Dear Editor,
There has been a flood of letters to the press concerning the tragic case of Sangeeta Persaud. It is perhaps ironic that the lone voice of sanity emerging from the fiasco is that of Swami Aksharananda.
A regular columnist of the state papers sought to attribute the tragedy to the abandonment of the pillars of Hinduism and urged that we advance our Dharma to remedy the problem. Contrary to the expectation that Hindu gurus would have jumped on that bandwagon, Swami Aksharananda displayed commendable intellectual detachment and had the courage to advocate that “religious beliefs, like any other beliefs, should not be allowed to go unchallenged.”
In his letter (‘There should be an independent autopsy of Sangeeta Persaud’ SN, April 14) Swami Aksharananda noted that “once religion is invoked our logical faculties become paralyzed” and that “we do not touch religious beliefs regardless of the consequences they may have for the entire society.” This incisive assessment echoes the views of Jawaharlal Nehru in The Discovery of India: “The impact of science and the modern world would have brought a greater appreciation of facts, a more critical faculty, a weighing of evidence, a refusal to accept tradition merely because it is tradition… But even today it is strange how we suddenly become overwhelmed by tradition and the critical faculties of even intelligent men cease to function.”
This overwhelming of our critical faculties finds expression in the bombardment of the public by the mass media of the dangerous rantings of those who promise miraculous cures for all ailments by the mere touching of “anointed objects” and by invitations to the public carried without disclaimer to patronize Astral Centres which can remedy sexual problems and provide “overseas opportunities.”
The recognition by civilized societies that investment in science education is a significant factor in poverty reduction has not filtered down to Guyana. Instead of taking the opportunity to educate the public on the causes of global warming and on the measures which can be taken to abate the problem we let them believe that the effects of climate change can be reversed by the muttering of prayers.
Sangeeta Persaud has been a victim of child abuse of the worst kind which will persist because of priests who appeal to the credulity of the ignorant that demons possess the souls of the unfortunate causing them to bark like dogs and assume the appearance of monkeys.
Swami Aksharananda has debunked these “incredulous and silly beliefs.” He is aware that I do not subscribe to his broader views on religious matters but to his great credit he has urged me some time ago to publicize my thoughts. In this regard he is within the ranks of the enlightened religious leaders who do not retreat from the secular movement overtaking the world by resort to hysteria and by calls for dissent to be stifled.
Yours faithfully,
Vidyanand Persaud
