SUPERSTITIONS
Superstitions signify ignorance, mental weakness and sentimentalism of man. Hundreds of cats might have run across the lanes and roads in the world. Does it mean a disaster in the area through which the road runs? Had it been so the whole world would have perished. There is no argument behind the view that if a cat runs across the road it is a bad omen. Many people are one eyed. If one sees such a man while coming out of the house there would be something wrong. One of them lives in my street. He is my teacher. I generally see him in the morning. Nothing has ever happened to me. On the contrary we go to school together and he is very much helpful to me.
People in villages believe in a very large number of superstitions. If a widow enters a room where the bride is being dressed for the marriage ceremony it is a bad omen. The widow too is after all a human being. Moreover she is related to us. Her presence cannot bring havoc to us. Sometimes the superstitions are strange. A cow does not give milk. People think some soul has entered it. A girl has an attack of epilepsy Ignorant people think some evil soul has attacked. A man is called who can free the girl from the evil soul. He befools the people and nothing happens. Epilepsy is a disease while the cow does not eat as it suffers from some disease.
Gullible people sometimes lose huge amounts of money. Sometimes they move from place to place to get their daughter released from the clutches of an evil soul. It is rather strange in India that even highly educated people sometimes believe in such superstitions. The most affected people are generally the ignorant, the poor and mostly women. It is rather a type of injustice done to women. The poor women believe in these things very much and are cheated.