Anil Anand
Science versus fiction, science versus faith, science versus mythology, science versus age-old beliefs that have percolated from generation to generation so on and so forth, many such questions have arisen ever since the corona virus or to be more precise COVID-19 virus has engulfed the entire world thereby threatening the human race. These questions are more significant in the Indian context and have cropped up during the past few weeks the country has been fighting against the virus.
There is no denying the fact that India is a deeply religious country and where there is a constitutional protection to all faiths or religions. Beliefs and faith have their own sanctity but the lines are terribly blurred when superstitions overtake religious beliefs and in turn question and threaten the scientific temper. If such a situation arises in the midst of protracted fight against a pandemic, and ceaseless efforts to contain the threat, it assumes more dangerous portents.
The current situation has brought into focus more vigorously the debate on how the scientific temper should either get precedent over everything else or how best the scientific traditions could be juxtaposed with religion and mythological moorings. There is a strong case for scientific temper be given the top most billing in facing the new emerging challenges on health front and for that reasons in all aspects of life, and that superstitions and quackery have no place when a COVID-19 like situation develops. There is also a strong case that superstitions and quackery are not touted in the name of religion when it comes to life taking diseases.
How could such misuse of religion or total down-gradation of scientific temper be prevented particularly under trying circumstances? When there is a growing tendency of mixing politics with religion with its many manifestations and shades, the natural corollary that comes to mind is whether scientific temper should get precedence over politics also in dealing with such emergencies.
The ideal situation is that the science and scientific temper should become a guiding force in all circumstances as the man-made situations like COVID-19 will keep challenging us in the time to come. The religion is a matter of personal faith and it would be in the fitness of things that faith and prayers are used to strengthen the scientific temper and in exploring new horizons in scientific research to meet the challenges.
There will never be an ideal situation where nuances of scientific temper are understood in terms of maintaining a safe distance between the temper and faith particularly in the Indian context. And it is no one’s case to even remotely suggest that religious beliefs have no space. These have a space and a different purpose altogether if viewed properly in a proper context. But one would say this, at the cost of being misunderstood, that this is no replacement for a scientific temper.
It would be naive to even remotely assume that in the centre of this scientific temper versus religious beliefs and superstitions debate are the poor, downtrodden and uneducated sections of the society. The experience of past few months during the course of COVID-19 fight-back shows that even a large section of middle class, literate and affluent sections of the society were more at the centre-stage of it than those fighting for their daily wages. That makes the situation more challenging if not damaging.
One biggest lesson emerging out of the COVID-19 situation so far and which will remain relevant throughout in the times to come is that the scientific research and temper still have a long- way to go before its real importance is felt. It is not that the significance of these should only be felt when in dire straits but in all weathers. It must be understood that scientific temper is not a phenomenon meant to be remembered during difficult times. It would come handy and prove beneficial if gainfully harnessed during normal times. In general sense monetary savings made during normal times serve during the rainy days.
In order to inculcate deep scientific temper in a democratic society such as India, it is imperative that science should get a top billing both in the matter of governance and in the thinking of political parties. It is not to say that political parties lack this thinking. There are brilliant minds with scientific bent of mind in most of the parties but somehow it gets evaporated in the sum total of electoral politics. The situation becomes more toxic when the deadly mix of religion and politics lords over everything else. This situation needs a fresh look with every political party’s focus on scientific research no matter whether it sits on the ruling or opposition benches in the Parliament.
Although political parties are using technologies, obviously evolved out of scientific research, to further their electoral victory chances even at times making its negative use, but beyond that there focus on this important aspect is bare minimum.
Inculcation of scientific temper in the public mind-set has to be done in a holistic manner. In order to achieve this, first and foremost science and technology should be given top billing in the matters of governance. No Member of Parliament of a ruling party would gleefully accept the ministership with allocation of Science and Technology portfolio which in political parlance is considered as a lightweight subject.
This mindset needs to be changed at all levels. Apart from politics and political parties another significant area that needs to be made part of this holistic approach to achieve the scientific temper is that of religious teachers and preachers. Cutting across religions some of these teachers and preachers have played a dubious role in this ongoing fight against COVID 19. The glaring instance in this connection is that of Tablighi Jamat episode that happened in Delhi’s Nizamuddin and it’s chief.
It is also due to lack of scientific temper or the overflowing vested interests that varied theories have been propounded making religion as the scapegoat, as counters to the deadly virus. Hardly do the proponents of these theories realise that they are doing damage that could be irreparable, to their religion, community and above all the country.
Ram or Rahim both are sacrosanct and if some of their followers or self-professed experts misguide their followers, they are certainly neither serving their faith nor the country.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel