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People ask me how did I convert to being a rationlist and an agnostic or was I born as one? My answer to them is "No Sir, I was only born as a human, I was innocent of what a hindu or a muslim or a christian is. I am told I was baptised into the hindu faith and then through my friends at school and home I was taught to hate the enemies of "my" nation, "my" faith, ad nauseam.
I made myself a rationalist and an agnostic after a lot of mental struggle to rid myself of prejudices. I cannot claim that I have rid myself of all prejudices. They still could be there. I am trying to find them out and get rid of them.
People also ask me than what do you think of the babri masjid. Are "we" not right in demolishing it. My answer to them is "Okay there was a temple before the masjid came to be built in 1528. But then before the temple was built the land was vacant. It was used by nature for an useful activity - to grow trees. We are thinking humans, let us build a school there for rational and humanistic education." In fact a rationalist would like a scenario where all places of religious worship are converted into schools for rationalist and humanist education.
Some ask me if I believe that was there no tyranny in middle ages on the Hindus, which lead to the conversion of many hindus to Islam "by force of circumstances". My answer to them is; "Okay, this is true. But then before this conversion, the same way as they were hindus, we were all humans before consciousness divided us into being members of various sects, before this consciousness came into being we were all simians, and before we became simians we were lower mammals, and before that reptiles and amphibians and single-celled organisms and before that we were a part of the inorganic soil and lava that came from the sun and the BIG BANG....." How far behind are we to go?
Let us look at the future and at least open our minds towards being humans and humans alone. To harbour a vision of a world state. A future where all kinds of sectarianism is relegated into the dustbin of history. Where the attitude to the unknown is strictly a personal issue, not even a family one the same way as the colour of one's underclothes is.
Dear reader, I only wish to add that in my heart of hearts I am only a fellow human and not a member of any nation. My agenda is for human integration worldwide. A goal whose pursuit may even seem stupid today. But there is no other goal for humankind.
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