When someone convicted of murder, adultery, rape or any other crime is publicly executed using guns, knives or stones by religious zealot in any country the reaction of the people is to the effect of saying that it's shameful and no one should be punished like that. This is often followed by asking ourselves whether we're living in the stone age. But when they encounter the news of a similar crime in their own country the reaction is almost completely opposite. People who advocated abolishing the capital punishment outright suddenly start demanding a public execution of the culprit. No discussion of the law or the sense or right and wrong. Just a demand of the capital punishment in a gory way.
Why do people behave in this hypocritical way? One thing to notice is that they are identifying with the one they're seeing getting hurt. In the first case the only story to get published is the crazy punishment given to the convicted and the victim in unknown to the intellectuals passing judgement on the sentence given. The only people they see getting hurt is the convicted and they naturally side with them. In the second case - when the crime is the current national topic of discussion in their own country - they see the victim getting hurt a long time before they see the culprit getting convicted and subsequently sentenced appropriately. So, naturally, they identify with the victim and demand justice accordingly. In other words, we're not demanding justice for the person, we're just demanding the justice we want if we're in place of the one we're identifying with. That's selfishness & ignorance. That's the inability to objectively see things as they are and to side with what's right.
What should we do to eradicate ignorance? We already have problems like hunger, abject poverty, over population, diseases, corruption, inflation and so many more. Does it make sense to target fighting ignorance before them? Absolutely not! And that's the reason we'll fight all these problems at the same time. Not only that, as I argue in this series of posts, fighting ignorance can actually make fighting the other big problems much easier.
Here's how I think we should start. Lets start by asking questions. Lots and lots of them. Obviously, a lot of them would turn out to be stupid ones, but, so are the demands of hanging someone publicly. Slowly, but surely, we'll learn to ask the right ones.
Just a few days ago my sister gave birth to a baby boy. And the father was not allowed to look at the newly born for many days just because of some stupid superstition which could cause bad things to happen if he sees his own child even once before, like, 40 days. 40 DAYS! He obeyed and did not question how that can happen. It's dogmas like these that we've been systematically indoctrinated with for centuries that saddens me the most about our modern society. It's this unreasonable following of one's own version of religion that has damaged our society so much for so long. And it's people's fear of reprisal if they ask why things happen that saddens me even more. Every child is afraid of the dark, but, the real tragedy of life is when grown up men are afraid of light! Everyone knows the father saw the child many times - it's impossible to be in the same smallish hospital room and miss that sight -, just not formally. And everyone knows that nothing bad will happen because of it. But, still a lot of people will go on following the inherently stupid customs just because of fear of something bad happening. Here's a question I have for each one of you who believe in superstitions like these: do you really believe that you're God is so sensitive that if you see you're own newly born he'll be so angry that he'll go on to even cause a fatal accident or disease to one of them? If the answer is yes, then I think you're God is probably named Taliban in His own country!
This mindless indoctrination of kids has resulted in a society where literacy is fairing better than education in every chart imaginable. This has resulted in a society where a Dabangg earns more than 200 Crore Rupees and a Gangs of Wasseypur is barely mentioned. This has resulted in a society where even respected news channels visit colleges to ask students about their opinion on the punishment that should be meted out to a rapist or terrorist and don't invite someone like Prof. Amartya Sen in the studio for a detailed discussion on the right course of action for the country. So, let's ask each each other when we laid the foundation to allow our culture to degrade so much. Let's ask how we can contribute to bring back the glory days.
Let's ask each other why eating non-vegetarian food is permissible after praying and not before it.
Let's ask each other why a cat crossing the road before you're able to can cause your accident to happen.
Let's ask each other why should a bigger Shiva statue be bathed with much more water than a smaller one right beside it.
Let's ask each other why capital punishment is appropriate in one country but not in another.
Let's ask each other why we waste a lot of food in parties, but, have elaborate reasons to prove why we should not give it to needy thereby making them habitual of it.
Let's ask each other why we have so many opinions and ideas about so many things, but, are too lazy to vote.
Let's ask each other why we don't negotiate before buying expensive stuff at shopping malls, but, fight for 5 rupees of discount on 2 Kilograms of tomato.
Let's ask each other when we're starting to think objectively, analyze dispassionately and act swiftly.
Let's ask each other when we're starting to actually grow up!
Why do people behave in this hypocritical way? One thing to notice is that they are identifying with the one they're seeing getting hurt. In the first case the only story to get published is the crazy punishment given to the convicted and the victim in unknown to the intellectuals passing judgement on the sentence given. The only people they see getting hurt is the convicted and they naturally side with them. In the second case - when the crime is the current national topic of discussion in their own country - they see the victim getting hurt a long time before they see the culprit getting convicted and subsequently sentenced appropriately. So, naturally, they identify with the victim and demand justice accordingly. In other words, we're not demanding justice for the person, we're just demanding the justice we want if we're in place of the one we're identifying with. That's selfishness & ignorance. That's the inability to objectively see things as they are and to side with what's right.
What should we do to eradicate ignorance? We already have problems like hunger, abject poverty, over population, diseases, corruption, inflation and so many more. Does it make sense to target fighting ignorance before them? Absolutely not! And that's the reason we'll fight all these problems at the same time. Not only that, as I argue in this series of posts, fighting ignorance can actually make fighting the other big problems much easier.
Here's how I think we should start. Lets start by asking questions. Lots and lots of them. Obviously, a lot of them would turn out to be stupid ones, but, so are the demands of hanging someone publicly. Slowly, but surely, we'll learn to ask the right ones.
Just a few days ago my sister gave birth to a baby boy. And the father was not allowed to look at the newly born for many days just because of some stupid superstition which could cause bad things to happen if he sees his own child even once before, like, 40 days. 40 DAYS! He obeyed and did not question how that can happen. It's dogmas like these that we've been systematically indoctrinated with for centuries that saddens me the most about our modern society. It's this unreasonable following of one's own version of religion that has damaged our society so much for so long. And it's people's fear of reprisal if they ask why things happen that saddens me even more. Every child is afraid of the dark, but, the real tragedy of life is when grown up men are afraid of light! Everyone knows the father saw the child many times - it's impossible to be in the same smallish hospital room and miss that sight -, just not formally. And everyone knows that nothing bad will happen because of it. But, still a lot of people will go on following the inherently stupid customs just because of fear of something bad happening. Here's a question I have for each one of you who believe in superstitions like these: do you really believe that you're God is so sensitive that if you see you're own newly born he'll be so angry that he'll go on to even cause a fatal accident or disease to one of them? If the answer is yes, then I think you're God is probably named Taliban in His own country!
This mindless indoctrination of kids has resulted in a society where literacy is fairing better than education in every chart imaginable. This has resulted in a society where a Dabangg earns more than 200 Crore Rupees and a Gangs of Wasseypur is barely mentioned. This has resulted in a society where even respected news channels visit colleges to ask students about their opinion on the punishment that should be meted out to a rapist or terrorist and don't invite someone like Prof. Amartya Sen in the studio for a detailed discussion on the right course of action for the country. So, let's ask each each other when we laid the foundation to allow our culture to degrade so much. Let's ask how we can contribute to bring back the glory days.
Let's ask each other why eating non-vegetarian food is permissible after praying and not before it.
Let's ask each other why a cat crossing the road before you're able to can cause your accident to happen.
Let's ask each other why should a bigger Shiva statue be bathed with much more water than a smaller one right beside it.
Let's ask each other why capital punishment is appropriate in one country but not in another.
Let's ask each other why we waste a lot of food in parties, but, have elaborate reasons to prove why we should not give it to needy thereby making them habitual of it.
Let's ask each other why we have so many opinions and ideas about so many things, but, are too lazy to vote.
Let's ask each other why we don't negotiate before buying expensive stuff at shopping malls, but, fight for 5 rupees of discount on 2 Kilograms of tomato.
Let's ask each other when we're starting to think objectively, analyze dispassionately and act swiftly.
Let's ask each other when we're starting to actually grow up!
I agree...we need to be more critical and ask more questions!
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