Description

RELIGION, SCIENCE and SOCIETY: INDIAN CONTEXT
Religion and Science have been two major phenomenon of human so-ciety. Religion encompasses moral values on one side, faith and rituals on the other. Science is the attempt of society to grapple with the truth of nature in a rational manner. Religion developed in different societies in diverse ways. Science is an enterprise where global efforts contribute to a single endeavor. Religion has been used as a cover for expansion of Empires in the earlier times and currently the major im-perialist goal of control over oil resources is masquerading under the phenomenon of terrorism, which sounds to be emerging from religion. In India from last three decades in particular politics is wearing the clothes of religion. The issues related to religion are thrown up to whip up moss hysteria, under the din of which the real issues of society get undermined and society is polarized. This book is a compilation of articles and essays which have been writ-ten to engage with issues related to these two phenomenon, religion and science, mainly in Indian context. The major global context is also taken up. The range of topics is very broad, covering from origin of religion and its facets to present phenomenon of violence in the name of religion,

About the Author

Ram Puniyani, is a former professor of IIT Bombay, who has been engaged in activism and writing to pro-mote communal harmony and national integration. Has written several books like Communal Politics (Sage 2002], Second Assassination of Gandhi (Media House 2003), Caste and Communalism (Olive, 20151, Ambedkor and Hindutva Politics (Pharos Media, 2016), Has been recipient of Indira Gandhi National Integration Award [2006], National Integration Award (2007),

Contents

Preface

Prelude

Section I

RELIGION AND HUMAN SOCIETY
Religion through Ages

Dharma-yuddha, Crusade and Jihad

Section II

RELIGION: INDIAN CONTEXT

Hinduism through Ages

Shared Heritage: Shared Aspiration-Challenges for India

Social Perceptions and Communal Violence

Secularization Process, Caste and gender Equality in India

Freedom of Religions in Semi Secularized Societies: Case of India

Hindu Nationalism versus Indian Nationalism

Is ‘Hindu’ Our Identity And Nationalism?

Religious Tolerance and Secularism

State must not organize religious festivals

Religion in Modern Context: India

Section III REASON, SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

Science and Society

Rational Thought in Indian Tradition

Section IV

Undermining Reason: Contemporary India

Cow’s Urine as Medicine!

Sabarimala Makara Jyothi: Man Made ‘Divinity’

God Doesn’t Need Wealth, We Do Modi,

Science and Magic of Mythological Fiction

Rationalists Must Win the Day 20.

Yogi and the Profane Laws

Section V SILENCING REASON

Intolerance has Gone up due to Sectarianism

Who Killed Narendra Dabholkar?

Killing a Rationalist: M.M. Kalburgi
Govind Pansare: Struggle for Dignity,
Rights and Rationalism

Section VI Education for Hindutva

RSS-BJP: Manipulating for Hindutva

Section VII

Religion in Politics: Global Scene .

Globalization, Rise of Fundamentalism in Contemporary Politics

New Language for Imperialist Exploitation-`Clash of Civilizations’

Vicious Cycle of Islamophobia

Swami, Sangh and Terror Links

Section VIII

Coming times: Role of Religion: Crystal Ball

Religion, Atheism and Secularism

Contemporary Global Crisis: due to Religion or Politics?