In support of cynicism

As she brought chocolates for her class to share with her happy daughter on her birthday, the mother gave her some advice: “Look, today if someone asks you your age, don’t reply.” “Why shouldn’t I, mommy?” the little child inquired. “Because revealing your age on your birthday will bring misfortune upon you,” she said. Superstition is ingrained in the child’s naive mind, which up until that point was a “tabula rasa”—a blank slate.

A neighbor has taken things a little beyond. Not only on his birthday, but on any day of the year, he will not reveal his age. Furthermore, he finds it unacceptable to disclose the age of even his relatives. He seemed to be in a good mood when I bumped into him the other day. He announced that his son, who works overseas, would be returning home to spend his grandson’s birthday with his daughter-in-law and grandson. “Your first birthday?” I asked. He acted as if he hadn’t heard me. I asked the same question again. He shifted the conversation to the topic of increasing temperatures. He believes that disclosing a family member’s age is not just unlucky but also catastrophic.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister, was a fervent supporter of scientific moderation and independent thought, and our Constitution encourages reasoned and logical reasoning. Unfortunately, it seems that superstition has enough support on social media, with people always looking for a pseudo-scientific explanation for any illogical idea. We must never undervalue people’s gullibility.

There are many instances of superstitious actions and beliefs. Four children in the eastern districts of Shahdol, Umaria, and Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, perished after being branded with hot bangles and iron sickles when they were ill. This terrible technique was believed to be a cure for all infantile illnesses, according to a repulsive and unsettling news story.

Of all the superstitions, this one stands out the most: A buddy confirmed the authenticity of a post on WhatsApp claiming that “urine therapists” had given cancer patients treatment by giving them the appropriate amounts of cow pee at the appropriate times of day for a few months. He said that in cases when traditional therapy was ineffective, this approach has been proven to be successful.

Oncologists, however, have rejected the assertion since it lacks scientific support and defies logic and reason. “We could sit here and argue about cow urine therapy without finding a middle ground,” I informed him, “but that won’t prove anything.” With unwavering determination, he declared: “Pee therapists will be laughing all the way to the bank, while oncologists everywhere will be given a run for their money once the therapy becomes popular.”