The spiritual aspects of life,
the uncertainties and hopelessness, the fertile ground for enquiry and
introspection, the space for understanding and realisations, is now completely
taken over by an increasingly pernicious and an anachronistic system called religion.
What was once a medium for people to negotiate tribulations of life, wherein
most aspect of nature was a mystery therefore feared and hence respected, is
now an overwhelming system that has grown to be seen as serious threat to individual
liberty and freedom. Clearly as humans progressed and evolved into rational, deciphering
the working and establishing clear logic of things around, it was expected that
these valued attributes acquired over the ages by some admirably perceptible
people will be incorporated into our attitude as we deal with surrounding,
meanwhile acutely aware of limitations of human life in myriad nature of lives
in the blue dot called earth that lies in the insignificance of vastness of
ever expanding universe. This spiritual significance of life is where the
religion was supposed to have kept us aware and enlighteningly grounded but it
is getting increasingly clear that religion has not really evolved nor religious
people enlightened to the surrounding, they remain anachronistic primitives
that societies have negotiated somewhere in the past and are getting increasingly
tired of these intrusions. It has not only severely undermined rational nature
of humans but also threatens enlightened values accrued over the centuries that
define modernity. While in the garb of democratic freedom religious balderdash have
perniciously spread and has started to define social dealings and identity. There
is nothing more searingly tragic that in this age a human being’s value is
evaluated in terms of religion he or she represents (and in much more primitive
societies like India these get further degraded to narrower spaces of obnoxious
caste). It is failure of democracy that individual rights are not being protected
and that liberty is kept as ransom by collective degradations. If the system that
encourages irrational ways, viciously work on creating exclusions for humans, seek
to work against democracy and considers others in contempt/lower (in some case
worthy of being beheaded/stoned/prioritised over cows!) then to encourage these
as religious rights, or as minority right if less in numbers, is indeed against
human rights. Democracy and all the cherished values stands weakened in this assault.
Responsible people must take action that follows the precious understanding of
logic, empathy and idealism that favour humanity. Liberty and freedom of individuals
is paramount hence should be protected. It is arrogance of elite section that
they have become so insularly recalcitrant that they deem it as lofty values to
protect these primitive ways and thoughtlessly push it down on people. Reaction
of people against complacent establishment as also general cynicism towards
authority has lot to do with people being taken for granted. With haughty
elite coterie’s manipulative ways (orchestrated by market and moneybags) getting
severely questioned through social media there is general apathy and cynicism
that will further downgrade the ideal ways.
Democracy is an enlightened
understanding that seeks to give primacy to individual’s right and freedom. Individuals
can come together to express their faith (as religion) as their right and that
the State will have nothing to do with these associations provided that these
are not threatened (history is full of prosecuted associations. Note this
blogger is refraining from the use of word ‘community’ as it has attribute of
finality to it hence undermines the individual, while ‘association’ is organic
that allows humans to move from, say, one religion to another to whatever). Association,
like religion, is an expression of right, a decision, a choice, that may not be
rational but attempts to care for the tribulation that the individual seeks to
find answers/solutions. Ideally in the increasingly empowering and responsible
ways of rational outlook of world, that stringently evaluates everything in its
logic, also factoring in the nuances of historical understanding and cultural
significance, these irrational associations will not enthuse and dismissed as
absurd. It is highly irresponsible, indeed stupid and unintelligent, to leave
crucial aspects of one’s life in the faith of an association, called religion,
that one is member as accident of birth or that these are existing for
centuries and present visions of paradise. However, one cannot be blamed if
rational ways may not provide all the answers, nevertheless it is undoubtedly a
lack of respect for one’s individuality and possibilities of self that doesn’t
find the need to introspect or question while accepting what is being asserted
as sacred or presented as holy books which cannot be questioned. That an
enlightened thought is timeless is accepted but that these cannot be questioned
or contradicted is where the intention of religion and controllers of religions
need scrutiny. It therefore no longer remains benign. It’s curtailing of
thoughts and freezing reality into some distant past that becomes a constant
reference, denying the present and detrimentally acting to reduce the
possibilities of life by mutilating the impressionable minds. It gets worst
when these prescribed is sought to be replicated in every day actions and
expressions of individuals, that these are protected as religious right without
any scrutiny of how it impact the individuals or society makes it grievous. It
is also no longer neutral to social realities as it becomes source for
prejudices and discriminations. That rationality is suspended and decisions
delegated to a system opens up acquiescing to whatever the system stands for.
The promise of education, the possibilities of modern technologies and
democratic choices therefore go waste. It is consolidation of degradation, and as
democracy is weakened from inside it makes the society much vulnerable. It is a
heart breaking irony that what is essentially a human constructed reality
(myth), is being sought to be established as the defining reality for humans.
Uncertainties of life and fatalism makes it a powerful motivator, hence
unthinking simple minds take these as sacrosanct, as divine fact, an end and
all for identifying humans and society. Disturbingly these acquire identities and
are now pursued to establish human rights and is defining factor in egalitarian
attempts of democratic societies.
This irresponsible nature of
individuals has very clearly become a threat to societies as religion spreads
in its revivalist fervour. It is an indication of failure of modern ideals that
large section is still in the grip of myth while assimilation of superstition
seen as faith. It is the failure of society that it is not able to create an ecosystem
through education, culture and wisdom that is able to percolate the amazing
developments of human minds and possibilities of human lives to impressionable
minds. Indeed it is failure of elite/policy makers that it is has been benign
to vicious nature of religion and complacent to the damage to society, placed
as they are in the ivory towers. The degradation by religion plays at two
levels. One, at the individual
level, religion undermines the rational nature of individual, this is a serious
degradation and thus opens up for being indoctrinated that can even end in
dying for the cause. That religion, essentially a subjective reality, is set to
destroy objective realities of life that sustains it, is dehumanisation taken to
absurd level that baffles sane people all the time. Further, the objective reality
of degrading environment, issues of climate change is denied. The arrogance certainties
of religion see itself as ultimate reflection of creator hence omnipotence, the
all-knowing self, gets exaggerated in the individual. There is a buffoonish
certainty of religion that infects the individuals that take them to narcissistic
levels under the guise of god. They seem
to know everything and have answer for anything seen as grand design of the god
for grander selves while remaining acutely unaware, or rather unconcern, of
basic facts and carefully assimilated knowledge through meticulous study. This
religion fuelled narcissism also feeds on acquisitive driven emotion that see nature/surrounding
as gift to be exploited at will as they showcases avaricious wealth, large family
and fancier greed as signs of direct blessing from god. It is religion that is
preventing sanity, reason and evidence as basis of argument. So while we evict
space to religion the loss for humanity is significant and the price we pay is
getting hard to ignore.
Secondly,
religion as an extension of social system has grouped into dissension and
competition, neatly dividing humans as soldiers and reduced to means without
any use of mind. It is a framework of spiralling down into commonest denominator.
Though secularism is enlightened thought it has degraded to tolerating deviance/muck
of one religion by another religion, this favour is duly returned, therefore
set to define tolerance. This elitist complacency ends up is consolidating
power structure and the cunning who thrive in misery of others. The despicable
elite coterie therefore consolidates their hold over religion, meanwhile
masquerade championing liberal values and become source for misery for common
people. While the worst of religion devoid of any enlightened concerns take
hold and is promoted as representing religion, the society slides into
mediocrity and extreme ways. As illogical mindset and manipulative ways get
credence the framework of knowledge seeking and inquisitiveness is downplayed.
With religion getting credence and seen as a source of identities humanity
stands to loose. Religion places individuals into little wells as frogs that have
lost basic human capacities and are turned into mindless addicts.
Human society is facing serious existential
issues that need innovative and extremely complex solutions. If people are
looking towards certain pockets in West for solutions then there are definitive
reasons. These are spaces that provide positive framework for individuals to
thrive, clearly these are the exciting world that thrives on inquisitive wonder
and original nature of human being, nothing escapes scrutiny and none taken on
face value. There is a premium on excellence that doesn’t land from alien world
or as a special gift from god. There is a rigorous and sustained effort that
spring from the ecosystem that religion denies. These are the framework that
encourages logical and evidence based growth, that puts onus on individual
responsibility and sincere sustained efforts of investigation unlike religious
nonsense that seek to dehumanise individuals and impose in the guise of faith. These
dwindling spaces are the one that holds the key to the progress of humanity, the
solutions to our problems can only come from here. It is initiated in the ideas
of liberty of individual and the immense possibility herein. This precious world
will have to be protected.
It is also no surprise that omnipotent
religious fundamentalist (strongly held vision of being specially sent by god.
Essentially nutcases who are serious threat to society, being religious the reason why they are not locked up, religious madness therefore is a right!)
with active support from religious conservatives, whether in USA, Saudi or
India agree on regressive ways, as they steadfastly oppose each other as
followers of different religion, in the strife of ego and superior selves while remaining remarkably similar in attitude and essential traits. The charade is spread, sometime even elevated
as lynchpin of liberalism, that religion promotes peace. This balderdash is
being pushed onto people with the hope that it will stick, it is no surprise
people have reacted and are mortified. That most heinous violence has religions
as major source of instigation has to be accepted, one cannot live in denial, and
in the context of things it is criminal if these realities are not acknowledged.
Religion has been a consistent source of brutal violence and ethical
degradations for a long time now, whether slavery (taken to worst through
casteism), colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy or sickening dehumanising
traditions and culture that is source of abuse of weaker (particularly child
abuse that inflicts religion on children needs to be taken in all the
seriousness it deserves, it is creating dehumanised individuals and deviant
families that support further degradations in the society) as also the treatment
of animals. Till a century back these were contained in the context of society
of origin, with limited understanding of world the fractures worked in its own
dynamics to evolve for better, like for instance renaissance, social movements,
revolutions (specifically French), amalgamation towards better frameworks like
sufism so on, but mostly ruined in the brutal feudalism, patriarchy and others
ruthlessness. In the last decade or so things have changed dramatically. Social
media has made everything near and immediate, and given voice to voiceless. No longer
are people on the sidelines of history that is being decided by others. The
crudeness of religion therefore stands out in all its absurdity and vulgarity,
the more the world gets transparent more it is exposed. The power that kept it
under leash for gains and control over populace lose their hold as the restive indoctrinated
beasts takes on its own path of religious narcissism. These omnipotent find it
difficult to deal with the world that is encompassing in its questioning,
fragile and nuanced in its approach, not all that grand as was being
indoctrinated. From the pits of surety and assured outcomes that are staked as
entitlement (if not in this life there is promise of another life) it is difficult
to get sustaining and nurturing values of life. The grandeur has to be created
as they are incapable to notice the grandeur all around in the beauty of life
and living. They seek miracle in myth and narration of extraordinary while
miracles happen all the time in the most ordinary. They seek redemption in the
way they have been taught about the world, as they experience complete misfit to
the realities of life, therefore resort to violence and mayhem as an escape while
bitterness is spewed through every possible channel as assurance. What kind of
contribution is expected from this section? Those created by illogic of
religion are made incapable of seeing anything that demands effort,
understanding and scrutiny. It seriously
undermines the best of the possibilities that the world is poised in, the
opportunity that is an amalgamation of 400,000 years of human history.
It is therefore apt time to
critically analyse religion before it further degrades societies and make it a normative
narration couched in religious freedom, already morally vulnerable elites of monarchical
societies like Britain have opened the society and hapless citizens for religion
filled infections. Patronising people as a cover for their moral turpitude for
supporting undemocratic monarchy as also colonial angst have had serious
consequences. Even the amazing experiment of bringing the nations of a continent,
with tumultuous past, into one umbrella (EU) has become a major casualty. As
fear grips the people they tend to close down and look for immediate control/comfort.
It is unfortunate that to maintain ascendency of religion so much is being
sacrificed by the world. Religions are creating misery around the world and
have distracted people from their true nature, as they get alienated from
themselves and surroundings in the search of the alter ego in god. Countries
like India where these have putrefied into sickness, as individuals are no
longer humans but identities based on religion and caste. Meanwhile the feudal
nature of society encourages these so that the elite can have their camaraderie
and exploit the people as well as immense natural resources while arrogantly strutting
to display tolerance. These regressive status quo are celebrated as signs of
harmony, wherein harmony in itself is symptom of lack of will in a society that
has horrendous disparities and discriminations. As the religions and castes
cannibalise in its respective putrid pit the feudal elite extend hands across to
hug and stun the world in the tales of tolerance and religious harmony. Right
from the so called independence these exploitative structures were nurtured
while it systematically spread through neglect of primary education and basic health.
People were kept at the mercy by the feudal leaders who exploited people for
vote in the name of democracy in the meanwhile keeping them distracted in the elevated filial
digressions and family pride, then there are also tales of percolations of
benefits of economic growth that kept camaraderie in good humour. In the last
few years things have dramatically changed with advent of social media. Images of
violations are captured and passed on, voices are now finding their audience
without arbitrators and manipulators. People have got a platform to react and
express, the narrations nurtured by elite is falling by the wayside. The
anguish of effete elite is deeply felt. Suddenly all the masquerades and
carefully constructed myths of mahatmas and pundits don’t sound that
convincing. As they ready for another role as saviours from revivalists forces what they didn’t factor in from their high pedestal was that they
themselves are severely compromised, and indeed may find exceedingly difficult
to distinguish themselves from their carefully demarcated and vilified foe.
I feel sorry for the ace defecators of
words who are recruited by sickular liberals to copiously chastise hindutva
forces meanwhile, hideously, caste camaraderie is sought to be morphed into
modern pointers and impression of these as quite natural happening is seeped in
with characteristic relish!! As if casteist surname is part of god’s plan and
these angel saviours tumble down to save the society. It is becoming
exceedingly difficult for effete elite to negotiate these hypocrisies and
appalling lack of ethics. Everything that is savoured and carefully put in pride
of a place in this narration –that is already sold so triumphantly to the
bewildered world, now looks deeply infected and severely compromised. As also,
all the saviours in the camaraderie circle have now lost their locus standi
whatsoever. It’s like rug is pulled and all of them caught in their nefarious
act. The castle is collapsing and no amount of posturing is of any help. High
moral ground is no longer that high nor anguish that believable or sincere.
That surely is a devastating face off with the reality and a refreshing look
into the mirror. How the depraved indian elite are going to work out their
cunningness to escape this one will be keenly watched. No please you cannot
hide behind Gandhi or piggyback ride the nonviolence balderdash. So what are we
gonna do now? Seriously whatya gonnya do?
