientific temper that is being drummed up is just one side of the picture, maybe just a fillip side of it, India still reels under the shackles of superstition and greed. It’s indeed a sad commentary on modern India but nevertheless it’s true. Unless, every Indian pledges to rationality and abide by it in action and deed, the dream of building modern India would remain a far cry.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtba@yahoo.com