Today, the mankind is undoubtedly developed and advanced. Human race of today is scientifically and globally well established and sound but still there are so many old irrational beliefs prevailing in the society that are somewhere responsible to ruin the developing image of the modern Indian society. Though there is a huge adoption of new and innovative systems, ideologies and patterns but still there are many false beliefs that have plagued the broad and wise mentality of the people in the Indian society. Superstitions are such irrational beliefs, customs, traditions, habits and ideologies that cease a person from acting or thinking in a rational and practical way. Superstitions basically have no valid ground and they fundamentally depict the dark and pessimist side of one’s mentality.
There exists a long list of superstitions in Indian society that have ruled over the life of the people in some or other way. And the reason of their continuous existence is that; people actually do not try to find out the truth and blindly begin to follow a tradition which was once followed by the ancestor, leaders and old people. In Indian society we have superstitions starting from the morning to the bed time. And the present picture is that; superstitions have actually become the way to lead the life or ironically an art of living. From how to get up from the bed to which foot to be stepped first while moving out of the home, is all planned in superstitions. Always step back whenever see a black cat no matter how much late you reach to your office! Always hold for a minute while going somewhere if someone sneezes in between, now no matter if it is your last train for your journey. We are served with superstitions since our childhood and then in long run they become the basis of our mentality. We not only start believing but thinking and acting in that way.
Superstitions are certainly not healthy for any society, because it pollutes the rationality of the mind of people. One becomes a blind believer rather experimental and a finder. Which is surely not good and healthy for a society and this is all happening all around the nation. There are so many rural areas where superstitions are deeply rooted and where we get to see the extremity of superstitions. In rural areas where there is no education and awareness, superstitions play the role of the king over the life of the people. The way of thinking of people in those areas is entirely jinxed and polluted. They are blind believers and the limits are crossed when under the spell of superstitions people tend to follow human sacrifice (children and infants) and also get involved in fake rituals to please the deities for blessing them with wealth and prosperity in family. How can a child sacrifice please the God? How one could expects wealth and prosperity in a family where the members do not work but sit idle and wait for some miracles from their deities?
There is another superstition of believing in unauthorized fake person for a treatment, whenever there is a disease spreading in a family or village , people do not go to the doctors rather they go to fake looters of money who pretend to be a doctor or in a lay man language ‘vaid’, ‘maulawis’. There are so many fake people who are exploiting those innocent and illiterate people and making huge money by misguiding them. There are so many babas emerging in a day such as “topi wale baba”, bhoot utaaro baba”, kiss karne wala baba”. This is entirely ridiculous to believe on such babas who claim to do miracles with their eyes and their touch and that their fake tantrums can make one healthy, wealthy and prosperous.
Many rural areas of Haryana, Madhya-Pradesh, Bihar and TamilNadu have high number of superstitious people. But urban cities are also not untouched by the influence of superstitions. It’s just that the form of superstitions are little different. In cities, rumours are easily spread in few hours. People are educated but not aware and alert or rational. Rumours like God would be alive for few minutes in an idol. Fences show pictures of God and many other irrational beliefs can easily be noticed in urban cities.
Villages and cities play a vital role for the overall development of the society. If cities are given all the attention and villages keep infected with the plague of superstitions, then the development would be done only in papers. So, here villages need more concern and attention in regard of removal of superstitions. Mahatma Gandhi once said that “India’s heart lives in Villages” and if the heart only, is polluted with superstitions then how can we expect a sound functioning of India!
- ATTRACTION FOR EDUCATION: solution for many social problems lies in one aspect and that is education. Education is such a key that can open all the locks of closed minds. And 70 percent of the village population does not believe in education hence does not feel any need to be educated. But government should make some good plans and initiate some programmes which attract the people to get education and send their children for education. There could be some plans in which people are given some gifts and facilities if they send their children to school. After all government can distribute gifts for free without any reason so they can also do it further for at least a noble cause. Schools in the villages should be amended and build up properly which interest the family to get education.
- PUNISHMENT TO UNAUTHORIZED AND FAKES: there should be a stop to fake and unauthorized babas, maulawis and vaid-hakims that misguide the innocent people of the villages and even few urban people. Government should take strong steps to punish fake people who are exploiting the people and moreover playing with the sentiments of the people. Illiterate people if once trapped in their web it is very near to impossible to move out of it. There should be some punishment for such fake person so that the new babas don’t dare to step into this black business of exploitation and superstitions.
- MORAL DUTIES OF REAL SAINTS: a rotten apple can spoil the other apples in the basket; this saying is true in the case of Saint and spiritual guru in today’s time. Due to the bad impression created by few fake guru and saints, the real saints who truly think for the welfare of all, are somewhere rated similar to those fake ones. But here those real saints should not back out neither isolate themselves rather they should come in front and decently try to spread the real knowledge, true meaning of religion and karma (action) cultural and moral values. A saint is the best teacher who can teach the highest virtues of life and he/she is the best one to elaborate upon the difference between superstitions and wisdom. They should make people aware that superstitions can only ruin but cannot create a character. If people heard to those fakes then, people would certainly listen to the real ones as well. It’s just a matter of time. People adopt negativity very quickly but take a little long to implement the positive, but it happens at last.
It is the time to decide do we want to see with the eyes of mind or want to keep them blind under the spell of superstition!
Image source : thenational
