On my drive home yesterday I was switching radio channels when I chanced upon a lecture by the late Narendra Dabholkar on FM 107.4 - the Pune University Radio station.
He was speaking about what causes the educated middle classes to succumb to Andh-shraddha; which literally translates to blind-faith, but speaks more to the gullibility that leads to exploitation by god-men.
Two things apparently. The first is the uncertainty that comes with life. Will my job survive the current round of layoffs in the company? Will my parent's health recover? Or deteriorate further?
It is during these emotionally turbulent times, that god-men come forward and provide that emotional anchor that humans so need. God-men fulfill the human need for someone to tell them that the future will be better than the past; for a price of course.
The other thing Mr. Dabholkar mentioned is unfulfilled desires. All around us are flashed images of the good life that not all can afford; expensive watches, fancy cars, trips to exotic locations; not only in advertising, but also in stories of success projected in the Sunday glossies and TV serials and in movies. Pretty soon, people start to aspire to things they cannot quite afford right now. Some work harder to improve their lot in life. Others seek blessings.
Mr. Dabholkar mentioned that he has been working for decades trying to expose phonies with no luck.
Perhaps there is only so much logic can do when faced with insecurity.
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