Introduction:

Article 51A (h) of the Indian Constitution plays a unique and crucial role, urging citizens to "develop the scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform."

This article was incorporated to encourage questioning and critical thinking, breaking away from historical norms dictated by a select few. The need for such an article arises from a past where societal beliefs were often shaped by a narrow group of individuals, limiting progress and perpetuating unexamined traditions.

Historical Context:

In the 1880s, Mahatma Gandhi faced ostracization from his own community when he chose to pursue studies abroad, reflecting the societal resistance to questioning traditional norms. Laws were framed by those in power, primarily the Brahmin class, who had monopolized education, occupied coveted positions in Kings’ Durbar and influenced the formation of laws. The entire Society was governed by the laws framed by this class and they had a vice like grip on the socio-politico life of the people. This monopoly led to a conformist society, where ancient beliefs were presented as unquestionable truths.

Challenging Ancient Beliefs:

The ancient texts, including the Vedas and Puranas, propagated a few unscientific beliefs such as the cyclical nature of Yugas and cosmogony.

This dogma conflicted with scientific evidence, that lead to the necessity of Article 51A (h) to promote a spirit of inquiry. The discrepancy between religious scriptures and scientific facts, highlights the importance of questioning such narratives.

Even today many of us sing Arti of Laxmiji in which there is a stanza ; " Baanjhan ko putr dev", why should we not do away with it ?

Cosmogony and Manvantara:

The cosmogony described in religious texts often clashes with scientific understanding. The Rig Veda's Purusha Sukta, for instance, outlines a theory of the universe's origin, absolutely conflicting to the scientific evidence. Similarly, the concept of Manvantara, with its cyclical ages lasting billions of years, contradicts established scientific timelines. This stark contrast emphasizes the need for questioning and critical thinking.

For details refer to the pic.

Role of Article 51A (h):

India's leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, recognized the importance of instilling a scientific temper in the population. Nehru coined the term "scientific temper," emphasizing the scientific approach as vital for societal progress. He had once said ; “Science is not about just studying Physics and Chemistry, it is about , how one sees things and questions them.”

In The Discovery Of India, Nehruji wrote,

“The scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for truth and new knowledge, the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived theory, the hard discipline of the mind, all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems."

Nehruji and few other leaders of his time like Dr Ambedkar were keenly aware that India’s development and emancipation from the scourge of blind faith, superstition and caste division would require constitutional strength , persistence and scientific temper.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar emphasized the importance of reason, evidence, and critical inquiry in all aspects of life. He believed that viewing everything with a scientific temperament is essential for the progress of society and advocated for the use of empirical evidences in the understanding social realities.

Article 51A (h) was thus included to empower citizens to question age-old beliefs and embrace a more rational worldview and keep ones faith personal and at home.

Challenges in Contemporary India:

Despite the visionary intent behind Article 51A (h), contemporary India under Mr Modi, faces challenges as certain elements seek to revert to traditional beliefs. The influence of the current government has led to a resurgence of Brahminism, threatening the progress made in fostering a scientific temper. The need for constant vigilance and adherence to the principles of Article 51A (h) is more significant than ever.

Brahminism has got nothing to do with the caste Brahmins as such. It basically implies the emphasis on Rituals, religious customs, traditions, practices.

Conclusion:

Article 51A (h) serves as a beacon for cultivating the scientific temper and fostering an inquisitive mindset. It reminds citizens to question established norms and beliefs, irrespective of religious affiliations. In a rapidly advancing world, the spirit of inquiry is essential for progress, and upholding the principles of Article 51A (h) is crucial for India's continued growth as a modern and enlightened society.

This is applicable to all Religious communities including Muslims and Christians because they also have similar challenges to face.

The outcome of the Path that we are treading today, may be realised in years to come. However, suffice to say today that the Path Pakistan chose in 1947, we are taking it now and we all know where Pakistan has reached in 70 years. In our case the slide down may be faster due to the Social media. If some say that Hindus are not like muslims , then they have to just look within, their behaviour has become like a fundamentalist muslim, implying all Fundamentalists are alike.

40 men are stuck for more than a week, inside a tunnel located on the Yamunotri National Highway near Silkyara that was being constructed under the Chardham Highway Project, when the geologists and environmentalists had fore warned about mindless road development in the sensitive Himalayan region.

After the incident, geologists have once again raised questions about the Char Dham Highway project. One scientist questioned whether geological and geotechnical studies were conducted during tunnel alignment. Such an investigation is conducted prior to any such construction and a report is provided to the construction agency. The Supreme Court has also issued directions to establish a panel to study environmental and ecological concerns in overcrowded hill stations across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and other Himalayan states.

The geological and geotechnical studies carried out would be mentioned in the report if they were at all carried out, said another top geologist. This raises another concern, what were the actions taken by the tunnel building company to avoid such an incident, if the studies were carried out? 

According to geologists,The Main Central Thrust (MCT) of the Himalayas passes a few kilometres north and northwest of the incident site. This means that this area is extremely sensitive to earthquakes and frictional shear rocks are present in this area. 

They say that near the tunnel site, A three-level road is being built where Shear rocks were visible throughout the area and heavy construction here can be dangerous. 

According to SP Sati, chairman of the environment department at Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, explosives were being used openly during tunnel construction . 

As per the news report, the rescue official said “ This accident could have been worse had it not occurred on the day just preceding the Diwali holiday. Each shift working on the tunnel comprised 150 to 200 workers on regular days. Because Diwali was around the corner, many workers were on leave, while some did not show up for work. The rescue officials blamed this on the lack of proper “geological inputs” because they are finding it difficult to work with the area’s highly malleable rock and other experts are surprised at how the construction of a tunnel of this size was allowed without a thorough geological survey”.

Joshimath is already facing the ire of mother nature. The Govt kept ignoring protests and pleas of residents for 14 months, and pushed on with mega projects.

Almost 700 houses and several roads have developed cracks as the land beneath the town continued to gradually sink, and these numbers are increasing by the day. Yet, the Govt did not wake up. The last 14 months were filled with warning signs, and residents alerted the authorities repeatedly.

It’s therefore not surprising that the tunnel collapsed. However, what is surprising is, no Govt official had resigned or put its foot down against the Govt diktats.

Is It unusual?

This kind of callousness, indifference towards public safety and security is a norm all over India. Surprisingly, even loss of life does not matter to us anymore ; be it during riots, lynching of innocent people, accidents and so on.

One. Two years ago at a cost of Rs 304 crore, the Karam dam was built in Dhar district of MP, to provide water for irrigation and drinking to nearby villages, surprisingly the dam could not sustain even the first rains and it leaked. Thousands of villagers had to be evacuated.

Two. Floodwaters broke through a dam leaving 150 people missing and 26 people dead in the Uttarakhand dam disaster last year.

Three. A guard wall at the powerhouse of the NHPC’s 2,000 MW Subansiri hydro project along the Assam- Arunachal Pradesh border, collapsed due to rising water level in the Subansiri river.

Four. The 275 MW Kopili Hydropower Dam had again faced a major disaster in March 2022. Earlier, the same project had suffered disaster in October 2019.

Five. Within a week of the inauguration of the 296km Bundelkhand Expressway, by PM a part of it got damaged following heavy rains. The express way got damaged at Chhiriya Salempur village in Jalaun near the 195km milestone of the expressway. A few more damages were also reported at other points of the expressway.

Six. After yet again a Boat tragedy, The Kerala High Court said in May 2023 “ A deadly cocktail of callousness, indifference, greed and official apathy was the cause of the never-ending boat tragedies occurring in the state”.

And, Finally the hanging cable bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi collapsed on October 30 killing almost 135 people, many of them were children as young as ONE YEAR OLD. The Local Municipal Authorities had given a contract to Oreva Group for its maintenance, which manufactures watches, clocks and E Bikes.

The list is endless.

Why does it happen repeatedly?

All the above mishaps have taken place because of the - " Spineless YES MEN " occupying top positions and they are both; Politicians as well as Bureaucrats. 

Moral character has nothing to do with Religion and it has nothing to do with number of temples, churches or mosques you have in your country, city or village.

In each of the cases quoted above, the Politicians and Officers who issued Contracts were mostly Hindus, The Contractors were mostly Hindus and finally those who got killed, majority of them were Hindus – Sanatanis.

So, instead of becoming religious we need to focus on Character.

Sam Manekshaw had clearly warned us of such men. he had said; 

"A ‘yes man’ is a dangerous man. He is a menace. He will go very far in his career. He can become a minister, a secretary or a Field Marshal but he can never become a leader nor, ever be respected.”

 Ayn Rand a renowned writer and philosopher very aptly said for societies like ours;

“When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing–when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors–when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you–when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice–you may know that your society is doomed”.

Everything she spoke here makes sense.

We have a bunch of spineless Officers who can not stand firm and do not have the moral courage to speak the truth. We have millions who proudly claim ; Musibat mey Gadhey ko bhi Baap bana lena chaiye.

Often one hears our Officers, justifying dishonesty and compromise ;

One. Bahut Pressure hai Upar sey, kya kartey.

Little realising that they are being paid more and made to sit on that coveted position to bear that pressure and give correct professional advice.

And the second one is, " Apney ko kya lena, hum apna career kyun kharaab karein" , which leads them to - who will bell the cat?

They are as a result, scared to give the correct professional advise to their Bosses/ Ministers , either, because of their own vested interests or may be because of the fear of reprisal.

Sam Manekshaw while disagreeing with Mrs Gandhi had said; “ Ma’am, I am willing to resign on the grounds of poor health, you can choose another General. In 1962, your esteemed father had a weak-kneed General who did not give the correct professional advise and as a result the country had to face humiliation”.

It’s easier to make a movie on Sam and project Mrs Gandhi in poor light for political reasons but its rather difficult to have moral courage as displayed by Sam and large heartedness of Mrs Gandhi to call back Sam, listen to him and agree to his rationale, rather than asking him to Resign.

We need to once again create a system which enabled officers like Sam and Gen Thimmaya to climb the career ladder. The current system all over is rotten and is not conducive for people like them to reach the top.

It is the system that allows upright people to reach the top and discard the sychophants very early.

We have to therefore, once again re-engineer the whole system so that we have upright Officers who have the moral courage, climbing up the ladder and reach the top instead of rewarding sycophants and Yes Men.

In grappling with its complex historical legacy, India is not alone, as nations such as South Africa, Germany, and the USA have also faced similar challenges. Each has had to confront historical wrongs, and the manner in which societies address these issues can offer valuable insights for India's current predicament.

India's historical tapestry is marked by instances of caste-based atrocities, religious conflicts, and cultural clashes -The Brahmins and upper caste people committed numerous atrocities on lower caste people, the Brahmins bullied the Buddhists and the Jains, The muslim invaders imposed all sorts of taxes on hindus and destroyed their places of worship, the Dravids believe that the North Indians , invaded them and they are original natives of the land. 

The societal response to these challenges is critical for fostering unity and preventing potential civil strife. To chart a path forward, India can draw lessons from the reconciliation processes in South Africa and Germany.

In South Africa, the end of apartheid witnessed a transition of power from the white minority to the black majority. Trevor Noah, a prominent South African figure ; comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host, recipient of many awards and named one of the top hundred most influential people in the world by Time magazine suggested two key principles for reconciliation.

Firstly, societies must confront their history transparently, ensuring that the truth is acknowledged and taught to future generations.

Secondly, it is essential to emphasize to students that they are not personally responsible for past wrongs but should learn from them so that same mistakes are not repeated inorder to create a better future.

He further elaborated as to how Germany's post-World War II era provides a model for addressing historical wrongs. The atrocities committed during Hitler's regime have not led to a wholesale eradication of monuments or towns but rather to an acknowledgment of the past. The German approach involves openly acknowledging historical wrongs, teaching an unbiased history, and instilling a commitment to not repeat the mistakes of the past. Germans even changed their National anthem.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad's response to the husband of Queen of England, Prince Philip , the Duke of Edinburgh, underscores a pragmatic perspective. During a visit to Rashtrapati bhawan , the Duke noticed a portrait of Queen of England in one of the corridors, he said ; I thought you would have removed these , Dr Prasad, the then President of India, reportedly, quipped ; Would it have changed the history of the country. His retort, "Would it have changed the history of the country?" highlights the importance of accepting historical facts while focusing on building a shared future. Perhaps, that response came naturally to him because those leaders , having fought for Freedom of the country were striving to rebuild a nation, which had lost its political freedom hundreds of years ago.

Embracing Noah's principles and imbibing Prasad's wisdom can pave the way for a more harmonious Indian society. Open acknowledgment of all historical wrongs and their inclusion in educational curricula can foster a collective understanding of the past. Simultaneously, emphasizing that the present generation is not accountable for historical injustices can promote unity and prevent perpetuating cycles of resentment.

Failure to heed these lessons may perpetuate the cycle of demands for corrective measures such as reservations, the renaming of places and destruction of places of worship. By learning from global experiences and adopting a forward-looking approach, India can create a society that is at peace with its past, fostering unity and understanding for generations to come. Otherwise, this cycle of correcting wrongs would go on ; today some one is on mat and tomorrow it may be someone else's  turn.

The Arya vs Dravid, the Hindus vs Muslims, Christians , Upper caste vs Lower caste will go on, Sikhs will also join in and not only that these conflicts will reach North Eastern States of India and also the foreign shores as well and we shall be washing our dirty linen all over the world.

The state of popular electronic media in India is indeed facing a crisis of integrity. It appears to have veered away from its traditional role as the fourth pillar of democracy and instead adopted a more subservient role as the government's mouthpiece.

Rather than upholding its responsibility to provide unbiased and critical reporting, it seems that a significant portion of the media is now primarily focused on promoting the government in power. This shift has led to a lack of balance and objectivity in news coverage.

An example of this imbalance is evident in the situation regarding the surge of dengue cases in Uttar Pradesh, which is ruled by their darling ; Mr Yogi. While government data indicates 24 deaths in the state so far, the potential toll could be much higher if data from private hospitals is considered. Dengue has spread to numerous villages and small towns near major cities like Lucknow, Meerut, Moradabad, Kanpur, and Bareilly. There is a need for transparency and accurate reporting, especially in health crises, as citizens deserve to be well-informed about the situation and there is a pressure on Govt to improve its services.

The Govt sources claim that there are only 13000 cases but there can be many more, given the fact that even small kids residing in a village now Know that in Dengue Platelet count goes down.

The media's primary role should be to report events objectively, without bias, and to act as a watchdog, holding the government accountable for its actions or inactions. When the media becomes preoccupied with promoting religious or divisive narratives, it can detract from addressing essential issues like public health infrastructure, sanitation, and healthcare quality.

Democracy thrives when there are checks and balances in place to ensure that power is exercised responsibly and transparently. The media is a crucial part of these checks and balances, as it plays a role in holding the government accountable and informing the public. If media outlets continue down a path that prioritizes political interests over responsible journalism, the people may indeed suffer, and the core principles of democracy could be undermined. It is essential for media organizations particularly the ELECTRONIC MEDIA to reflect on their responsibilities and regain their integrity to serve the public interest effectively.

If the media loses its integrity, it will have profound impact on the socio-political culture of the country as the whole system will only produce a bunch of sychophants ; who shall be occupying the top positions.

It is often said ; People get what they deserve, so when media is busy feeding people doses of Religion, Mandir, hatred for other religious communities on a regular basis , they are left with no time reporting that Govt has forgotten to - clean up the open drainages, providing under ground drainage systems, carrying out fumigation and improving its health care system and as a result the people suffer.

The erstwhile Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Mr Jagmohan very aptly described this in his book ; My Frozen Turbulence. 

"WHEN DEMOCRACY BECOMES CORRUPT THE BEST GRAVITATES TO THE BOTTOM, THE WORST FLOATS ON TOP, AND THE VILE (DIRT/FILTH ) IS REPLACED BY MORE VILE(DIRT/FILTH)".