Nearly 885 lives have been lost in the devastating floods in Kerala, besides a cumulative loss

of property worth almost twenty thousand crores. Millions of people have been rendered

homeless. In such a moment of crisis a well-renowned personality has declared to the media

that the natural calamity was a result of women wanting to enter the Sabrimala temple in

Kerala; apparently this has angered the resident deity Ayyappan who has retaliated with

floods. Not just the uneducated masses, this is what even those who have had a university

education believe. Women between ten and fifty are not allowed entry into the Sabrimala

temple and there is a case being heard in the Supreme Court about revoking this prohibition.

Just like the rest of Kerala, Sabrimala too has been affected by the floods. Arguably, it was

the move towards changing the age-old rules of entry into the temple complex that angered

Ayyappan in the first place; the moment the point was raised the deity became so incensed

that he made sure to veto it in his own way. S. Gurumurthy, a right-wing politician, has

written, ‘The judges of the Supreme Court better consider if there is a link between the

Sabrimala litigation and the heavy rains in Kerala. Among the million possible reasons

behind the floods if even one is this then I’m certain the people would not want the ruling to

go against Lord Ayyappa.’ A god-man added to this assessment with his own reasoning that

since people eat beef in Kerala that is what has caused the floods.

As we know very well Kerala is the only state in the country where there are hardly any

illiterate people; the literacy rate is almost a hundred percent. Kerala is a state the country

ought to be proud of. Yet, these reactions to the floods reveal that when it comes to

superstitions Kerala is no less than any other state in the country. In fact, I doubt if there is

any country or state or city or village in the world where there are no superstitions! Even

Christian missionaries in the west preach that by legitimizing abortion and homosexuality we

invite God’s wrath in the form of floods, etc. It has always been the nature of religious people

to try and hold back progress; they have accepted technology while simultaneously denying

science.

It’s not a new maneuver to try and link natural calamities with supernatural underpinnings. In

1934, after the devastating Bihar-Nepal earthquake, Mahatma Gandhi had reportedly declared

that the earthquake had been caused by social practices like untouchability practiced against

the Harijans. Some people believe that the reason behind the 2015 Sabah earthquake in

Malaysia was that a few people had climbed Mount Kinabalu and taken naked pictures of

themselves. About three years ago Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, head of the Jamiat Ulema-e

Islam Fazal of Pakistan, had gone on record to state that since women were wearing jeans

instead of pyjamas, it was causing more frequent earthquakes. According to him, such

shameless behavior by women was also the reason behind inflation. He had gone on to note

that women who did not cover themselves up like ‘sacks of flour’ were the weapons that were

going to bring down human civilization. Consequently, it was such ‘shameless girls’ who

were behind electricity problems and internal security issues in Pakistan, as well as issues

plaguing Baluchistan as well. He had recommended putting women in sacks, keeping them in

the house and establishing Sharia law, all of which were supposed to ensure that the Taliban

did not attack Pakistan time and again. It has been proved repeatedly that religious

fundamentalists are also severely misogynistic. Nevertheless no one has ever taken any

concrete steps anywhere against such blatant dissemination of their misogynous views.

Many people can’t seem to stand women wearing jeans. Dr. Rajith Kumar, a professor of

botany in Sree Sankara College, Kerala, had declared to the media that women who wear

jeans give birth to intersex or mentally disabled children. There is no dearth of such

superstitions in this country. A while back BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj had blamed Rahil

Gandhi’s visit to Kedarnath for the floods in Uttarakhand. Similarly, after the Kathmandu

earthquake, Sadvi Prachi of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had placed the blame yet again on

Rahul Gandhi’s Nepal trip. In fact at one point of time rumours had spread that murder

allegations brought against Jayendra Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi, had caused

the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.

Such superstitious beliefs are prevalent in every household in the country. In the Kukke

Subramanya temple of Karnataka, during the months of November and December, there is a

three-day long festival called ‘Made Snana’ held every year which consists of lower-caste

people rolling around in the leftovers of Brahmins after they have finished eating. They

believe that rolling in the leftovers of those from higher castes will cure them of skin

diseases, help childless couples conceive and generally produce numerous boons. Nearly

35000 people participate in this ritual every year. Back in 1979 the High Court had ordered

for the ritual to be discontinued but it had to be reinstated after demands from devotees.

In an ancient ritual that continues to this day in Bijapur, babies are flung in the air with

someone waiting underneath to catch them as a way of seeking blessings from the gods. The

ones that survive and return to their mothers are thought to be blessed. The ones that die are

accepted as sacrifices. In the Sri Santeswar temple in Raichur numerous people gather every

year for this ‘religious festival’. Usually babies no more than two years old are chosen for

this dangerous game and since it has continued so for a few hundred years the police do not

interfere either. Many superstitious rituals and practices are prevalent in Gauhati’s Kamakhya

temple too.

The only way to combat superstitions is by way of science. It is the government that must

take up the onus of producing science-aware citizens. Rationalist, non-superstitious people

live risky lives in India today. Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead, Govind Pansare too was

similarly killed. Even today, in the biggest democracy of the world, speaking out against

superstitions can get you killed. The Anti-Superstition Bill that Dabholkar had been

pressurizing the Maharashtra government to pass had stipulations for punishment of those

found to be conning people by exploiting their superstitions. Practice of witchcraft, declaring

someone to be a witch, Aghoris, Ojha or witch doctors who claimed to be able to cure snake

bites, dog bites etc. – many such things were mentioned therein. The bill had been stuck in

the Assembly because various political and religious outfits had vehemently opposed it.

Knowledge and intelligence versus stupidity – it’s an eternal fight. It is not an easy task to

make people aware of their superstitions and misbeliefs. But down the ages rationalist

individuals have accomplished this very difficult task. Just as the freedom of expression and

the freedom to practice one’s religious beliefs and customs are fundamental rights,cultivation

of a scientific outlook, inspiring humanity among others, the cultivation of knowledge and

resisting hate are fundamental duties of all citizens.

We know that science must be utilized to combat superstitions. But we must also be aware

that it is possible the scientist might not be entirely free of them either. The directors of

India’s space programme reportedly consulted the almanac before the launch of a satellite,

even going to the temple and smashing coconuts to seek divine blessings. The directors of

ISRO themselves prove beyond doubt that a knowledge of science and freedom from one’s

misbeliefs are not mutually inclusive categories. Numerous people bathe in the dirty and

polluted waters of the Ganga everyday, simply because they believe it to be holy. Just as

numerous devotees do the same in the waters of the Brahmaputra at Langalbandh,Narayanganj

– foul-smelling and heavily polluted by chemical wastes – while chanting ‘O

Louhitya, absolve me of my sins’.

Faith is a dangerous thing, especially when rendered sightless. Blind faith and superstitious

beliefs are like twin siblings. If we wish to save society then we must activate all possible

channels to combat both of them.