In Exchange

There are situations and occasions, in spite of having awareness, knowledge, proficiency, expertise, and wisdom one have to keep mum in front of silly queries and questions. Your intelligence and wits would be fainted to talk and convince a novice or a less-literate person. Your vanity and omnipotence with money, men, material, and mastery may not be sufficient in front of a feeble, poor and unprivileged person. Arts take over science, logic surrenders to faith. The harmonies of cultural values; streamlined with cognition traditional perspectives, forever.

Perhaps one can explore real India in rural country-life. Customs, ethics, values may be observed in a true sense even with the orientation of the die-hard process, as we city dwellers believe. However, the changing level of literacy, education (in the true sense) and its implementation to the life thru sacrament, rituals, and ceremony, has changed the face and phase-value as well. Village politics has no less circumvented in lifestyle; the role of priest, witchcraft, the supremacy of village heads has prevailed with the socio-economic manifestation. The transition and its transforming interface with the material world caused an abrupt syndrome of impasses between the absolute division of haves and have-nots, cunning and fool.

It was late winter of Bengal; we the member of ‘Barasat Science Forum’ an NGO scheduled to visit Kdamgachi a nearby rural area of Barachampa. With the invitation come from Local, club Jana Kalyan Samiti to demonstrate our popular program against superstition, orthodoxy, and prejudices. Himanshu my classmate in B Sc. was the sole organizers of the show. Being Sunday, we the members were a bit over enthusiast for visiting the rural real India, with the audacity of access to information, better communication, and purchasing power. Late in the afternoon, we started vestibule demonstration in a small lawn, on a temporary stage in front of the club room. Despite the going ahead with our mission to reveal the truth against all kinds of superstition and prejudices, our prompter was also entertaining the gathering with different information through short tales and jokes. We have demonstrated how the tantrics (witch-craft), babas, palmist/astrologers and quack doctors make the mass fool with their better intelligence level, with the help of science and magical tricks. How people are being trapped with their canny demonstration, falsehood for being cured of chronic/incurable diseases by observing and performing some typical irrational activities. How faith, belief customs supersedes the logic irrespective of literacy levels.

It was an audience packed show; we were overwhelmed with our contribution towards the less informed mass by opening their eyes to the forefront of reality. As if, we could influence them with our conception of rationality and ideas to synthesis the cause and effect of all incidents and occurrence. ‘Miracle is nothing but a mirage composed and simulated by those unwise people.’ ‘Rituals are the restriction to make the people less informed. We were satisfied with the show and the message we could spread among the mass. The organizers were also highly impressed with our contribution, their praising added extra feather to our cap. The nominal charges we incurred became negligible with the value of the education in exchange. It was no less than Veni, Vidi, Vici for us.

After the show in the winter evening with a mild cold, we were further warming up with a cup of hot tea and refreshment offered by the organizer. Suddenly septuagenarian man approached us with a bit of hesitation, “How are you, my boys? “ His innocence, confidence, and modesty attracted our attention, we supposed, the old person must be having some queries about some illogical social orthodoxy, may be interested to clarify with us. Our omniscient acceptance has not changed his poise gesture. He jiggered with mild words, “Your program was superb, mind-blowing time and again I become spellbound with your depiction and unveiling the fact ...” He took a small breath and continued again, “It was a valuable session for us, rather we were in the dark, and your information has opened up the new panorama of the horizon for the less privileged, illiterate mass.” His eloquence and well framed sentenced made us conscious about our presence and stubborn ego. We were at receiving end than to speak anymore. He continued, “I have a silly inquiry with you science conscious people, I am sure you have an explanation for It.”

He paused “Look, my boys, I took birth in this village when there was no Telephone, no electricity, no Library even no ration shop, I used to go to a school by walking eight miles per day to and fro. There was little or no politics in social life, we were happy with our little resources small periphery of work life and engagement.” We became little restless with the prototype wisdom oration by the septuagenarian. Our team member Manabendra interrupted,” Dadu time has changed now we are in Space and Nuclear age, thus the analytical explanation of life is to be accepted.” I felt awkward and glanced at the watch; we should not get involved in any argument with the old person. I proposed Manabendra,“It is his observation of life.” The old man smiled and rejuvenated with zeal,” I know there are certain dead habits a superstition occupied our life; Almanac plays a major role in our activities even in gesture, but some rituals, ceremony, regulation, and customs; binds our feelings of togetherness. There are occasions the misinterpretation leads to bigotry and confusion…” He gulped little air, “Still we were happy with those bondages; those were cheap sources of entertainment for us, and we were used to engaging ourselves with one or their rituals ceremony and believe.” His eyes flashed with recouping, “To-day you have snatched our faith, believes rather the platform of our social life support, you dragged us into the light and transparency of those dead habits, we are put to ‘no man’s land’ of conflict, confusion, and condemnation. He pronounced louder,” Truly answer what you have offered in-exchange of reliance, trust and believe?” We bowed down our head. Manbendra tried to argue I pulled his hand with a gentle tap.