Environmental Ethics

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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effect got ignored more often than not. The rational way to solve problems, amend and correct wrongs is to analyse the causes, evolve suitable measures, make efforts and take appropriate action. This was mistakenly considered time consuming and painstaking. People by and large were allured and succumbed to the temptations articulated by wicked tricksters, ritualists and occult practitioners who gave false assurances of results, benefits without effort. Under their influence people grew more and more superstitious and the menace is growing even now inflicting incalculable harm to social and physical environment.
Exploitation under garb of superstition :
Several ways were adopted by some cunning persons to deceive and entice gullible people to ensure their easy incomes. Fear was created of various spurious gods and goddesses or even of dead ancestors. Rituals were propagated and established to propitiate and appease these imaginary spirits. The methods adopted were dubious. Agents were hired to propagate the false beliefs and practices. The agents were made to act as if spirits of some dead has taken possession of their bodies. Agents were paid to pretend as patients and then propagate that they were cured. The paid agents or blind followers attribute miracles to their saints, idols of deities to allure people. Any stone or object of whatever form, shaped or not, was installed and worshipped to bestow boons. Cruelties such as beating, burning by hot iron rods were perpetrated on patients suffering from various diseases particularly mental. Women suffering from mental disease hysteria were treated badly even exploited sexually.
Women with other mental disorders and on the pretext of their some sort of abnormal behaviour were defamed as witches and treated badly, ostracised, stoned and even killed. Forced “Sati” ritual i.e. burning alive the wife with deceased husband was perpetuated with ulterior motives and even deified for selfish property interest of relatives. Extortion of money was the main objective. The practices are still continuing. Many
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