South Asia Citizens Web

The case against the food security Bill—that it is costly and it mollycoddles the poor—is deeply flawed

Are we ready to accept that religion and practicing rituals are proving to be our cumulative catharsis? Actually, Dr. Dabholkar did not ever challenge our faith and religious belief. He merely challenged the superstitious practices and unscientific claims of godmen. Yet we simplistically labelled him as anti-Hindu. We did not even attempt to understand the provisions of the Bill proposed by him. If we do not find anything objectionable in scientists like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam or icons like Sachin Tendulkar visiting a “miracle man”, why should we expect the media to engage in an enlightened debate on the bill proposed by Dr. Dabholkar? Sorry Dr. Dabholkar, we failed you! We are ashamed that we may fail to find your assassins! We are ashamed that we will move on expediently! We are ashamed that we are lethargic bystanders of the present! Sorry Doctor, we never deserved you!

The brutal killing of Dr. Narendra Dabholkar (20th August 2013) is a big jolt to the social movement against blind faith and superstitions. During last few decades the tendency for promotion of rational thought parallel to social change came up as Popular Science movement. In Maharashtra it took shape in the form of a movement, Andh Shraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (Committee for Eradication of Blind faith), where it became a powerful campaign for popular awareness, under the leadership of Dr. Narendra Dabholkar.

Despite the tall claims of the politicians, two rape cases have in the past few days highlighted the stark reality that even after six months of the notorious Delhi bus rape case, nothing has changed for women. In Delhi, the Godman, Asaram Bapu, was accused by parents of a 16 year old girl that she had been raped by him in his Jodhpur Ashram, in Rajasthan. Given his high profile identity, Rajasthan police first stepped very gingerly, while the BJP immediately went on the offensive, claiming that he was a “saint”, and the charge was motivated by the UPA because he has attacked Sonia Gandhi. Thus, in typical display of power, a rape charge became a matter of power politics. According to the latest news, Jodhpur police have decided to drop the charges of rape while keeping the charges of sexual assault, against him, while Bapu compared himself to the Buddha.