FREEDOM TO SING? FREEDOM TO DANCE?
One must resist the tyranny of religion whenever it dictates terms to individual living. Whether one can sing or dance is an individual's prerogative and one need not abide by books that dictate otherwise. We are no longer living in medieval times with different sets of values but are in a fast-progressing world where the individual is the focal point of society and his rights are being deemed paramount so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others. Accordingly, religious books will have to be re-interpreted and enlarged in scope and vision to enable the flourishing of individual liberty.
Music is spontaneous to the soul and cannot be considered as an evil engagement with the forces of darkness. This sort of medieval mentality ought not to be allowed to spill into society and all such instances of 'fatwas' (decrees) that ban music ought to be challenged at every level of civic life. We have to outgrow this medieval mindset and make significant changes in our attitudes so that the free expression of personality may flourish and no amount of authoritarian diktat can curb it. It is our freedom which we must defend and for this we have to first identify ourselves as free human beings and then as belonging to any religious tradition or faith. We may be born into any faith but how much of such faith will suit us to observe in due course of our lives is our personal choice and in this no religious body must be allowed to interfere or infringe upon. This is our fundamental human right and in a democracy it ought to be the government's duty to protect the citizens' rights.
Written by Sugata Bose
Photo : Sursarasvati Annupurna Devi (left) with Baba Allauddin Khan (right).
One must resist the tyranny of religion whenever it dictates terms to individual living. Whether one can sing or dance is an individual's prerogative and one need not abide by books that dictate otherwise. We are no longer living in medieval times with different sets of values but are in a fast-progressing world where the individual is the focal point of society and his rights are being deemed paramount so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others. Accordingly, religious books will have to be re-interpreted and enlarged in scope and vision to enable the flourishing of individual liberty.
Music is spontaneous to the soul and cannot be considered as an evil engagement with the forces of darkness. This sort of medieval mentality ought not to be allowed to spill into society and all such instances of 'fatwas' (decrees) that ban music ought to be challenged at every level of civic life. We have to outgrow this medieval mindset and make significant changes in our attitudes so that the free expression of personality may flourish and no amount of authoritarian diktat can curb it. It is our freedom which we must defend and for this we have to first identify ourselves as free human beings and then as belonging to any religious tradition or faith. We may be born into any faith but how much of such faith will suit us to observe in due course of our lives is our personal choice and in this no religious body must be allowed to interfere or infringe upon. This is our fundamental human right and in a democracy it ought to be the government's duty to protect the citizens' rights.
Written by Sugata Bose
Photo : Sursarasvati Annupurna Devi (left) with Baba Allauddin Khan (right).
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