We are living in a world full of great advancements and technological inventions. The universe is becoming unpredictable as it passes through different phases. We are passing through new inventions and discoveries, economic growth in the market and the outbreak of AI or artificial intelligence. Amidst this, there is a small parasite carving humankind into small pieces and might scatter the whole world. That small parasite tries to destroy humanity is known as SUPERSTITION.
India is a land of diverse beliefs, cultures, traditions, customs etc. and we enjoy our unique nation’s diverse qualities. Different religions have their own beliefs. Belief and superstition have a certain boundaries. Belief turns into superstition when we become selfish to satisfy our needs with the destruction of others life or health. So, these superstitions intrude into our genuine beliefs and turn ourselves into bigots.
Science and belief are two popular words that are the tip of the tongue of everybody. Firstly science and belief are not interrelated to each other. Science is a practical knowledge which is obtained from observations having a proof. But belief has no clear proof, it is based on our ideology and depends on our faith and optimism. But if we think more about belief we get to the conclusion that god is also a belief. Since it is not proved by science, about what happens to the soul after death, I believe in god.
Some of our ancestral beliefs are actually practical according to common sense such as - you are not allowed to clean and sweep the house at night. In the past, this superstition is applicable as there was no electricity in those days and things could get lost easily while sweeping in the dark. Still, black cats are considered as a bad omen, because people believe that the color black is associated with evil and death. In Japan, people believe that sleeping with our head facing towards the north is bad and in Africa people believe that sleeping with our head towards the west is bad which is just the contrary to the Japanese one. So superstition exists all over the world not only in India.
When belief or superstition reach at a life-threatening level, then the law should act. The government should give out harsh punishments to prevent it from inspiring others to do the same. Recently there have been a lot incidents that took place in India, as a result of over superstition. These events lead to cannibalism, which the practice of eating human flesh by humans.
Education is considered to be the cure to this cannibalism as, many illiterate tribes follows such uncivilized and ruthless customs. Once 9 American airmen crashed near the Japanese island of Chichijima in 1944, and out of the 9 airmen only one survived, the rest were captured by the Japanese soldiers and were tortured. And 4 of them were cannibalized. The only survivor of this barbarous incident became the future President of the United States of America and he is George H.W Bush. He was the last person to jump from the squadron and he landed on the sea and was rescued by an American naval ship close by. Such a surprising story!!! But this incident took place due the poor supply of food to the Japanese soldiers, and as a result when they found no source of food that gave them protein to fight, they started cannibalization.
But the recent incidents that took place in India is not compareable to the Japanese incidents. Education actually reduces this superstitions like cannibalism, but not fully, as so many educated and qualified people believe this vicious method of sacrificing others life for their own prosperity and growth. This is an extreme form of superstition which evolves and turns into a criminal act. Such injustice should not be promoted in any country.
Superstition makes a person feel that his destiny is fixed by it. Fate and luck are the pillars of superstitious people, but in real life hard work and determination are the keys to success. When a child is born into this world he has neither education nor superstition. The child is born with a pure and an uncontaminated mind. But as it sees its elders and other people doing certain things they too do the same. So let the children lead a realistic life, and help them be on the right track.