Pic: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Nov 8: “The state government has planned to enact the Anti Superstitions Bill-2013 to curtail the superstitious and blind beliefs. We, the Tulunada Rakshana Vedike, will welcome it but the government should clearly tell us whether this bill includes the Tulunadu traditional practices of ‘Daivaradhane’, ‘Boothakola’, and ‘Nagaradhane’. And is this bill introduced to stop blind beliefs or to stop religious beliefs,” said M G Hegde, state spokesperson, Tulunadu Rakshana Vedike addressing the press here on Thursday November 7.
“This bill also claims that school children shouldn’t visit temples, churches or mosques. As part of a tour, if the students of different religious faiths visit religious centers they will imbibe religious tolerance. If they are stopped will it be teaching intolerance to students? Before passing the Bill it should be discussed among people and experts. But stereotyped extremist rationalists have designed the plan. A few intellectual extremists in the name of Anti Superstitions Bill are trying to curb the religious faith of people. Let the bill question the superstitious practices like black magic and other blind beliefs but not the religious faith of people. Aryabhatta who contributed the number zero was also a Sanskrit scholar. Will they calculate without zero,” he said.
“The Indian Constitution has provided the right to practice and follow any religion. But this law goes against it. Black magic is practiced in all religions and this should be stopped but not religious faith. Astrology is a scientific calculation of numbers. You cannot deny it as superstitious belief but if in the name of astrology, people are fooled, penalize the person who does it, but do not ban the system. As there are religious fundamentalists, there are also rationalist extremists who don’t know about scientific practice. Instead, they try to oppose idol worship and religious practices hurting religious sentiments. Religion is the way for man to reach spirituality, science is to explore, but don’t compare both or mix it up. If the government fails to clear up this issue there will be a chance of ideological conflicts,” added Hegde.
On this occasion, Yogish Shetty, president of Jeppu Tulunada Rakshana Vedike, Yashwanth Mendon, Kadala Sene president, Sirajkane, Shrikanth Salian, Ravi Shetty Madooru, and Tulunadu Rakshana Vedike women’s wing president Jyothi Jain were present.