Superstitions at the time of Corona
Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee
Superstition by definition is a widely held but irrational belief in
supernatural influences, or a practice based on such a belief. Superstition in
some form or the other has been there and still present in almost all societies
and all countries. Some of them are so illogical- that they are actually funny. (Find a
list of such funny superstitions in the separate box) Period of crisis
increases superstitions or even create new ones as people turn to magic
remedies to the crisis.
Covid 19 pandemic has created panic across the
world. It has also created new superstitions and different versions of old ones.
It has prompted people to indulge in practices that have no scientific basis or
even logic.
Consider this: the PM called for daylong
Janata Curfew and urged the people to clap or blow conch or beat metallic thali
(plate) to show our appreciation towards the doctors and medical workers. In
Odisha and Bengal hordes of people came out of their homes and hit the street.
In several villages people went round doing sankirtan which involves ritual singing, drumming and dancing. In
several small towns people went round singing bhajans accompanied by dhol
and ghanta (metallic gong). Many
started merrily dancing convinced that the ‘day long curfew had killed all the
germs of corona” or ‘our scientists had sprayed some mysterious gas in the
atmosphere to kill the Corona virus and during this Janata curfew it had done
its work. There is no Conona virus now.” This defeated the very purpose of
‘Janata Curfew’.
In Odisha, Bengal, Bihar an several other
states elaborate puja and even jagyna have been organized to ward off the evil
called corona and purge the earth from its bad influence.
In Arunachal Pradesh some people have started
believing that a hair found in Bible and soaked in water is the new vaccine for
COVID-19. At Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh a
message has gone viral among the Buddhists which effectively says: Dig the land
near the house door and you will get coal. Then mix the coal with water and
sprinkle in the house and corona is gone. Advices on potions like this abound
in social media platforms, especially whatsapp and facebook.
In some parts of the country some people believed that drinking fresh
cow urine would give them immunity against covid19 virus. It prompted some to
organize cow urine party and some to sell fresh cow urine.
Superstitions around Covid 19 are not limited to India only.
In Jerusalem, as a way to exorcise
the crisis, someone has suggested drinking Corona Beer whilst praying to God
since “drinking a nice glass of alcohol during prayers gives them extra power.”
For ultra-orthodox Rabbi coronavirus is a clear sign of the "coming
of the Messiah". Almost in the same strain, in Odisha some people are
looking at Corona as Kalki avatar out to purge the world.
Although the government is trying its best to keep people indoors and
enforcing social distancing- even by shutting religious institutions, some
superstitious practices are creating problems.
In this time of crisis, there are sane voices also to which people must
listen to. The highest Muslim authority in Jerusalem, Grand Mufti Muhammad
Ahmad Hussein, said on the radio that health is “more important than religious
practice,” and that “protecting oneself is one of the foundations of Islam.” In
Aizwal, Mizoram Church authorities have suo
motto shut down mass. Several Hindu temple and Sikh gurudwara authorities
have also taken similar decisions.
In the time of a crisis like this- scientific temper helps.
Superstitious practices do not.
***
Published in https://interviewtimes.net/superstitions-at-the-time-of-corona/30.3.2020
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