When the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is around the corner, the whole nation is all set to celebrate one of its biggest festivals and ready to welcome Lord Ganesha into their homes. Every year when this festival comes it not only brings happiness but also some serious issues along with it like huge traffic jams and the immersion of Ganpti’s idols in the sea and rivers which later causes water pollution.
Many NGO’s and social groups are coming up with awareness programs and many other different initiatives to spread awareness among the masses about the pollution and other problems being caused by such rituals. But in a country like India where any issue raised on religion often becomes a topic of mass riots it has always been difficult to put religion and logic side by side. Many a time’s social activists are termed anti nationalists or community atheists. And this debate and protest is never limited to any one religion in a diversified country like India.
Our country is going digital on one hand and still on the other we remain a society where any debate on religious beliefs and rituals is taboo. Does a blind following of outdated rituals, without assessing or questioning their harmful side effects bring any inner peace or spiritual elevation? Do these taboos and full stops have any place in a progressive society?
