Blind Belief

A senior employee was promoted to a higher post from group “D” to group “C” post. He had joined on transfer to a new office which was far away from his old station. Fortunately, his old station was his native place. He seemed to be very weak physically. He might be suffering from some serious health problems. He used to take a long breath while talking with office colleagues. Everybody as well as the station in charge had sympathy for him. He was found to be a patient with asthma later.

He had been allotted a quarter in a residential colony. He had two daughters and two sons. The elder daughter was doing a Polytechnique course in some city. Their younger daughter and two sons were going to school at his native place. After a few months, he brought his whole family to the workplace. After a few weeks, the family started their traditional business of making Bidi. The whole family was engaged in their family business. Nobody bothered about their business in the colony. Then news came to the ears of the station in charge that his younger daughter gets inducted goddess in her on few days of the week. They had their own temple in their native place where they would stay earlier. The huge crowd of devotees used to come there for her visit. They would worship her and receive blessings from her. Many students were supposed to ask questions likely to appear in question papers during examinations. She just used to put her finger on the questions in the book randomly which were noted by concerned students. They would prepare only those questions for examination. Some of the marked questions might appear in the question paper coincidently which grew the blind faith of students and neighbours in her. The new station in charge was a man of scientific temper. He didn’t faith in all that non-sense things. When some of the staff told him that they heard this true information from the staff of his old place of posting. He said that she should be always first in her class. Her sister would have stood merit in the board examination. They couldn’t answer them at all, but they still had faith in her.

When that employee got familiar with so many sub-town people. He would brief about her daughter who gets inducted, a goddess. He was supposed to make her advertisement. He asked them for visiting the goddess on scheduled days of the week. He would like to invite his station in charge as well as his family for her visit. Neither he nor his family ever went to attend the blind function. He was always a cold shoulder to his invitation. Hence father of the girl was cold feet. He was bothered that station –in-charge might put some restriction over it. A lot of devotees would go to her quarter on scheduled days. There was a fairly good crowd for her visit. They used all religious things of worship to praise the goddesses. There would be very dark smoke in the atmosphere due to the fueling of items used in the worship on those days making unwanted pollution.

One day his station in charge said to him that the smoke so produced would be very harmful to all and more harmful to the asthma patient. It would turn out to be fatal for him. Her father didn’t speak out in this matter. He observed that his daughter was annoyed with him. He pointed out that girl had some psychological problems. He suggested he show her to some psychiatrist at the earliest so that she would get fine treatment to recover from the disease. He didn’t respond to him as it was his family’s vested interest in earning money.

Instead of following his advice. The whole family revolted against him. Then he kept his mouth shut till his transfer. The family would continue with their belief. There was always a complaint of breathing from him after a function. Many times, the staff would take him to the doctor. The rest of the staff agreed with the views of the station in charge. Constitution has given rights to everybody to exercise their religious faith. He was helpless in that matter. After a few years, the officer was transferred to his native place. Another officer took over the charge of the station. He wasn’t interfering with his religious faith from past experience of his predecessor.

His asthma problem was growing very fast due to excess inhaling of smoke which was produced during religious functions each week. But his family was so rigid about the girl. Her weakly activities would continue without any visitors. After a few years, he expired due to advance stage asthma due to pollution. If the family had agreed with the suggestion of their boss, they would have not lost their master so early.