In my last post , I said that may be superstition is a lost logic; which not only shackles our society, but is one of the major reasons that leads to crime in society. But, more I watch crime patrol, more I am forced to think hard; and analyze the situation.
Is superstition is just a case of lost logic or there is more to it ? Of course, I am not talking here about small and harmless superstitions many people around us carry, because that do not lead to any major crimes; just a little meaningless believe. More I watch the show, more it makes me think hard. If I pay more attention to all the details and its end consequences; I come to understand, there is more than lost logic behind the people who acted on the whim of superstitions.
Here are two such cases, that happened in India, in recent years. Both incident happened in between 2010 and 2011.
As I was watching yet another show, there was a story about a man, who was killed out of the city, he lived. All the ID from the dead body was removed, which was charred and beyond recognizable, except the watch he was wearing. When police worked on this single link, because the word ‘B’ was embossed on the back of the watch. When all the missing piece was linked at one place, it revealed the whole unexpected story.
This man was killed by another fake and so called baba, who preached; peace and progress for a living. But the revelation of truth surprised, even the experienced eyes of police officers, and thats what exactly, has the full power to make us think hard. The baba was in his late twenty or early thirty, had given this solution [kill the man], to the wife and on top of that he had charged her Rs 30,000 thousands also for the work. The woman who looked about the same age as baba, had given the money to baba through her sister, to liberate her husband, from the trouble; which he was facing in life and which was the major concern for the woman in her life. Her husband was suffering from chronic alcoholism and none of the medicine baba prescribed earlier, seemed to be working.
This time, the baba did not sell hope; just rectified the problem and sought its fastest remedy. He said to her, “he is never ever going to give you ‘the womans pleasure’ you need in your life but; I can give you that.”
Both of them landed in jail.
Although, police used the words, ‘sexual assault’ for baba and the kind of act they involved in, I do not see it that way, especially how the whole situation prevailed ultimately. First, when two adult indulge in physical relationship the word ‘sexual assault’ or ‘sex offend’ should be prohibited. Women are weak, does not necessarily mean; her weakness in intelligence too. How come man enjoys sex and she is used for lust ? Perception; has nothing to do with ill intention. Fine, men are physically strong, but sex is not some kind of measure to test, who is strong and who is weak; both are both, depending upon the situation.
Second, what can not be ignored is, the deceased man’s wife knew, exactly; what is going to happen, if her husband dies, that is the solution of the problem as the baba came up. Then, why blame baba alone, for the whole plan ? In fact; why even use the word sexual assault here ? She blamed him in police station, just because the whole truth came in public’s eye. When they planned to kill the man, they thought, like most of the criminals, no one will know the real truth, never. Had police not traced the identification of of the deceased man, maybe the baba and the woman may have married or would have ended up in some kind of relationship.
In my opinion, it can not be totally blamed baba for his ill intention. Police or society should not sympathy to weaker sex, because it does not solve the problem, but understanding the core problem will solve the problem. Over protection in the name of sympathy has always overshadowed, the real value and importance of women. If women commit crime or involve in criminal activities, they should be treated accordingly and equally.
Is superstition is what leads to sin then ? or its bad to hope against the hope ? Or we are even missing the whole diffrent angle of this case, presuming its superstitious society, which depends more on babas for the health problems, than going to hospitals or other experts who can offer a lot better solution in times of need like this ?
Just couple of weeks ago, I watched one more show about a woman, in rural India; who could not have her child, after years of marriage and wanted to have her own child. It was her second marriage, just like her husband’s and he had one son from his first marriage. She was happy with the marriage, in fact she was raising her step-son like her own son; until there was a talk going around in her close circle, that her husband wanted more children from her and was thinking of marrying again for the same reason, if she can not conceive a child soon.
Needless to tell you, she too went to baba in search of answer. In India, babas do sell hopes to the hopeless people like her, who come to their doors asking for help. Being baba in India is full time job; so they have to remain in business coming up with this or that kind of idea at the huge cost of illiterate Indians.
This baba, also had answer to this very complex problem. It is very hard to understand, why these babas pretend, they have answers to every days problem ? How come one man can have, all the answers of the complex medical issues too ? Like in every case, he too came up with such absurd answer; it shakes the souls, and then it compels us looking for answers, I mean soul searching, after all this kind of things happens in our society.
His solution to the problem was, “you have to kill your stepson.” When it shook the woman and she seemed reluctant to take such drastic step, the baba assured her, “...don't worry much about killing a boy, because this very boy will come to your womb, within three months after his death. So you do not have to feel guilty about anything.” Seeing her hesitated to take such horrible step, he asked her, “do you want your own child or not ?” corcksure confidence in the tone of baba was something, this woman could not resist.
The boy, who was of about ten years old was killed, exactly as suggested by the baba in some very specific manner, that baffled the doctors, who postmortem the dead body. But that very wound, behind the neck of the boy was the fact which provided a major clue to investigating police officers, to see this crime from a whole different angle.
When police officers linked all the missing pieces together, baba was nabbed, he was still denying that he had committed any crime. He refused blatantly for doing anything wrong. He tried to reason with them saying, “you don’t understand the will of God and this is what he want”. In response policemen lathi charged him mercilessly from all directions, saying this is the boon from God.
It is believed that everyone is superstitious. Some has small belive, like wearing the same cap or lucky shoes or it could be anything that gives them feel good. But, above cases can not be regarded as mere superstition. In both cases, the personal benefit was hidden and babas only try to cash it, for the living and for selling hope with such absurd ideas.
Although, both of the cases happened in India, but these are the real shackles of our society too. We need to educate our society to be more logic driven, rather than gossip driven society.
Now, it seems that superstition is just a cover up, of something hidden benefit, which the involved party deny admit it. Its not the case of superstition but temptation. There is temptation; temptation to get something for their own personal benefits. In fact, is the hidden cause in the crime not only baba[s] but the one who are involved, in the crime. Baba sell the temptation in such a way of hope, to the hopelessly hopefuls, who come to their door; seeking for help. Their assurance make them think instead, their own benefit is hidden in all this. The worse thing is, that is exactly why they believed Baba; therefore, I am not totally blaming baba[s] for such absurdity or being so sickly fraud.
Had there not been their own benefit hidden in the absurd idea, the involved in the crime would not have taken drastic decision to kill their loved one or in my earlier article has not the woman who has not only let the baba exploit her but sent her teen daughters to share bed with a man of 50 - 55 years old; as advised by fraud baba; in the name of superstition. Then, how justifying it is, to blame superstition for everything that went wrong in their life ? Because, in my understanding, superstition is as much a victim here, in above cases as much the man who was chronic alcoholic and the innocent boy; who yet have to see his whole life, was killed.
May be at this time, I am so tempted to agree with Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho, the writer of The Fourth Dimension, who believes that human flaws like fear, guilt, hatred, insecurity and inferiority are the sins. But, I have to disagree with him again, after digging numerous crime shows. Flaws are the major reason, that lead them to commit a crime, at some point or another in life; but flaw itself is not the sin.
Every human being have flaws, which makes us human, but not everyone commit crime, because of the conscience they have; which helps them to see their problems from different angle, than those who can not face the troubles in life. Lack of conscience or muddy understanding, are the reasons that make people commit crime more than human flaws.
It seems to me that superstition and baba are like fatal combination, bound to lead to some crime, one day or another. But can our society separate two coming together ? Can there be a society without human flaws ?
