Time To Pay Heed to Naseeruddin Shah and Ashok Lal's Concern
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
18 April
2024
Achchha Hai
Abhi Tak Tera Kuchh Naam Nahin Hai
Tujh Ko
Kisi Mazhab Se Koi Kaam Nahin Hai
Jis Ilm
Ne Insaan Ko Taqseem Kiya Hai
Uss Ilm
Ka Tujh Par Koi Ilzaam Nahin Hai
Sahir Ludhianavi,
from the song " Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalmaan Banega," Film, Dhool
Ka Phool, 1959
(Lucky that
you still don't have a name/ You've no truck with any faith/ The 'knowledge'
that has divided humans/ Hasn't yet cast its sinister shadow on you)
All people,
esp. young parents, must read Naseeruddin Shah and Ashok Lal's
thought-provoking article 'Religion
Is for Adults Only' that appeared in The Indian Express on April 16.
Both opine that the law that mandates registration of a child's religion at
birth damages the democratic fibre, promotes patriarchy and majoritarianism.
The duo further argues that " A child supposedly has to grow to adulthood
to make an informed choice about voting or marrying. There's no law, though,
which compels anyone to vote or marry. The adult child has the freedom to
refrain from making a choice.
However,
organised religion imposes, sometimes surreptitiously, but often directly, dos
and don'ts, as also rights and wrongs. The hapless child has no choice but to
accept the mythological 'truths' and the traditional 'wisdom' of the parents
and other elders, and social pressures- the so-called 'Sanskaar ' or
expected norms, rituals and rites. Such subtle but intense brainwashing
interferes with the child's innate scientific temper, spiritual and
individualistic growth. "
The Amendment also mandates the registration of the religion of the
parents, if they belong to different religions, against the column of the
child’s religion. (Illustration by CR Sasikumar)
-----
American
philosopher and writer Daniel Dennett is of the view that if a child grows up
without any faith and fear of god and at the age of 18 to 21, when he's grown
up and asked to choose a faith, most probably he or she will choose none and
will also have no fear of god. Society, parents and elders emasculate a child
by giving him the crutches of religion and god right from the cradle days. So,
he grows up as a terribly frightened individual reading the Quran, Gita, The
Bible and parroting inane mantras and verses from all useless and discarded
books just to please an ever-angry, egoistic and egotistic god who's immensely
happy to see humans' servile and cloying devotion.
Since
religion is inextricably entwined with god, the moment an infant is religiously
indoctrinated by the parents and elders, the fear of god also becomes a part of
its consciousness. Such an ill-fated (on this count, almost all children are
ill-fated) child will never be a free individual. He'll be a god-fearing (what
a disparaging term!) and ritualistic individual till death. Parents have no
right to stymie their children's natural development and mental growth. An
infant's mind is a Tabula Rasa (Latin for A Clean Slate). Don't inscribe god
and religion on it. Bring your child up sans any god and religion.
Here, I
must mention that there're couples in India and across the globe, who've no
religion and they don't impose any faith on their children. But such advanced
as well as evolved couples are few and far between. I interviewed at least 10
godless couples in Poona who've no religion and their children also don't
follow any man-made faith. Nor are they fearful of an imaginary god.
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/religion-adults-gita-quran-sanskar/d/132152
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