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Please Think: Practical Lessons in Developing a Scientific Temper
Dr Narendra Dabholkar was a giant of the rationalist and anti-superstition movement in India. Besides his groundbreaking work with the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, Dabholkar composed a number of vital treatises on the subject of fighting blind faith. Written in accessible Marathi, the books break down complex intellectual and scientific arguments to argue for the destruction of superstition and the divisions of caste and religion. The second of his books to be translated into English, Please Think makes a vigorous case for questioning everything. Describing religious superstition as a thousand-armed octopus, it uses stories from the movement’s own work on the ground to explain how violence, hatred and fanaticism are spreading, and what can be done to stop it. Be restless, be introspective, Dabholkar urges Indians. Make a noise, respond to crises, stand with the oppressed. People create society, he says—and only people can change it. More relevant today than ever, this is an urgent call for rational thought and moral action by a man who died for his beliefs.
149 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2019
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About the author
Narendra Dabholkar
34 books37 followersNarendra Achyut Dabholkar (1 November 1945 – 20 August 2013) was an Indian rationalist and author from Maharashtra. He was the founder-president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), an organization set up to eradicate superstition in 1989. Triggered by his murder on 20 August 2013, the pending Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance was promulgated in the state of Maharashtra, four days later.
Dabholkar was born on 1 November 1945 to Achyut and Tarabai, being the youngest of ten siblings, the eldest was the late educationalist, Gandhian and socialist Devdatta Dabholkar. He did his schooling at New English School Satara and Willingdon College, Sangli. He was a qualified medical doctor, having obtained an MBBS degree from the Government Medical College, Miraj.
He was the captain of the Shivaji University Kabaddi team. He had represented India against Bangladesh in a Kabaddi tournament. He won the Maharashtra government's Shiv Chhatrapati Yuva Award for Kabaddi.
He was married to Shaila and has two children, Hamid and Mukta Dabholkar. His son was named after the social reformer Hamid Dalwai. He didn't believe in Vastu Shastra and built his house without any regards to the principles of Vastu Shastra. He also criticised extravagant marriage ceremonies and arranged for his own children to be married in simple ceremonies. The almanac was not consulted to select an auspicious time as it is traditionally done. Dabholkar was also an atheist.
Dabholkar had faced several threats and assaults since 1983 but had rejected police protection.
“If I have to take police protection in my own country from my own people, then there is something wrong with me, I'm fighting within the framework of the Indian constitution and it is not against anyone, but for everyone.”
— Dabholkar on rejecting police protection
Murdered on 20 August 2013, while out on a morning walk, Dabholkar was shot down by two unidentified gunmen near Omkareshwar temple, Pune at 7:20 AM IST. The assailants fired four rounds at him from a point blank range and fled on a motorcycle parked nearby. Two bullets hit Dabholkar in his head and chest. He later succumbed to his injuries while being treated at Sassoon Hospital.
Dabholkar had originally donated his body to a medical college. But, the autopsy made necessary by his murder left the slain leader's body unfit for academic purposes. He was cremated in Satara without any religious rites. His pyre was lit by his daughter, Mukta, in contradiction to the tradition where the son lights the pyre. His ashes were collected without any religious ceremony and scattered over his organic farm.
Dabholkar was born on 1 November 1945 to Achyut and Tarabai, being the youngest of ten siblings, the eldest was the late educationalist, Gandhian and socialist Devdatta Dabholkar. He did his schooling at New English School Satara and Willingdon College, Sangli. He was a qualified medical doctor, having obtained an MBBS degree from the Government Medical College, Miraj.
He was the captain of the Shivaji University Kabaddi team. He had represented India against Bangladesh in a Kabaddi tournament. He won the Maharashtra government's Shiv Chhatrapati Yuva Award for Kabaddi.
He was married to Shaila and has two children, Hamid and Mukta Dabholkar. His son was named after the social reformer Hamid Dalwai. He didn't believe in Vastu Shastra and built his house without any regards to the principles of Vastu Shastra. He also criticised extravagant marriage ceremonies and arranged for his own children to be married in simple ceremonies. The almanac was not consulted to select an auspicious time as it is traditionally done. Dabholkar was also an atheist.
Dabholkar had faced several threats and assaults since 1983 but had rejected police protection.
“If I have to take police protection in my own country from my own people, then there is something wrong with me, I'm fighting within the framework of the Indian constitution and it is not against anyone, but for everyone.”
— Dabholkar on rejecting police protection
Murdered on 20 August 2013, while out on a morning walk, Dabholkar was shot down by two unidentified gunmen near Omkareshwar temple, Pune at 7:20 AM IST. The assailants fired four rounds at him from a point blank range and fled on a motorcycle parked nearby. Two bullets hit Dabholkar in his head and chest. He later succumbed to his injuries while being treated at Sassoon Hospital.
Dabholkar had originally donated his body to a medical college. But, the autopsy made necessary by his murder left the slain leader's body unfit for academic purposes. He was cremated in Satara without any religious rites. His pyre was lit by his daughter, Mukta, in contradiction to the tradition where the son lights the pyre. His ashes were collected without any religious ceremony and scattered over his organic farm.
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May 10, 2021
Article 51 A (h): [It shall be the duty of every citizen of India] To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
‘தயவு செய்து யோசியுங்கள்’ என்று சொல்வதற்கு நம் நாட்டில் ஒரு புத்தகமே எழுத வேண்டியுள்ளது. ஒரு முட்டாள் கூட்டத்திடம் தான் ஒட்டுமொத்த இந்தியாவும் சிக்கிக் கொண்டுள்ளது, அதுவும் இது போன்ற பெருந்தொற்று காலத்தில் இந்த கூட்டம் நாட்டை சீரழித்து கொண்டிருக்கிறது. இந்த கொரோனா காலத்தில் கோமியம், சாணம் என பிற்போக்குத்தனங்களால் மக்களை ஏமாற்றியும் தடுப்பூசி பற்றி போலி செய்திகளை பரப்பி அதில் ஆதாயம் தேடி வருகிறார்கள்.
இதுபோன்ற இக்கட்டான சூழலில் இந்த புத்தகம் ஒரு இளைப்பாறல் தருகிறது. இதில் உள்ள கருத்துக்கள் எல்லாம் மனித அறிவின் வளர்ச்சியை கருத்தில் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்ட ஒன்று, இந்தியிலிருந்து மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்ட நூல் போல் இல்லாமல் ஒரு மேற்குலக எழுத்தாளர் எழுதியது போல் உள்ளது.
இந்தியா, மதசார்பின்மை கொள்கையை அடிப்படை அம்சமாக கொண்டு கட்டமைக்கப்பட்ட நாடு என்றாலும் அதில் உள்ள அனைத்து விதமான அமைப்புகளிலும் மூடநம்பிக்கை இருள் சூழ்ந்து தான் உள்ளது. அது எத்தகைய பெரிய அமைப்பாக இருந்தாலும் சரி மழை வேண்டி யாகம் நடத்த சொல்லும் அரசுகள் இந்தியாவில் தான் இருக்கின்றன, ராணுவ விமானம் வாங்கி அதற்கு பூஜை போடும் அமைச்சர்கள் இந்தியாவில் தான் உள்ளார்கள், அரசு கட்டிடங்களுக்கு பூமி பூஜை என்ற பெயரில் மக்களின் வரிப்பணத்தை வீணடிக்கும் வீணர்கள் இந்த நாட்டில் தான் உள்ளார்கள்.
இப்படி அரசு எந்திரமே பகுத்தறிவற்று இருக்கும் போது அவர்களை தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும் மக்கள் எப்படிப்பட்டவர்களாக இருப்பார்கள்? நெற்றியில் சாம்பல், கையில் கயிறு, கழுத்தில் ஒரு கயிறு, நேர்த்திக்கடன், தீ மிதி திருவிழா, வாயில் இருந்து பிள்ளையார், அம்மன் கோவில் உருள தண்டம் என மக்களையும் இந்த அறியாமை இருள் சூழ்ந்து தான் உள்ளது.
இங்கு நடக்கும் திருமண முறைகளிலும் இத்தகைய சிக்கல் தொடர்ந்து வருகிறது. மணமகனை திட்டி ஓதப்படும் மந்திரங்களுக்கு ஆயிரக்கணக்கில் வசூலித்து வயிறு வளர்க்கும் மக்கள் இங்கு இருக்க தான் செய்கிறார்கள். கிலோ கணக்கில் ஒருவொரு திருமண நிகழ்விலும் ஆசி என்ற பெயரில் அரிசியை வீணாகும் நிகழ்வு தான் நடக்கிறது. பஞ்சமும்-பட்டினியில் உயிரிழக்கும் மனிதர்கள் வாழும் ஊரில் தான் டன் கணக்கில் அரிசி தானியங்கள் வீணடிக்க படுகின்றன கடவுளின் பெயரில்.
அதை தாண்டி கோவிலில் அர்ச்சனை செலவு, அதிவரதர் வந்தால் அதற்கு தனி செலவு, மொட்டை அடிக்க செலவு, காது குத்த செலவு என்ன மக்கள் சேமிக்கும் பணத்தில் பாதியை தேவையற்ற விஷயங்களுக்கு செலவழிக்கும் நாட்டில் பொருளாதாரத்தை எப்படி சீர் செய்வது அவர்களின் வாழ்வாதாரத்தை எப்படி உயர்த்துவது ?
இதை தவிர்த்து பெண்கள் மீது தான் பெரும்பாலான மூடநம்பிக்கைகளின் சுமை ஏற்றப்படுகிறது. சாதி-மதம்-குடும்பம் என எல்லா வகையான அமைப்புகளிலும் பெண்கள் மீது மூடநம்பிக்கை சடங்குகள் திணிக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றன. இன்றளவும் படித்த குடும்பங்களிலும் இத்தகைய கேடுகள் நடந்தவண்ணம் தான் இருக்கிறது. இந்தியாவில் கற்கும் கல்வியில் பகுத்தறிவு என்பது துளியும் இல்லை என்பது தான் இந்த 70 ஆண்டு சுதந்திர இந்தியா அடைந்த இலக்கு.
நம் முன்னோர்கள் கனவு கண்ட இந்தியாவா இது ? பிற்போக்கு-மதவாத-சாதியவாத அயோக்கியர்கள் தான் நம்மை இப்போது ஆண்டு வருகிறார்கள். பிழை இந்த சமூகத்திடம் தான் இருக்கிறது, சீர்திருத்தம் என்பது இங்கிருந்து தான் தொடங்க வேண்டும். தனி மனிதர்களாகிய நாம், அறிவியலை நம்பும் நாம், பகுத்தறிவு பாதையில் நடக்க வேண்டும். கல்வியின் பயன் என்பது வாழ்க்கையில் கடைபிடிக்க படும் போது தான் முழுதாக உணரப்படுகிறது.
அத்தகைய பகுத்தறிவு கல்வியை எப்போது நாம் அடைகிறோமோ அப்போது தான் இந்த இன்னல்களில் இருந்து நமக்கெல்லாம் விடிவு பிறக்கும். இந்த புத்தகமும் அந்த செய்தியை தான் வலியுறுத்துகிறது. மகாராஷ்டிராவை அடிப்படையை வைத்து எழுதப்பட்டாலும் பல்வேறு அறிஞர்களையும், தத்துவ ஆய்வாளர்களையும், மேற்கோள் காட்டியுள்ளார் .
திராவிட இயக்க குடும்பத்தில் இருந்து வருவதால் இந்த செய்திகள் எல்லாம் எனக்கு பெரும்பாலும் தெரிந்தவை தான். மூடநம்பிக்கையை ஒழிக்க மாநாடு நடத்திய இயக்கம் திராவிட இயக்கம், அதன் இதழ்களில் குறிப்பாக ‘பெரியார் பிஞ்சு’ போன்ற சிறுவர் இதழ்கள் மூலம் சிறுவர்களுக்கான பகுத்தறிவை ஊட்டிய இயக்கம் திராவிட இயக்கம். இந்நூல் ஆசிரியர் கூறும் தீர்வுகளை பெரியார் 1930 களில் இருந்து பரப்பி வந்தவை தான், அந்த பகுத்தறிவு பிரச்சாரத்தை நாம் அனைவரும் தொடர்ந்து செய்ய வேண்டும். அதன் விளைவுகளை நாம் இன்னும் அறுவடை செய்யவில்லை. இந்த பயணம் நீண்ட நெடிய பயணம் அதை நோக்கி ஒரு சமூகமாக நாம் முன்னேற வேண்டும் என்பது தான் நூல் கூறும் செய்தி.
அனைவரும் அவசியம் வாசிக்க வேண்டிய புத்தகம், அறிவியலும் பகுத்தறிவும் தான் மனித சமுதாயத்தின் வளர்ச்சியை-இலக்கை தீர்மானிக்கும் எனவே அதன் கை பிடித்து நடைபோடுவோம்!
புத்தகத்தை பரிந்துரைத்த தோழருக்கு அன்பும் நன்றியும்.
BOOK: Please Think
AUTHOR: Dr Narendra Dabholkar
‘தயவு செய்து யோசியுங்கள்’ என்று சொல்வதற்கு நம் நாட்டில் ஒரு புத்தகமே எழுத வேண்டியுள்ளது. ஒரு முட்டாள் கூட்டத்திடம் தான் ஒட்டுமொத்த இந்தியாவும் சிக்கிக் கொண்டுள்ளது, அதுவும் இது போன்ற பெருந்தொற்று காலத்தில் இந்த கூட்டம் நாட்டை சீரழித்து கொண்டிருக்கிறது. இந்த கொரோனா காலத்தில் கோமியம், சாணம் என பிற்போக்குத்தனங்களால் மக்களை ஏமாற்றியும் தடுப்பூசி பற்றி போலி செய்திகளை பரப்பி அதில் ஆதாயம் தேடி வருகிறார்கள்.
இதுபோன்ற இக்கட்டான சூழலில் இந்த புத்தகம் ஒரு இளைப்பாறல் தருகிறது. இதில் உள்ள கருத்துக்கள் எல்லாம் மனித அறிவின் வளர்ச்சியை கருத்தில் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்ட ஒன்று, இந்தியிலிருந்து மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்ட நூல் போல் இல்லாமல் ஒரு மேற்குலக எழுத்தாளர் எழுதியது போல் உள்ளது.
இந்தியா, மதசார்பின்மை கொள்கையை அடிப்படை அம்சமாக கொண்டு கட்டமைக்கப்பட்ட நாடு என்றாலும் அதில் உள்ள அனைத்து விதமான அமைப்புகளிலும் மூடநம்பிக்கை இருள் சூழ்ந்து தான் உள்ளது. அது எத்தகைய பெரிய அமைப்பாக இருந்தாலும் சரி மழை வேண்டி யாகம் நடத்த சொல்லும் அரசுகள் இந்தியாவில் தான் இருக்கின்றன, ராணுவ விமானம் வாங்கி அதற்கு பூஜை போடும் அமைச்சர்கள் இந்தியாவில் தான் உள்ளார்கள், அரசு கட்டிடங்களுக்கு பூமி பூஜை என்ற பெயரில் மக்களின் வரிப்பணத்தை வீணடிக்கும் வீணர்கள் இந்த நாட்டில் தான் உள்ளார்கள்.
இப்படி அரசு எந்திரமே பகுத்தறிவற்று இருக்கும் போது அவர்களை தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும் மக்கள் எப்படிப்பட்டவர்களாக இருப்பார்கள்? நெற்றியில் சாம்பல், கையில் கயிறு, கழுத்தில் ஒரு கயிறு, நேர்த்திக்கடன், தீ மிதி திருவிழா, வாயில் இருந்து பிள்ளையார், அம்மன் கோவில் உருள தண்டம் என மக்களையும் இந்த அறியாமை இருள் சூழ்ந்து தான் உள்ளது.
இங்கு நடக்கும் திருமண முறைகளிலும் இத்தகைய சிக்கல் தொடர்ந்து வருகிறது. மணமகனை திட்டி ஓதப்படும் மந்திரங்களுக்கு ஆயிரக்கணக்கில் வசூலித்து வயிறு வளர்க்கும் மக்கள் இங்கு இருக்க தான் செய்கிறார்கள். கிலோ கணக்கில் ஒருவொரு திருமண நிகழ்விலும் ஆசி என்ற பெயரில் அரிசியை வீணாகும் நிகழ்வு தான் நடக்கிறது. பஞ்சமும்-பட்டினியில் உயிரிழக்கும் மனிதர்கள் வாழும் ஊரில் தான் டன் கணக்கில் அரிசி தானியங்கள் வீணடிக்க படுகின்றன கடவுளின் பெயரில்.
அதை தாண்டி கோவிலில் அர்ச்சனை செலவு, அதிவரதர் வந்தால் அதற்கு தனி செலவு, மொட்டை அடிக்க செலவு, காது குத்த செலவு என்ன மக்கள் சேமிக்கும் பணத்தில் பாதியை தேவையற்ற விஷயங்களுக்கு செலவழிக்கும் நாட்டில் பொருளாதாரத்தை எப்படி சீர் செய்வது அவர்களின் வாழ்வாதாரத்தை எப்படி உயர்த்துவது ?
இதை தவிர்த்து பெண்கள் மீது தான் பெரும்பாலான மூடநம்பிக்கைகளின் சுமை ஏற்றப்படுகிறது. சாதி-மதம்-குடும்பம் என எல்லா வகையான அமைப்புகளிலும் பெண்கள் மீது மூடநம்பிக்கை சடங்குகள் திணிக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றன. இன்றளவும் படித்த குடும்பங்களிலும் இத்தகைய கேடுகள் நடந்தவண்ணம் தான் இருக்கிறது. இந்தியாவில் கற்கும் கல்வியில் பகுத்தறிவு என்பது துளியும் இல்லை என்பது தான் இந்த 70 ஆண்டு சுதந்திர இந்தியா அடைந்த இலக்கு.
நம் முன்னோர்கள் கனவு கண்ட இந்தியாவா இது ? பிற்போக்கு-மதவாத-சாதியவாத அயோக்கியர்கள் தான் நம்மை இப்போது ஆண்டு வருகிறார்கள். பிழை இந்த சமூகத்திடம் தான் இருக்கிறது, சீர்திருத்தம் என்பது இங்கிருந்து தான் தொடங்க வேண்டும். தனி மனிதர்களாகிய நாம், அறிவியலை நம்பும் நாம், பகுத்தறிவு பாதையில் நடக்க வேண்டும். கல்வியின் பயன் என்பது வாழ்க்கையில் கடைபிடிக்க படும் போது தான் முழுதாக உணரப்படுகிறது.
அத்தகைய பகுத்தறிவு கல்வியை எப்போது நாம் அடைகிறோமோ அப்போது தான் இந்த இன்னல்களில் இருந்து நமக்கெல்லாம் விடிவு பிறக்கும். இந்த புத்தகமும் அந்த செய்தியை தான் வலியுறுத்துகிறது. மகாராஷ்டிராவை அடிப்படையை வைத்து எழுதப்பட்டாலும் பல்வேறு அறிஞர்களையும், தத்துவ ஆய்வாளர்களையும், மேற்கோள் காட்டியுள்ளார் .
திராவிட இயக்க குடும்பத்தில் இருந்து வருவதால் இந்த செய்திகள் எல்லாம் எனக்கு பெரும்பாலும் தெரிந்தவை தான். மூடநம்பிக்கையை ஒழிக்க மாநாடு நடத்திய இயக்கம் திராவிட இயக்கம், அதன் இதழ்களில் குறிப்பாக ‘பெரியார் பிஞ்சு’ போன்ற சிறுவர் இதழ்கள் மூலம் சிறுவர்களுக்கான பகுத்தறிவை ஊட்டிய இயக்கம் திராவிட இயக்கம். இந்நூல் ஆசிரியர் கூறும் தீர்வுகளை பெரியார் 1930 களில் இருந்து பரப்பி வந்தவை தான், அந்த பகுத்தறிவு பிரச்சாரத்தை நாம் அனைவரும் தொடர்ந்து செய்ய வேண்டும். அதன் விளைவுகளை நாம் இன்னும் அறுவடை செய்யவில்லை. இந்த பயணம் நீண்ட நெடிய பயணம் அதை நோக்கி ஒரு சமூகமாக நாம் முன்னேற வேண்டும் என்பது தான் நூல் கூறும் செய்தி.
அனைவரும் அவசியம் வாசிக்க வேண்டிய புத்தகம், அறிவியலும் பகுத்தறிவும் தான் மனித சமுதாயத்தின் வளர்ச்சியை-இலக்கை தீர்மானிக்கும் எனவே அதன் கை பிடித்து நடைபோடுவோம்!
புத்தகத்தை பரிந்துரைத்த தோழருக்கு அன்பும் நன்றியும்.
BOOK: Please Think
AUTHOR: Dr Narendra Dabholkar
March 7, 2020
Narendra Dabholkar founded an organization with the sole aim to eradicate the evils of superstition in the society, and devoted his entire life for the cause, till he was assassinated by clearly those who thought that he was threat to their existence and beliefs. In this book "Please Think" Dabholkar in his pursuit of creating awareness in the society the shortcomings of blind faith in ancient scriptures, practices and gurus. He doesn't shy away of being specific to the extent of talking about specific incidents and people to draw the attention of people for his cause.
He urges to adhere by one of the fundamental duties mentioned in the constitution of India, "To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform"
Even if I disagree with author regarding certain points, but I am hugely appreciative of the cause he fought and martyred for.
This book probably is not author's best work as it lacks a structured approach to the subject on hand. I am currently reading Dabholkar's "The Case for Reason" which structurally analyzes the effects of various pseudo-sciences and practices, that are detrimental to human growth and reason.
He urges to adhere by one of the fundamental duties mentioned in the constitution of India, "To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform"
Even if I disagree with author regarding certain points, but I am hugely appreciative of the cause he fought and martyred for.
This book probably is not author's best work as it lacks a structured approach to the subject on hand. I am currently reading Dabholkar's "The Case for Reason" which structurally analyzes the effects of various pseudo-sciences and practices, that are detrimental to human growth and reason.
October 22, 2020
The word ‘scientific temper’ was first coined by Jawaharlal Nehru in his book The Discovery of India. While addressing the National Science Congress in 1937, he further stated that, “It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to waste, of a rich country inhabited by starving people.” After the Independence, Jawaharlal Nehru documented the Scientific Policy Resolution in 1958 which was later passed by the Parliament of India. In 1975, the Indian constitution was amended to add the fundamental duties of Indian citizens. Article 51(A) of the constitution states that, ‘It shall be the duty of every citizen to develop scientific temper, humanism and spirit of enquiry and reform’. The old educational policy under Rajiv Gandhi had also laid a great emphasis on the development of scientific temper through academic curriculum. However, the very National Science Congress which has to uphold the scientific temper decided to award and honour an astrologer for his ‘ground breaking research’ in the field of astrology in the year 1993, facing severe backlash and criticism from rationalists and academicians. This assault on scientific temper by the elites and political class of India is an on-going tragedy even today. Year after year, several pseudoscientific and nefariously unscientific claims were made in the National Science Congress, putting faith and religion in direct conflict with science. This dichotomy is a product of lack of scientific temper even among the educated classes who profess their superstitious beliefs generation after generation solely believing that science is one among many academic subjects to be studied in school, without inculcating its lessons to one’s way of living. Ironically in India, every religion is considered as a way of life.
This book is a collection of essays from Narendra Dabholkar on blind faith, rituals, superstitions, prayers, fasting, widow remarriage, astrology, ceremonies and god men. Narendra Dabholkar is a doctor, rationalist, activist and leader of the anti-superstition movement from Maharashtra who vehemently opposed and protested against superstitions and religious fanaticism. He was shot dead in 2013 while he was out for a morning walk. After his death, he was cremated without any religious rituals and his pyre was lit by his daughter contrary to the tradition of son usually doing it. Written in simple language, this book is an urgent call for rationalism and moral action by a man who died for his rationalism. The author emphasise the need for logic, evaluation, observation, experimentation and verification of any claim urging the reader not to believe anything just because someone with authority had said it or it has been long practiced as a tradition.
Dr. Ambedkar once said, “We should be able to test religion. What do you do when you visit a jeweler's shop? Do you check if the gold is pure? To understand if the gold is pure you have to test it rigorously. We need to examine every aspect of religion. No one buys gold unless it passes the test. Similarly, we must test religion on whether it is beneficial to humans or not. Religion is not acceptable unless it is tested in this manner. Our nation has been impoverished because we have not done this.” This was rationalism and reform mindedness at its peak. What makes a human being essentially different from other species is his ability to question everything and try to find answers, thus leading to rapid progress of humanity. While religious claims can end usually with “I’m the messenger of God. What I say is final. Follow it”, the pursuit of scientific knowledge can never end with utmost certainty. While any number of hypothesis can be scientifically tested by experimenting to establish a theory, religious and claims based on faith often lie low in hideout to avoid being tested.
Einstein can refute Newton on the laws of gravity and Huygens can refute Einstein’s particle theory of light. Yet, none of the followers of Einstein or Newton get offended. On the contrary, questioning an unscientific and irrational religious belief can trigger fierce opposition from the believers. If the constitution of India has given its citizens the fundamental right to freedom of religion, it also advocates for the development of scientific temper and spirit of enquiry and reforms in form of fundamental duties. Though they are mutually exclusive, one must understand that fundamental duties are complementary to the fundamental rights in the Indian constitution. Thus, everyone is entitled to the right of analysing everything, and no matter which religious sentiments are hurt by this analysis, the final truth has to be tolerated.
Ripping apart astrology, the author shares his experience of challenging India’s top astrologists with an ultimatum of five lakh rupees to predict the gender of five individuals based on their birth day. It is not surprising that not even one astrologer came forward with the answers, but smartly backed off claiming that there are limitations to the ‘science called astrology’ in which you can predict everything else except if the person is alive or dead and their respective gender. In this book, Narendra Dabholkar shares many more stories from his public life as the leader of anti-superstition movement making strong case for rejecting meaningless rituals, ceremonies, heaven, hell, prayer, fasting and reincarnation.
Christopher Hitchens once said, “When Socrates was sentenced to death, for his philosophical investigations and his blasphemy for challenging the Gods of the city and he accepted his death. He did say "well, if we're lucky perhaps I'll be able to hold a conversation with other great thinkers and philosophers and doubters too", in other words that the discussion about what is good, what is beautiful, what is noble and what is pure and what is true can always go on. Why is that important, why would I like to do that? Because, that is the only conversation worth having. And I urge you to take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way.” The seeds of rationalism can be sowed by having a simple conversation. When a person out rightly reject to have a conversation for the sake of having his sentiments and beliefs hurt and dismantled, he is being close minded and will forever live in denial.
This book can open one’s mind to enquire his daily actions, elevate his scientific temper and question his practices which he carried out for long without thinking. This book makes it even simpler for the readers to understand that,“It was not that Socrates did not believe in the gods, but he believed that no one ought to accept any principle, even the existence of deity, without subjecting it to reason.” So, PLEASE THINK!
This book is a collection of essays from Narendra Dabholkar on blind faith, rituals, superstitions, prayers, fasting, widow remarriage, astrology, ceremonies and god men. Narendra Dabholkar is a doctor, rationalist, activist and leader of the anti-superstition movement from Maharashtra who vehemently opposed and protested against superstitions and religious fanaticism. He was shot dead in 2013 while he was out for a morning walk. After his death, he was cremated without any religious rituals and his pyre was lit by his daughter contrary to the tradition of son usually doing it. Written in simple language, this book is an urgent call for rationalism and moral action by a man who died for his rationalism. The author emphasise the need for logic, evaluation, observation, experimentation and verification of any claim urging the reader not to believe anything just because someone with authority had said it or it has been long practiced as a tradition.
Dr. Ambedkar once said, “We should be able to test religion. What do you do when you visit a jeweler's shop? Do you check if the gold is pure? To understand if the gold is pure you have to test it rigorously. We need to examine every aspect of religion. No one buys gold unless it passes the test. Similarly, we must test religion on whether it is beneficial to humans or not. Religion is not acceptable unless it is tested in this manner. Our nation has been impoverished because we have not done this.” This was rationalism and reform mindedness at its peak. What makes a human being essentially different from other species is his ability to question everything and try to find answers, thus leading to rapid progress of humanity. While religious claims can end usually with “I’m the messenger of God. What I say is final. Follow it”, the pursuit of scientific knowledge can never end with utmost certainty. While any number of hypothesis can be scientifically tested by experimenting to establish a theory, religious and claims based on faith often lie low in hideout to avoid being tested.
Einstein can refute Newton on the laws of gravity and Huygens can refute Einstein’s particle theory of light. Yet, none of the followers of Einstein or Newton get offended. On the contrary, questioning an unscientific and irrational religious belief can trigger fierce opposition from the believers. If the constitution of India has given its citizens the fundamental right to freedom of religion, it also advocates for the development of scientific temper and spirit of enquiry and reforms in form of fundamental duties. Though they are mutually exclusive, one must understand that fundamental duties are complementary to the fundamental rights in the Indian constitution. Thus, everyone is entitled to the right of analysing everything, and no matter which religious sentiments are hurt by this analysis, the final truth has to be tolerated.
Ripping apart astrology, the author shares his experience of challenging India’s top astrologists with an ultimatum of five lakh rupees to predict the gender of five individuals based on their birth day. It is not surprising that not even one astrologer came forward with the answers, but smartly backed off claiming that there are limitations to the ‘science called astrology’ in which you can predict everything else except if the person is alive or dead and their respective gender. In this book, Narendra Dabholkar shares many more stories from his public life as the leader of anti-superstition movement making strong case for rejecting meaningless rituals, ceremonies, heaven, hell, prayer, fasting and reincarnation.
Christopher Hitchens once said, “When Socrates was sentenced to death, for his philosophical investigations and his blasphemy for challenging the Gods of the city and he accepted his death. He did say "well, if we're lucky perhaps I'll be able to hold a conversation with other great thinkers and philosophers and doubters too", in other words that the discussion about what is good, what is beautiful, what is noble and what is pure and what is true can always go on. Why is that important, why would I like to do that? Because, that is the only conversation worth having. And I urge you to take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way.” The seeds of rationalism can be sowed by having a simple conversation. When a person out rightly reject to have a conversation for the sake of having his sentiments and beliefs hurt and dismantled, he is being close minded and will forever live in denial.
This book can open one’s mind to enquire his daily actions, elevate his scientific temper and question his practices which he carried out for long without thinking. This book makes it even simpler for the readers to understand that,“It was not that Socrates did not believe in the gods, but he believed that no one ought to accept any principle, even the existence of deity, without subjecting it to reason.” So, PLEASE THINK!
May 26, 2020
Wonderful book.. quite repetitive there and there, but still it conveys the message what it intend to.
Its all about cultivating scientific temper an being skeptic no matter how small or big the superstition is .
Observation
Logic and Evaluation
Experimentation
Verification
So, Question everything and dont be a fucking idiot. Religion spoils you buddy!
Its all about cultivating scientific temper an being skeptic no matter how small or big the superstition is .
Observation
Logic and Evaluation
Experimentation
Verification
So, Question everything and dont be a fucking idiot. Religion spoils you buddy!
September 22, 2020
Rationalism has always been a harbinger of free thought. It is but the first step in a society evolving into a scientific thinking society. Science is always condemned and relegated to contempt by organized religion when it does not conform to the dogma of religion.
“Before the fifteenth century, in India and the West, science was dependent on the patronage of royalty and religious institutions. This not only stunted scientific progress but also created several misconceptions about nature in society—for instance, the notion that the earth is at the centre of the universe. Or, the notion that God created man.”
People who profess rationalism are always subjected to ridicule, suspicion and contempt by the vested power structures, be it left, right or center of the spectrum, as it questions the popular myths on which such power structures are built on. Rationalists are always billed as anarchists and reactionary.
Such rationalists either fall into a branch of thinkers or as those who practice it as a tool of emancipation for masses, working among those masses they want to help. Both have distinct identity and flavor.
While pure thinkers cater to the intellects appealing to their intellectual faculties, those working with the masses do not have that luxury and have to adapt to the tone and language of their society, to engage with larger audiences. They are constrained by the masses they engage with and by the times they live.. Hence their methods and discourses often appear coarse and aggressive.
These reformers, who are on the field are always ridiculed by the so-called elite armchair activists and the detractors alike.
The emotions & motives of detractors who subscribe to religious or social power structures, often being the part of the upper echelons of those structures they subscribe to, are understandable. They are agitated that the pedestal given to them by the system of oppression is being eroded by the rationalists. They detest the thinkers and those working with the masses, but more so the second group which causes the most damage to their immediate social standing.
However, the elite armchair activists who identify with rationalism, complain from the comfort of their cushioned chair, that their refined intellect appreciates the language and tone of thinkers but aggressively condemn those who lead, teach & practice rationalism along with the masses, working for their emancipation, just because their “refined intellect” cannot tolerate the “gross and unrefined” tone of the reformers. In turn their allegiance is to a passive form of “thought” but not to the active and aggressive form of the “practice”. In effect they are happy until rationalism is just a germ of thought but never a thriving practice in the society.
In India there were always such people who came in trickles, igniting masses they came from.
Narendra Dhabolkar was one such rationalist who was never happy simply being a thinker but actively worked with the masses to bring about a scientific approach to those lives.
Of course he was no Bertrand Russel, to display a refined theory in an elegant language but could only bring up his narrative deeply seasoned with the tools of his practice and learning. He is not catering to the relaxed and refined intellect of the armchair activists but to the larger exploited, toiling mass where he wants to bring about a change.
All along the book his objective is clear and identified clearly by saying,
“It was not that Socrates did not believe in the gods, but he believed that no one ought to accept any principle, even the existence of deity, without subjecting it to reason.”
He clearly believed the dogma of religion often goes against the grain of scientific thinking.
“It is important to be aware that science is not magic. To say that all questions will be answered by science is to replace God with science. Only people can solve problems. Scientific thinking shows us the appropriate way to solve them.”
“The chief difference between religious philosophy and scientific theory lies in the fact that religion asserts that there is an eternal and unquestionable truth while scientific assertions are always subject to revision. However, in advanced sciences, revisions serve largely to refine existing theories. Usually, a well-established theory does not end up being entirely discarded, but gets subsumed into a newer, more adequate theory.”
“The real tussle between religion and science was that of the primacy of words and books versus the primacy of observation and examination.”
In his quest he does not single out one religion but all that he encounters stunting the growth of the society he belonged to.
“In India, in over two thousand years after the Charvakas and the Buddha, and before the advent of Western thought, the clarion call ‘Please Think’, putting the caller’s very life at risk, was not raised. Skills and knowledge transferred through tradition started drying up and no one mourned them.”
“The clergy were pressurised to excommunicate mathematicians because it was believed that geometry was the devil’s science and mathematicians were heretics. A committee of theologians discussed the subject of astronomy and deduced two conclusions from certain passages in the Bible: ‘The notion that the sun is stationary and does not revolve around the earth is absolutely wrong and openly challenges the Holy Scripture. The notion that the earth revolves around the sun is preposterous and contrary to the religious view.’ Then the Pope ordered Galileo to depose before the Roman Catholic Inquisition.”
He consistently worked to bring about scientific approach and rationalism among the society he lived in. He understood how the detractors of science often espoused the cause of science and learning yet did nothing or worser, professed thought and action inimical to the very cause of science they identify with.
“Another widely prevalent mentality holds us back: we unnecessarily hold in great esteem the opinions of a person who has excelled in a certain field, even when said opinions are completely unrelated to their field of expertise. In our country, accomplished sportspersons, artists, writers and politicians often assert opinions that are contrary to scientific temper and people take them seriously.”
“Many people who have earned dazzling degrees in science uphold unscientific customs. Many people who proclaim themselves to be scientifically aligned fail to transform their beliefs into actions. But this is no reason for us to question scientific thinking itself.”
He constantly faced backlash from the religious fanatic lot who are driven by pride rather than reason.
“Pride in religion and exploring religion are two very different things. In Maharashtra today, pride in religion is at its peak and exploration of religion has touched its nadir.”
“The human mind tends to get utterly engrossed in religious faith. Hence, periodically examining one’s beliefs, sacrificing outdated ones and adopting new ones becomes necessary for the progress of the individual as well as society. Thus, it was beneficial for man to give up spirit-based thinking. Some researchers are comfortable calling spirit-based thinking ‘religious’, while others prefer to call it magical or even ‘magico-religious’ belief. The latter believe that the tag of religion must be attached to the beliefs of advanced societies only. Some even assert that only monotheist faiths are religions, while the rest are magical beliefs. In reality, the beliefs and actions of both kinds of faith are very similar.”
“But it is important to understand that the original struggle was never between religious faith and scientific knowledge. It was between religious faith and rational thinking. Modern science is the fruit of rationalism.”
In questioning the religion and superstition he drew strength from the sages and wise men of the past which the fanatically inclined rarely do or be evasive about,
“To the people who conspire to do this, Swami Vivekananda has this to say: Should religion use the same kind of logic that every branch of science uses to establish itself? Should religion use the same tools and methods that science uses to make sense of the world around us? My answer to both these questions is yes, the sooner the better. If doing so causes the religion to collapse, then that religion was never a religion—it was a meaningless, useless superstition. I have not the smallest doubt that it is glorious for such superstition to crumble and fall. All weeds must be uprooted and the real core of religion ought to be revealed, refined and shining, in this process. Religion ought to have the same scientific approach that physics or chemistry has. This will let it become more adept.”
Like every rationalist he was hounded by religious fanatics who constantly state the “ hurt sentiments” whenever their position of fallacy is questioned. He voiced dissent on such trampling on the right of free thinking with such false victimization…
“A seeker of truth often poses challenges. The truth is not harmed by this. It remains the truth. What is harmed is the unsubstantiated claim that a ritual can help conceive a son, achieve world peace and ensure environmental protection. Such claims need to be examined and questioned with powerful challenges. Every Indian has the right to believe in and profess any faith. But people also have a right to pursue independent lines of thinking. What about that?”
In the end, like Socrates he identified with, he was murdered by the fanatics for his belief and action.
Those same Armchair activists, who condemned him and the rest of the reformers by selective reading, twisting and slandering all because of willingness to engage with their society and work towards their betterment, all the time will continue to do so, as it is easy for them to do so and simply because they could show to the world they could do that from the comfort of their four walls and a warm cuppa in their hand…
Socrates summed their dilemma very clearly,
“The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”
Of course the armchair activists are happy continuing to identify their tastes and intellect with the pure rationalist thinkers and keeping up their lofty opinions and accusations on him and any reformer, thereby complicit in the vile deed with the fanatics and sharing the same blame.
“Before the fifteenth century, in India and the West, science was dependent on the patronage of royalty and religious institutions. This not only stunted scientific progress but also created several misconceptions about nature in society—for instance, the notion that the earth is at the centre of the universe. Or, the notion that God created man.”
People who profess rationalism are always subjected to ridicule, suspicion and contempt by the vested power structures, be it left, right or center of the spectrum, as it questions the popular myths on which such power structures are built on. Rationalists are always billed as anarchists and reactionary.
Such rationalists either fall into a branch of thinkers or as those who practice it as a tool of emancipation for masses, working among those masses they want to help. Both have distinct identity and flavor.
While pure thinkers cater to the intellects appealing to their intellectual faculties, those working with the masses do not have that luxury and have to adapt to the tone and language of their society, to engage with larger audiences. They are constrained by the masses they engage with and by the times they live.. Hence their methods and discourses often appear coarse and aggressive.
These reformers, who are on the field are always ridiculed by the so-called elite armchair activists and the detractors alike.
The emotions & motives of detractors who subscribe to religious or social power structures, often being the part of the upper echelons of those structures they subscribe to, are understandable. They are agitated that the pedestal given to them by the system of oppression is being eroded by the rationalists. They detest the thinkers and those working with the masses, but more so the second group which causes the most damage to their immediate social standing.
However, the elite armchair activists who identify with rationalism, complain from the comfort of their cushioned chair, that their refined intellect appreciates the language and tone of thinkers but aggressively condemn those who lead, teach & practice rationalism along with the masses, working for their emancipation, just because their “refined intellect” cannot tolerate the “gross and unrefined” tone of the reformers. In turn their allegiance is to a passive form of “thought” but not to the active and aggressive form of the “practice”. In effect they are happy until rationalism is just a germ of thought but never a thriving practice in the society.
In India there were always such people who came in trickles, igniting masses they came from.
Narendra Dhabolkar was one such rationalist who was never happy simply being a thinker but actively worked with the masses to bring about a scientific approach to those lives.
Of course he was no Bertrand Russel, to display a refined theory in an elegant language but could only bring up his narrative deeply seasoned with the tools of his practice and learning. He is not catering to the relaxed and refined intellect of the armchair activists but to the larger exploited, toiling mass where he wants to bring about a change.
All along the book his objective is clear and identified clearly by saying,
“It was not that Socrates did not believe in the gods, but he believed that no one ought to accept any principle, even the existence of deity, without subjecting it to reason.”
He clearly believed the dogma of religion often goes against the grain of scientific thinking.
“It is important to be aware that science is not magic. To say that all questions will be answered by science is to replace God with science. Only people can solve problems. Scientific thinking shows us the appropriate way to solve them.”
“The chief difference between religious philosophy and scientific theory lies in the fact that religion asserts that there is an eternal and unquestionable truth while scientific assertions are always subject to revision. However, in advanced sciences, revisions serve largely to refine existing theories. Usually, a well-established theory does not end up being entirely discarded, but gets subsumed into a newer, more adequate theory.”
“The real tussle between religion and science was that of the primacy of words and books versus the primacy of observation and examination.”
In his quest he does not single out one religion but all that he encounters stunting the growth of the society he belonged to.
“In India, in over two thousand years after the Charvakas and the Buddha, and before the advent of Western thought, the clarion call ‘Please Think’, putting the caller’s very life at risk, was not raised. Skills and knowledge transferred through tradition started drying up and no one mourned them.”
“The clergy were pressurised to excommunicate mathematicians because it was believed that geometry was the devil’s science and mathematicians were heretics. A committee of theologians discussed the subject of astronomy and deduced two conclusions from certain passages in the Bible: ‘The notion that the sun is stationary and does not revolve around the earth is absolutely wrong and openly challenges the Holy Scripture. The notion that the earth revolves around the sun is preposterous and contrary to the religious view.’ Then the Pope ordered Galileo to depose before the Roman Catholic Inquisition.”
He consistently worked to bring about scientific approach and rationalism among the society he lived in. He understood how the detractors of science often espoused the cause of science and learning yet did nothing or worser, professed thought and action inimical to the very cause of science they identify with.
“Another widely prevalent mentality holds us back: we unnecessarily hold in great esteem the opinions of a person who has excelled in a certain field, even when said opinions are completely unrelated to their field of expertise. In our country, accomplished sportspersons, artists, writers and politicians often assert opinions that are contrary to scientific temper and people take them seriously.”
“Many people who have earned dazzling degrees in science uphold unscientific customs. Many people who proclaim themselves to be scientifically aligned fail to transform their beliefs into actions. But this is no reason for us to question scientific thinking itself.”
He constantly faced backlash from the religious fanatic lot who are driven by pride rather than reason.
“Pride in religion and exploring religion are two very different things. In Maharashtra today, pride in religion is at its peak and exploration of religion has touched its nadir.”
“The human mind tends to get utterly engrossed in religious faith. Hence, periodically examining one’s beliefs, sacrificing outdated ones and adopting new ones becomes necessary for the progress of the individual as well as society. Thus, it was beneficial for man to give up spirit-based thinking. Some researchers are comfortable calling spirit-based thinking ‘religious’, while others prefer to call it magical or even ‘magico-religious’ belief. The latter believe that the tag of religion must be attached to the beliefs of advanced societies only. Some even assert that only monotheist faiths are religions, while the rest are magical beliefs. In reality, the beliefs and actions of both kinds of faith are very similar.”
“But it is important to understand that the original struggle was never between religious faith and scientific knowledge. It was between religious faith and rational thinking. Modern science is the fruit of rationalism.”
In questioning the religion and superstition he drew strength from the sages and wise men of the past which the fanatically inclined rarely do or be evasive about,
“To the people who conspire to do this, Swami Vivekananda has this to say: Should religion use the same kind of logic that every branch of science uses to establish itself? Should religion use the same tools and methods that science uses to make sense of the world around us? My answer to both these questions is yes, the sooner the better. If doing so causes the religion to collapse, then that religion was never a religion—it was a meaningless, useless superstition. I have not the smallest doubt that it is glorious for such superstition to crumble and fall. All weeds must be uprooted and the real core of religion ought to be revealed, refined and shining, in this process. Religion ought to have the same scientific approach that physics or chemistry has. This will let it become more adept.”
Like every rationalist he was hounded by religious fanatics who constantly state the “ hurt sentiments” whenever their position of fallacy is questioned. He voiced dissent on such trampling on the right of free thinking with such false victimization…
“A seeker of truth often poses challenges. The truth is not harmed by this. It remains the truth. What is harmed is the unsubstantiated claim that a ritual can help conceive a son, achieve world peace and ensure environmental protection. Such claims need to be examined and questioned with powerful challenges. Every Indian has the right to believe in and profess any faith. But people also have a right to pursue independent lines of thinking. What about that?”
In the end, like Socrates he identified with, he was murdered by the fanatics for his belief and action.
Those same Armchair activists, who condemned him and the rest of the reformers by selective reading, twisting and slandering all because of willingness to engage with their society and work towards their betterment, all the time will continue to do so, as it is easy for them to do so and simply because they could show to the world they could do that from the comfort of their four walls and a warm cuppa in their hand…
Socrates summed their dilemma very clearly,
“The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”
Of course the armchair activists are happy continuing to identify their tastes and intellect with the pure rationalist thinkers and keeping up their lofty opinions and accusations on him and any reformer, thereby complicit in the vile deed with the fanatics and sharing the same blame.
October 3, 2021
(2 stars not because it is a bad book, but because I wasn't the right audience)
November 3, 2019
The author makes the subject so easy and accessible that anybody with little common sense can read this beautiful book. He makes a passionate argument against the illogical and irrelevant traditions, customs, beliefs and essentially the relevance of religion. The good part about the book is that it tries not to be combative and confrontational rather looks like a persuasion attempt. The title pretty much sums up the chief message of the book that is please think. The way forward should be to test each and every notion or belief or tradition on the basis of rationality. The author also goes on to highlight one major argument which is generally that rational thinkers are against Hinduism only. To me this claim is obnoxious because in a country where 80 percent people practice Hinduism then it's bound to happen that most of the drawbacks are noted from Hinduism. Meanwhile author also delves into other religion too. Overall it's a must read for everybody.
May 23, 2020
Good read
This book is extremely worth the read. With all the growing forms of pseudoscience and superstitions, hopefully after reading the book one will be able to detect such situations and practice scientific reasoning.
This book is extremely worth the read. With all the growing forms of pseudoscience and superstitions, hopefully after reading the book one will be able to detect such situations and practice scientific reasoning.
November 14, 2020
It stands for the title of the book, makes you think about all the rituals and traditions cutting across religion, race, caste, sex. Please give it a read, it will change your perspective towards the way we are live in our society.
March 10, 2020
This is an interesting book, but one that does stray from the subtitle of having practical lessons in developing a scientific temper.
Narendra Dabholkar was a rationalist, and he starts by talking about scientific enquiry and education. From there, he moves onto religion and superstition. There are times when I felt that the book was a bit of a rant, albeit a timely one.
As a nation, we are superstitious and put too much store by religion. We are also easily lead astray by our godmen and politicians.
It is indeed time for us to pause and to think rationally. That, for me, is the main message of the book, and one that we should take home.
Narendra Dabholkar was a rationalist, and he starts by talking about scientific enquiry and education. From there, he moves onto religion and superstition. There are times when I felt that the book was a bit of a rant, albeit a timely one.
As a nation, we are superstitious and put too much store by religion. We are also easily lead astray by our godmen and politicians.
It is indeed time for us to pause and to think rationally. That, for me, is the main message of the book, and one that we should take home.
June 21, 2020
I absolutely loved this book and certainly have a list of people whom I would recommend or gift it. Kudos to the team and the author doing the good work I was not aware of any such organisation who was into such work, would love to associate with, learn and contribute.
Although I would say the book could have been structured better. I ever wanted to refer something of read back on a specific thing it will be very difficult because I think it lacked proper structure.
Note: I have the kindle version and may be that was the issue.
Although I would say the book could have been structured better. I ever wanted to refer something of read back on a specific thing it will be very difficult because I think it lacked proper structure.
Note: I have the kindle version and may be that was the issue.
March 23, 2023
A central point of the book is that you need to be critical about religion's teachings. Take the good ones and reject bad ones. Some acts may not seem problematic - like lighting Diya for gods, but they are. Such acts not only prove that you have not thought about it critically, but also shows what your priorities are. Why would you spend any money on worship, knowing it is pseudoscientific, when you can spend that on perhaps some poor person?
June 21, 2020
Simply amazing work, kudos to the team and the author!
I personally recommend you read this book even if you are a believer of some religion or God, not to transform yourself but to question yourself once even in solitude, was the world really red or was I wearing red glass all this time.
I personally recommend you read this book even if you are a believer of some religion or God, not to transform yourself but to question yourself once even in solitude, was the world really red or was I wearing red glass all this time.
April 13, 2020
"It was once believed that, with technology changing the face of the world, superstition would die a quiet death. However, that has not happened. People today, whether rich or poor, old or young, are even proud of their lack of scientific temper."
June 5, 2019
Must read. Felt super disturbed after reading this, towards the end it felt more heavy and the points against the movement's critics are strong at the end.
November 25, 2020
"The fundamental point is that one's intention ought to be altruistic and morally sound. If that is not the case, then rituals are of no use. If they are, rituals are not needed" - Please Think!
February 11, 2021
Book is not much from critical point of view. There seems to be discontinuity in presenting the viewpoint, also it seems is just collection of some random articles.
June 28, 2021
Must read; especially if you are an Indian
December 1, 2022
A must read for every citizen of the nation.
January 22, 2022
An amazing read where the author Narendra Dabholkar speaks about the need for anti-superstition movement and questions irrationality practiced in the name of God and religion. He rightly speaks about the need to promote the constitutional goal of promoting scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
The author says that the true work of the anti superstition movement is to oppose notions that don't make sense and replace them with rational values and action.
The book ends with the following words which I feel are much needed and relevant, "The road to change the people and society is long but it is the right path. And that requires compassion rather than anger; belonging rather than belittling"
The author says that the true work of the anti superstition movement is to oppose notions that don't make sense and replace them with rational values and action.
The book ends with the following words which I feel are much needed and relevant, "The road to change the people and society is long but it is the right path. And that requires compassion rather than anger; belonging rather than belittling"
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