30 August,2017 11:40 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day correspondent
With Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh being sentenced to 20 years in jail, yet another godman sees his credibility torn to pieces. Even this may not be enough though, as evidenced by the initial violence displayed his followers, killing more than 35 lives
With Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh being sentenced to 20 years in jail, yet another godman sees his credibility torn to pieces. Even this may not be enough though, as evidenced by the initial violence displayed his followers, killing more than 35 lives.
It is not enough to fight these godmen through prosecution, or even guns, if need be. It is evident that the only way to blunt blind belief and worship is by developing a scientific temper. It doesn't help that many of our political leaders are complicit in building the larger-than-life aura around godmen. When our leaders start following such babas, it only lends more credibility to their fake stories of miracles and supernatural powers.
The general public must develop a scientific temper. Science offers evidence to support its claims. Godmen, or rather fraudmen, lure people with slick packaging and their silver tongue instead.
It's not hard to figure out why people lean towards such cults - everyone is looking for answers to questions about life. It's this quest for knowledge that takes many to the so-called godmen, who claim to possess such wisdom. But there's a better, more reliable way to sate our curiosity. Scientific studies of these facts are enough to quench the thirst for knowledge. Most importantly, this knowledge is accessible to the common man.
A report in this paper yesterday stated how science centres are using their potential as agents for percolating a scientific temper. A centre in Worli is holding anti-superstition demonstrations. Rationalist organisations are working to puncture superstitions. Let us boost our scientists; they should be our new idols. Science above superstition, reason over blind belief, this should be our motto.
