INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM
Indian Rationalist Association
P.O.Box 9110, New Delhi 110 091, India
Phone: +91-11-2253255 +91-11-8539526 Fax:+91-11-2256042
E-mail:sakthy@giasdla.vsnl.net.in
edamaruku@yahoo.com
_______________________________________________________
ALLIANCE BULLETIN-14
28 June 1999
_______________________________________________________
Alliance Bulletins may be reproduced by recipients, if they wish.
Please acknowledge the source while reproducing:"Alliance Against
Fundamentalism Bulletin".
_______________________________________________________
Rationalism in the Third World in the Twentieth Century
Sanal Edamaruku, Secretary General, Indian Rationalist Association
(Speech delivered at the Centenary Conference of Rationalist Press
Association (London) at the West Hill College, Birmingham, UK on 26th
June 1999)
To start with a clarification: I am not -nor do I believe anybody else
may be - in a position to predict the future of the rationalist
movement in the Third World in the coming century. We are living in a
time of rapid developments. Who, for example, could have anticipated
ten years back the communication revolution, which we are currently
witnessing and which has an enormous impact on the conditions under
which we are living and working? At this moment, it seems that the
existence of the internet did not bring any change into the daily life
of average Indians. According to a new plan of the Indian government,
ten years from now, there will be public computers available in all
post offices and every Indian citizen in every remote village will be
able to send and receive e-mail in English, Hindi, Gujarati or
whichever language he prefers and access the wide store house of
information which internet is. This imagination is exciting. Computer
technology is catapulting India straight into the future. New
dimensions open for the Indian society and for the rationalist
movement, which sometime back we could not even have seen in our
dreams.
There could be other rapid developments also. Political earthquakes
could leave established orders in shambles and tilt the balance of
society and public thinking. I am not in a position to predict the
future of the rationalist movement in the Third World. What I have to
offer is more - to borrow a term from a recent Prometheus publication -
the future of our past. Understanding the dynamics behind the history
of the rationalist movement, we can define the conditions for its
decline or its fall. Understanding the present situation, we can
identify the needs and limitations of the movement and the society
which it wants to serve and can formulate an agenda.
The not so unrealistic vision of India going internet, by the way,
refutes the popular perception that history has to repeat itself. The
Third World is not bound to submit to the sequences of European
development. The Third World is not trapped in something like the
Middle Ages, half a millennium away from the present time. We may take
our own ways straight ahead into our own future.
***
I shall tell you a true story that happened in Kerala and that I used
to hear from childhood. A Christian priesthood student came out from
the church, attracted by the ideals of the rationalist movement.
Reading broadened his horizon. He collected and read books from the
Thinkers' Library series of RPA. He married a lady from a Hindu family
whom he knew for many years. Though inter-religious marriages were
legal, such marriages happened rarely only. Especially since the young
man's family had priests and bishops and he himself was a priesthood
student earlier, the marriage was not taken kindly. Both of them were
thrown out of their homes. They settled in a nearby town and started
their life. They were young and financially unsettled, with many
radical ideas about society and beliefs. The lady eventually became
pregnant. The family of the husband then announced that they forgive
them and invited them to the ancestral home. Everything seemed to be
repaired. There had been occasional suggestions that the lady should
convert to Christianity, but she politely refused. Some weeks passed
and it was time for delivery. One afternoon the labour pain started.
Her husband had gone to attend a rationalist conference and she was
along with his family. Instead of taking her to a hospital, the family
members, including a priest and a bishop, urged the young woman to
convert now. She should become a Christian before delivering and
promise that the child would be baptised. If she was not willing to do
so, they threatened, she would have to leave the house. During the day
the pressure continued, and the labour pain increased. By evening, her
husband came back. He tried to argue and convince the family, he
pleaded they should let her deliver peacefully. But the family insisted
on their demand without any human consideration. The pressure mounted
and the young couple decided to leave. By 9 o'clock in the night, the
husband took the hand of his wife and they stepped out into the rainy
night. It was a monsoon month. The last bus from the hill village had
already gone. They walked into darkness. Rain broke down. No street
lights. The next house where they could go was twelve miles away. She
could not walk properly and had to sit down from time to time. He
consoled her. They walked and walked through the rainy night. Suddenly
she realised that the placenta was broken. Liquids flew down her legs.
She lied down on the muddy, rainwater filled ground. Still they had
some miles to go. Mustering courage, she got up and walked with him
despite her pain. By early morning, they had reached near her father's
house. They thought they would be accepted there in such a situation.
They opened the gates of the compound and she fell down with a scream.
In the open courtyard in heavy rain, she gave birth to a child.
The victims of Christian love, the mother and the child survived. Five
years later, the little boy became the first student in the history of
Kerala, who joined school without any religion in his records.
Today, nearly forty years later, the situation in Kerala has
drastically changed. No such thing can happen any more. Kerala's
rationalist movement has grown very strong and influential. One of its
major tasks is to encourage and protect inter caste and inter religious
marriages. A special wing was set up -Intermarriage Bureaus, which look
after the legal and practical requirements of couples who decide to
marry against the traditional rules. And today there are thousands of
school children who refuse to have any religious entry in their
records. Kerala has become a successful model of a society, which
transformed from its rigid traditions.
I should tell you now that the little boy, who was to meet so early in
his life with the dangerous world of religious fanaticism, was me.
***
Though Kerala and many parts of South India have undergone serious
changes in the last decades, in some of the northern parts of India
situations are still very bad. A few weeks back, a young couple who
married against the social order was axed to death by the caste leaders
of the village, amongst them the parents of both of them. This happened
in Haryana, in an area where India successfully tried the Green
Revolution some decades ago. The boy belonged to Jatava, an untouchable
caste, and the girl to the Jats, the so-called backward caste. Fearing
the anger of the community, they ran away to a far away town and lived
there. Their families located them, offered social acceptance and
brought them back to the village -with no other intention than to
brutally murder them.
Recently in Bangladesh a young woman died when an Islamic cleric
ordered her buried up to the waist and to be flogged 101 times with a
bamboo cane. She was alleged to have had pre-marital sex with her lover
and inducing an abortion.
Last year in a village in Tanzania, nine children fell ill with
chickenpox. A tribal magician "cured" them by giving them unpurified
river water to drink and a talisman to hang around their neck. Seven
children died.
Brutal punishment for those who defy the caste order, bloody caste and
tribal wars, witch hunting, human sacrifices, exploitation by sadhus
and godmen doing "miracles", voodoo practitioners and tribal magicians
in Africa, the bloody ritual of female genital mutilation in Egypt are
the local structures of evil that the rationalist movement has to
fight. Some require patient explanations by local activists, others
mobilizing of police and judiciary.
There are more and different challenges. Prime ministers and Presidents
in India ridicule secularism by prostrating themselves before the
"super godman" Sai Baba and his likes. The nexus between godmen and
politicians seriously undermines the democratic system. Mighty godmen
emerge as extra-constitutional powers and influence political
decisions.
Thirdly, there is the Muslim Fundamentalism raging in Asia, the Arab
countries and Africa. Hindu nationalism as a counter product is growing
to alarming dimensions.
Fourthly, the rationalist movement has to combat the invasion by
Christian missionaries who try to secure maximum influence of their
foreign donors and instructors. While the growth rate of the Christian
Churches of the Western World has come to a stand still long ago or
even turned negative, missionary work in India in entertains great
hopes. The Christianisation of Asia ranges high in Vatican's agenda for
the coming century. Besides the Roman Catholic church there are
Christian churches in the missionary race: Protestants, Evangelical
Church, Baptists, Pentecostals - they all try hard to get the best
piece of the Third World cake. The "Consultation of World
Evangelisation" in Thailand in 1980 has declared all of the ca. 700
million Hindus their worldwide target. Missionaries come equipped with
detailed instruction about successful techniques of converting Hindus:
the use of "miraculous healing" and other special elements of the Hindu
religion is advised. Another technique is "demonstrating social
concern", for example, for scheduled castes and tribes or other
untouchables of Hindu community. How to win the higher caste community,
how to use illiteracy for successful "radio--evangelism" and how to
perform the much appreciated "open dialogue" in a way that finally
brings in the harvest, are instructed professionally. Mass conversions
amongst tribals in India spark Hindu protest and violence. In Sudan
Christian fundamentalism grows amongst Pentecostal converted tribals.
These different adversaries demand operations on different levels. In
India, Indian Rationalist Association has emerged nationally as a
corrective force by raising above the local activities and gaining
national public attention. When the Delhi BJP government in 1997
launched a test case and installed a Mantra Healing Centre in a state
funded medical college, we succeeded in forcing it's closure within one
month by mobilizing public opinion. When the milk miracle swept all
over India and within hours millions of people were gripped by ecstasy,
we succeeded in stopping the spectre before dusk by explaining through
TV the laws of physics behind it. These two examples show the
importance of rationalist media presence.
***
Throughout the former colonies after nearly half a century of
postcolonial life, the problems and challenges seem to have several
parallels. A vast majority of the population is stratified bound by
traditions, ritualistic life styles, ignorance, superstition and
illiteracy, to cite a few. Religious and social orders like the caste
and clan press social behavior in rigid forms. Religions try to
influence the ways of thinking, using all possible weaknesses of the
society that persists. In several Third World countries democracy found
its way through constitution, while some others are still theocracies.
The process of secularisation is still an ongoing struggle. In India
and Bangladesh, the two official secular states in South Asia,
religious programmes still find currency in the political arena.
Throughout the Third World, over population is the major challenge
against the efforts to build up infrastructural facilities.
Consequently, health care, education and employment opportunities
suffer and poverty prevails. In the Muslim world, the fundamental
freedom of the individual is yet to become a major social concern. The
religious order demands submission and loyalty to the authority.
Theological justifications for an inferior social status for women are
defended vociferously, even by their victims. The avowed reports of
brutalities of the Taliban sometimes blend out similar realities
elsewhere. Even in secular Bangladesh, a poet, speaking for the dignity
of the individual may encounter with fundamentalist assassins. Life
moves like a pendulum, always within its limits, never forward.
In the passing century, the rationalist movement has sometimes failed
to take a clear position against colonial rule. In India many
rationalists became freedom fighters - but no rationalist leader (with
the exception of Gora, one has to say) spoke for the cause of
independence. A major part of the rationalist movement alienated itself
from the freedom struggle and lost - or did not win - its mass base. A
great chance was missed by the refusal to play a historical role. M N
Roy emerged in the last phase of count down to independence. While
running a magazine with a programmatic title, "Independent", he built
up an anti-fascist labour movement and attacked Gandhi as a fascist
because he fought the British as the Nazi Germany did. One may find it
not very difficult to identify the interest behind this ideological
trap. As we know today, M N Roy accepted generous funds from the
British Government for his work. But this is another story, which will
be told another time.
***
Having freed themselves from the clutches of old empires, the "Third
World" - a major part of Asia, Africa and Latin America - tried to
keep aloof from the other two, the Western and the Soviet world. Since
the power blocs no longer divide the world, the term Third World seems
obsolete. But it still stands for the special identity of the old
colonies, which were exploited to pay the expenses of the flourishing
developed world. Poverty, illiteracy, overpopulation, superstition and
ignorance are not only common features that bind the Third World
together. On the basis of common issues and hard realities, the new
century may see an attempt by the Third World to develop its own world
view, its own value system, its own lifestyle, its own ways straight
ahead to its own future - not as an object of charity, but as a subject
with its own dignity.
The social forces that enjoy the fruits of the existing order pose
serious threats to any effort challenging them. The eventual social
clash makes it difficult for unorganised groups to make a successful
breakthrough. Even to defend the right to practice and profess a modern
value system based on rationalism meets with serious challenges.
Propagating rationalism or living as a rationalist is not practical in
a country like Saudi Arabia, where namaz is compulsory for all who are
born in Muslim families. To keep a shop open during namaz times, or
criticising the prevailing religious beliefs, may bring punishment for
a non-Muslim. To break the oppressive tools, that keep religious
social orders, organised political efforts may be imminent. And to make
that possible, the outreach has to be expanded, breaking the closely
knitted web of social control. In countries where printed postal
instruments are censored, new ways are to be found to reach people. The
technological revolution in the field of communication promises to be a
solution. It is to be seen to what extend electronic communication
could reach the common man.
Apologists may find it difficult to imagine that rationalism could
become a mainstream worldview in the coming century. Successful
experiments show that the old order is changeable if enough people
support the change and a major section dilutes its dogmatic approach.
The role of literature, especially the impact of RPA on rationalism all
over the world, is still waiting for its evaluation in Europe. The
Cheap Reprints and the Thinkers' Library series during the mid of the
present century reached far off places and provoked thinking people to
come out and plan organised efforts to influence change. Indian
Rationalist Association, to a great extent, came into existence with
the influence of the literature available in the 1940s. Books gave
wings and weapons to the ongoing social struggles and a movement
emerged and found its own dynamics.
Today Indian Rationalist Association leads a vibrant mass movement. In
December 1999, on the occasion of the Second International Rationalist
Conference, we shall celebrate our Golden Jubilee.
Let me remark here that my personal inspiration by RPA have been
twofold. As a young boy I had access to my father's library and I had
grown up with Joseph Mc Cabe and Ingersoll. Some years later I
understood that the rationalist movement draws enormous strength from
intellectual discussion and knowledge. Encouraged by the example of
RPA, I founded the Indian Atheists Publishers (IAP) and started
providing the Kerala movement rationalist literature including
translations of rationalist classics. That was 20 years ago. Since then
IAP has published about 600 tittles and is grown to be the largest
freethought publisher in Asia. And if you happen to come to Kerala one
day, don't be too astonished to meet a teashop boy who has read Charles
Darwin's Origin of Species and a shoemaker who quotes Ingersoll. They
must be subscribers of our book club.
***
There are efforts by some western organisations to "create" groups in
far off places by identifying one person or a dozen people and by
sending them a typewriter or some money. It is interesting that no such
group founded in some Third World pockets and controlled by remote from
comfortable offices in Europe survived after the stream of monitory
support drained. (Even M N Roy's labour movement with several thousand
members, as soon as its use for the British government was over and its
payments stopped, vanished from the scene as if it had never been
there. This example should make us think.) There is a fundamental
mistake in this approach. A rationalist movement, a freethought
organisation or a humanist group in the Third World has to find its
identity in responding spontaneously to the problems around it and find
the possibilities of its survival from the conviction and commitment of
the people involved in it. Of course if a situation of great danger or
need arise, and if friends from abroad decide to bridge the crisis by
giving financial support, it may be of great use. But efforts to
"create" remote controlled groups inevitably end in exploitation.
Firstly, by an N G O who makes "projects" to fit the funding programme
working solely to net in money. Secondly, a group in the developed
world trying to channalise monetary resources from state or elsewhere
through their accounts. Ironically, several donor organisations survive
on identifying project runners in far off countries while conveniently
forgetting important tasks in front of them.
Funding comparatively irrelevant or even absolutely absurd projects,
which do not touch the basic problems in the Third World, undermine
reality and create a fake world. "Good stories", presented in exchange
for paltry sums, claim success of some funded projects or dramatically
deplore some dangers without taking truth too seriously. We are, for
example, offered the tall claim that through the efforts of some Bombay
based NGO, recipients of money from western organisations, "90% of the
Indian children have received polio and tripple vaccines." It is not
mentioned that there is a nationally supported government programme in
India which guarantees that all children of the age group in question
receive timely necessary polio vaccination. Other groups report us
about their relentless efforts to make contraceptives available to slum
dwellers. They do not mention that there is a law in India, forcing all
medical shop owners to openly exhibit and freely sell condoms. Even
medical shops run by Christian nuns would, despite great displeasure of
the saleswomen, not go as an exception.
Sometimes projects are not only inefficient, but also dangerous. The
UNICEF report 1997 on child labour cites an alarming example from
Bangladesh. After the so-called Harkin bill was introduced in the US,
the garment industry of Bangladesh summarily dismissed all child
workers, most of them girls. In a subsequent study, most of the girls
were found working in more hazardous situation than before, in unsafe
workshops where they were paid less, or even in prostitution. Good
motives of eliminating child labour without proper arrangement for the
economical fall out, led to worsening of the situation.
Negative impact on the project seeking groups themselves is that they
are fast castrated. Their potency to fight against the realities around
them weakens. They become more and more dependent on the monetary
support and eventually the result turns negative to what it is
officially intended.
While search is on for fine projects and good stories, there seems to
be no great enthusiasm for serious things. No western organisation has
so far come up to join, for example, in our fight against Christian
invaders. The churches have established themselves comfortably in the
west and from their safe forts, they are operating the invasion of the
Third World countries without any disturbances. The Vatican sits in the
policy setting conference of the UN and the WHO and blocks all
programmes to check the overpopulation without being questioned and
challenged from the western rationalists/humanist world. If there is an
iota of sincerity about changing the situation in the Third World
atleast in the coming century, the base of the religious monster has to
be attacked with moral authority. That has to be done where it has
sternly placed its foot. The comfortable forts have to be stormed.
To make social change in Third World a reality, the Third World groups
may have to strive to find their own resources, their own programmes,
and their own dynamics. To be successful they will have to refuse to be
influenced by efforts to orient their policies. What they need are not
small moneybags, controlled and limited "not to hit their heads", but
moral support for their sometimes heroic struggles against odds that
can hardly be imagined by the comparatively comfortable Western
societies.
***
There should not be any illusion: the race against time has long begun.
Throughout the Third World, in the terrain where 80 per cent of the
global population live, dogmatic religious onslaught is raging,
directed from the centres which control more than 80 per cent of the
global wealth. Over population, poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and
superstition are the religious monsters most reliable brothers in arms
and it would care them and protect them against the voice of reason.
"I think it is very beautiful for the poor to accept their lot... the
world is being much helped by the suffering of the poor people," said
Mother Teresa. " The oppressed and the poor have always been receptive
to the Gospel down the centuries... The poor have a
natural capacity to put their trust on almost anything... This has always
been the `entry point' in the structure of any society", says
Evangelical Church.
There should not be any illusion: A world rationalist movement,
strong and decisive enough to take up challenges, is yet to shape up.
It is high time that we - the rationalist movement of the Third World
face up to our situation and took our fate in hand. We have to be
strong, committed, courageous, critical, watchful and uncompromising.
We have to identify fearless, considerate and responsible leaders with
vision and wisdom. We have to beware religious and social monsters of
all provenance, illusions about reality, attempts to buy and control
us,strange voices and personal agendas amongst us.
I am optimistic that there are chances that rapid developments will
work in our favour and that, for example, the communication revolution
may give a new dimension and a great boost to our work. I am optimistic
that there are chances that successful models multiply and that, for
example, time will come soon where a tea shop owner in Zaire may think
about the principles of evolution and where the population of Mexico
may reach a zero growth rate.
It is time that we melted down the post-colonial hangover and throw
away the begging bowl and that we grew up to join the international
movement as equal partners. It is time that we identified friends in
the like minded Western organisations, who are ready to accompany us on
our long way with solidarity and encouragement and who are able to
inspire us with their examples of successful work in their own
countries and who are courageous enough to join us in a common fight
against multinational religious and social monsters.
-------------------------------------------------------
Remember:
GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF INDIAN RATIONALIST ASSOCIATION AND THE
SECOND INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE.
27-31 DECEMBER 1999: KERALA, SOUTH-WESTERN COAST OF INDIA.
Please note: The Conference will begin only on 27th (not 26th).
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW. For more
details, please contact <edamaruku@yahoo.com>
______________________________________________________
Alliance Bulletin reaches a worldwide community of concerned
individuals and organisations. If your like-minded friends wish to be
free subscribers, or if you missed and wish to get any of the earlier
bulletins, please write to <sakthy@giasdla.vsnl.net.in>
_______________________________________________________
|
