Black Magic & Gory Rituals Kerala Model!

Just before the dawn of October 21, 2022, Elantoor village in Pathanamthitta district was mostly popular for two details -a progressive settlement famously named as a Model village by Gandhi (Mohandas

Karamchand Gandhi) back in 1937 & the birth place of K. Kumar, a veteran freedom fighter and an orator also known as Elanthoor Gandhi. For the newer generations, Elanthoor is known as the birth place of renowned actor Mohanlal.

Yes!  It's the same Elanthoor where two women were dismembered and buried in a suspected case of "ritualistic human sacrifice' by a couple in Pathanamthitta.

That’s the irony,  80 years later such atrocities are prevalent in the same model community we thought was progressive.

Wait! This is not an isolated incident that happened in Elantoor. 

A few days later,  an young man's life was claimed in Parashala taluk of the capital district by the severity of an astrologer's prediction to an young girl that the first man who marry her would die.

One year back, in 2021, a religious teacher mother sacrificed her six-year-old son to God!! 

These are very few examples in recent times where superstition reached its height.

Hmm, are we still saying that  Keralites are enlightened?? 100% literate? 

Role of religions in fostering superstitions

It can be said that belief in God/Religion is the biggest superstition. But faith in God/Religion is often able to provide mental comfort to the common man in his troubled life, especially for faith in God. 

There are many people who entrust everything to God and take the confidence they get through it throughout their lives. They observe their worship and faith without bothering others. But when that faith does not limit to themself and starts causing harm to other individuals and society, faith becomes blind.

The innumerable religions and the gods with each name at the head of them may have given solace to many people in each era.Worship of natural forces and sacrifices to appease them were present in almost every society.

But when science developed,  it could explain every natural phenomenon, man began to realize that many beliefs were blind. As people became more aware of human rights and so on, many inhumane things began to become alien to civilized society.

In the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, there were waves of such social changes in  Kerala as well. Gurudev, Thaikkad Ayya, Iyyenkali and Chattambi Swamis were advocates of such changes. It is in the light shown by them that the present day Kerala wears the coat of enlightenment. But it is sad that we cannot carry the brightness of that light without dimming.

Although India's constitution includes fundamental duties to develop scientific temper, our rulers do not give much importance to it. Though Kerala has the title of being the first state in India to achieve full literacy, we are not at all ahead in eradicating superstitions or raising scientific awareness.

In Bihar, which lags far behind in literacy, a law was enacted in 1999 against witchcraft, followed by states like Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Kerala, some attempts have been made in the past to frame a similar law. The Kerala Prevention of Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill was submitted to the government in 2019 but it is yet to see the light of the day. We are still discussing!! The heat of the discussions will increase after an event that shake like the waves in the river when stones are thrown.. Then it will be cold and frozen until the next news.

Role of Education

Why can't our education help us to get rid of superstitions?

Answer is simple!

We teach our children science in schools. But at the same time they are inclined more towards the fantasy stories  and superstition taught by their  parents or other elders in the home. 

Our current education system is not sufficient to overcome such illogical things and to create scientific awareness in children. 

This is the land of Swami Vivekananda who taught us that faith in self is the greatest faith. Our education should be able to inculcate confidence in children over superstitions and customs. We must have teachers who teach children the irrationality of superstitions. They should be brought up to be wise enough to distinguish paddy from chaff. The situation for that should be created in the society. 

Rulers should be able to make strong decisions to help society to get rid of blind faith and officers should be able to implement them. Every parent should strive not to allow at least the next generation to be trapped in the prison of superstitions. Enlightenment comes when we can distinguish faith from superstition.  Only then we Keralites can claim true literacy.

“Soul of India lies in plurality and tolerance. This plurality came with assimilation of ideas over centuries. Secularism is a matter of faith for us” -- Pranab Mukherjee

Secularism means separation of religion from political, economic, social and cultural aspects of life, religion being treated as a purely personal matter. It emphasized dissociation of the state from religion and full freedom to all religions and tolerance of all religions. It also stands for equal opportunities for followers of all religions, and no discrimination and partiality on grounds of religion. A secular person is one who does not owe his moral values to any religion. His values are the product of his rational and scientific thinking.

Origin of secularism

According to modern literature secularism has its origin in western countries and it is related to the separation of the church from the state, which gives the state a position of neutrality between different religions, while at the same time, it guarantees all citizens right to adhere any religion. G.H. Holyoake has been regarded as the originator of the concept of secularism because of his important work such as, ‘Principles of Secularism’ and ‘The Origin and Nature of Secularism’. A secular state as defined scientifically, means a state which recognizes every citizen as equal and does not recognize any social or religious stratification for any political benefit. But what is generally projected as secularism is tolerance of all religions with special emphasis on the protection of minorities and preservation of communal harmony.

Evolution of secularism in India

Secularism in India does not mean does not mean irreligion. It means respect, regard, and pride for all the religions. There will be no priority of any religion. All the religion will get equal treatment irrespective of its priority. The states have not own its religion. India being a secular, there is no state or favored religion and state will have to follow constitution as a religion that gives equal status to all the religions exiting as such. In society secularism shows that there is no priority of any particular religion. Here religious supremacy never led to discrimination and prosecution of religious minorities. 

History says, emperor Ashoka was the first great emperor to announce, as early as third century B.C. that, the state would not prosecute any religious sections. In medieval India the Sufi and Bhakti movements bond the people of various communities together with love and peace. The Mughal emperor the great Akbar also to a great extent promoted the policy of toleration of different religions. His propagation of Din-e-Illahi (Divine faith) and Sulh-e-kul (Peace with all) were highly inspired by the spirit of secularism.

The spirit of secularism was strengthened and enriched through the Indian freedom movement too. The constitution drafted by Pandit Moti Lal Nehru as the chairman of the historic Nehru Committee in 1928, had the following provision on secularism as, ‘There shall be no state religion for the commonwealth of India or for any province in the commonwealth, nor shall the state, either directly or indirectly, endow any religion any preference or impose any disability on account of religious beliefs or religious status’. The principal advocates of secular ideology in modern India were Mahatma Gandhiji and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Gandhiji’s secularism was based on a commitment to the brotherhood of religious communities based on their respect for and pursuit of truth. Whereas, Pandit J. L. Nehru’s secularism was based on a commitment to scientific humanism tinged with a progressive view of historical change.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has been a leading champion of the concept of the secular state. The creation of India as a secular state has been accepted as one of his greatest achievements. Moreover he was especially concerned with transforming India from a ‘caste ridden society’ in which communalism constitutes a major threat to all the values that he cherished to a ‘national state’ which includes people of all religions and shades of opinion and is essentially secular as a state

Secularism in Indian constitution

Secularism as a principle is that religion cannot be a basis for discrimination of citizens. This is incorporated in Indian constitution through various provisions like

Preamble promising secular state

Right to equality(Articles 14, 15,16)

Right to religious freedom(Articles 25,26,27,28)

No religious restrictions for any secular executive posts like President, Vice president etc.

Principled distance to all religions is a unique feature of Indian secularism.

Critical respect for all religions. Criticality ensures that practices which do not promote social equality, liberty and fraternity are not tolerated.

Intervention when needed to promote constitutional values. Untouchability abolition, Triple Talaq abolition are examples. But such intervention cannot be discriminatory.

Constitutional secularism needs collective action from all stakeholders – Judiciary, civil society, media and citizens.

Advent of party-political secularism

Party-political secularism, born around 40 years ago, is a despicable doctrine practiced by all political parties, including by so-called ‘secular forces’. This secularism has dispelled all values from the core idea and replaced them with opportunism. Opportunistic distance , but mainly opportunistic alliance with religious communities, particularly for the sake of immediate electoral benefit, is its unspoken slogan.

Indifferent to freedom and equality-based religious reform, it has removed critical from the term ‘critical respect’ and bizarrely interpreted ‘respect’ to mean cutting deals with aggressive or orthodox sections of religious groups — unlocking the Babri Masjid/Ram temple for puja, and forsaking women’s rights in the Shah Bano case. It has even been complicit in igniting communal violence. This party-political ‘secular’ state, cozying up alternately to the fanatical fringe of the minority and the majority, was readymade for takeover by a majoritarian party. This was accomplished by removing the word ‘all’ and replacing it by ‘majority’: respect only the majority religion; never criticize it, but recklessly demonize others; and ridding the state of the corrupt practice of opportunistic distance not by restoring principled distance but magically abolishing distance altogether. This is untrammeled majoritarianism masquerading as secularism, one that opposes ‘pseudo-secularism’ without examining its own equally unethical practices.

When politics becomes a threat to secularism

In the current political scenario, its undoubtful that religion/caste is a strong weapon to win the electoral poll. Political parties patronize religion on the basis of their majority in the society. Its evident that caste can influence the results of the election. Political parties formulate policies on the basis of caste ,most of the time to gain the political status and votes. There is a strong relationship between caste and politics. In this relationship, it is not only politics that is impacting the  caste, there is a clear reverse impact as well.

Democracy and casteism  therefore opposes each other. The democratization process will transport new power from the marginalized communities. People want empowerment and want their voices to be listened. The political leaders will have to democratize themselves and try their best to fulfill the basic needs of the common man. Article 325 of Indian constitution clearly states  that there should not be votes on the basis of religion. Everyone has equal voting rights. Representation of people act 1951 article 123(3) says that if any candidate appeals to cast vote, on the basis of religion  and if it proven at the court of law, then their election will be declared invalid. This act is framed to ensure that no one is going to vote on the basis of the religions. Therefore the restriction that an act says should be effectively utilized. So, that Indian democracy further prosper and equality and secularism is maintained.

What is to be done?

What then must be expected from real, genuine secularism? Justice to all citizens, affirmation of all reasonable religious identities, rejection of majority communalism, careful defence of legitimate minority rights only when accompanied by a robust critique of minority extremism, and a critical appraisal of religions with a deeper, empathetic grasp of their traditions. The government’s primary business is to prevent religion-based violence, oppression and discrimination. Perhaps, those outside the government should attend to its other functions. Together, we may just rescue our genuine secularism.

Few suggestions to bring up India’s pluralistic tradition of social harmony that will ensure constitutional secularism are

Promote socially driven secularism movements instead of the current politically driven ones

Gender and caste based oppression must be addressed in all religions. This was the objective of 19th century socio-religious movements and must be pursued now.

Reform must come from within for effectiveness. Sole outside critique will not yield results when communities perceive it as threat to their way of life.

I must agree these are easier said that done solutions especially when we have political parties and authorities with strict agendas trying to create unrest within the society and reap benefits out of it. But any change should start from within . India as a nation have shown tremendous growth and evolution in many aspects and been raised to the position of the one of prominent nations in the world. If we take a little effort to educate ourselves and be aware of the selfish political agendas ,it will be the beginning of a big change. It will surely give breathing space for evolving new forms of socio-religious tolerance which promote secularism and inclusion which are the true essence of Indian democracy.

Impact of  Hybrid Work Model in IT industry 

Hybrid Work model is the new and flexible approach recently followed in the IT industry. The impact of covid-19 gives introduction to the work from home. The eradication of covid-19 changes the work environment into an office structure. But instead of having a sudden change, the hybrid Work model was introduced. So it is the combination of working in an office environment and work from home. Like the two  sides of a coin,it also has various benefits and challenges.

Benefits

The prominent benefit of the Hybrid Work model is the flexibility. It allows the employees to take care of the family,along with giving importance to their job. The emotional aspects and career growth is ensured equally. It is more helpful to the newly-born child and mothers, especially the breast-feeding mothers. It doesn't affect employment aspects as well as it protects the lovely motherhood too. It is supported by the various work schedules also. It is very helpful to choose where and how the employees are working and offer supreme power to design their working week by supporting both personal activities and company policies.  Thus the work- balance is maintained  and increases the productivity of the employees as well as the efficiency of the business too.

In offices, the employees have their fixed time schedule for work. Even if they are tired and work turned to a monotonous one, still they insist on doing their work. But Hybrid Work models enable the employees to work as they wish and thus it improves productivity and effective time management.

According to the report by McKinsey, 87% of the employees approve of the hybrid model that enhances their work flexibility.

 It is supporting the employers also. They can have access to the talented workforce all over the world. The quality of human capital can be improved. Access to the highly talented employees is not restricted by the geographical boundaries. It helps them in the division of work and specialisation. It supports the organisation to improve their competitive skills and productivity.

 The total expenses of the organisation has also decreased. The overall expenditure for the maintenance,  premises cost etc has been reduced.

Challenges

The visibility and accessibility of the employees are decreasing in the hybrid Work model. The fluctuating internet and power issues are also affecting the quality of the workforce. 

For improving the quality of work, a lot of care and attention is required. Increased flexibility may harm the practicability of the company policies and procedures.

The important demerit of the Hybrid Work model is the low suitability. For occupations that require high security and sensitivity in nature is not suitable under the hybrid Work model. The leakage of the valuable Information acts as an additional threat to the respective model. The risk of the lossage of important data is also prevailing in this new system.

Methods to improve the quality of Hybrid Work model 

The Hybrid Work model restricts the maintenance of good personal relationships as the employees are separated by distance. Instead of being in the physical environment, the relationship has to be maintained virtually. In order to be a  good team player, communication plays an important role. Maintaining good communication with the colleagues without any hesitation will help to create a family feeling in the organisation. Emotional attachment and responsibility towards the organisation can be improved.

Developing an innovative work environment and participation in all cultural activities will also help to improve the quality of the hybrid Work model. Along with the given job and responsibilities, active participation in the cultural events and competitions will help to cherish the memories and refresh the thoughts which ultimately improves the quality of the workforce.

Various activities that help to increase the happiness of employees must be supported. Team outing, visiting of tourist spots, tours  etc. with colleagues will enable the improvement of the efficiency and productivity of the employees.

Introduction of the work schedule will also work. Hybrid at will is a type of schedule in which employees can choose the days of work at the office according to his interests and wishes. Furthermore, hybrid split- week is another method that allows the organisation to assign a particular day for a particular set of employees. In addition to, hybrid-manager's scheduling system, that gives permission to the managers to choose the day in which their day team can get the access to the office for work. It is not only depending upon the decision of the managers  but a decision taken by the team together with detailed discussion.

Conclusion

 Hybrid Work Model that gained its popularity during the recent days. The flexibility supports the existence whereas, the  suitability threatens its  effectiveness. But it is treated as the widely accepted model by both the employees and employers. It is very helpful for the employees in maintaining flexibility and having a proper work- life balance. It supports  them in their career development also. Employers are also benefited in terms of financial aspects,  productivity, efficiency, and competitive skills. The deficiencies have to be eradicated by proper planning and leadership. In short, it will help the organisation to reach the epitome of success along with improving the morale of employees.

The Past 2 years

It has been nearly 2.5 years since the work-from-home option started in the IT industry. This model of work option added a new dimension to the working style of the professionals. Never before has such a drastic change happened to the life of an IT professional. Before this work-from-home option came into existence on a large scale, there was always a concern from the management and employees on whether they would be able to balance their work and life. This work-life balance was a common question asked in various forums. We hear many people complain about this imbalance in their work and life. As a result, we also see a few people resign from the company just because they were unable to take their work and life forward together. The situation has now changed.

Positive Parenting

Many employees who had the responsibility to look after their family members, especially their children, heaved a sigh of relief when the work-from-home option came into existence. The children also became lucky to receive love, care and attention from their parents during this period. To some extent, this was missing from the working parents prior to the pandemic scenario. It is said that the behavior, thought process and education of a child begin at home. Parents working from home got the opportunity to interact and focus on the behavior, studies and food habits of their child. The parents were able to take the necessary steps to give their best to their children. I am a father to a 6-year-old loving daughter who is in her 1st standard. From the day she remembers, she was able to see the presence of her mother and father at home. Even though I and my wife are Software Professionals and have tight schedules at work, we were able to take breaks in between, spend some time and focus on the daily activities of our child. 

Supporting our Parents

Apart from that, there are many employees who have parents who are aging and who need that extra care and support. The routine medical checkup of these parents also needs to be taken care of periodically. The work-from-home option provided an opportunity for these employees to also focus on the health and well-being of their depending parents. My father got affected by a brain stroke 1 year back. This was the 2nd time that he had to face this particular health condition. The previous time that he faced, he was able to recover in some days time after being in the ICU. This time, however, he was not able to recover and be the same person that he used to be. 1 year has now passed. He lost the ability to walk independently and also to talk fluently. His thought patterns have also changed in a wavering manner. He couldn't recollect certain incidents that happened in his life. We were told by the doctors that his recovery could take some time. All that we need to ensure is that he receives this medication on time daily and to support him mentally and physically on his daily needs. The work-from-home option helped me to visit my native place frequently and look into my father's needs and address some of the problems that he was facing. My mother was also not able to go outside for specific needs during this time as she was completely engaged with looking after my father. To support her, during my visit to my native, I take the responsibility to complete certain tasks like going to the bank, purchasing grocery items, and paying certain bills that she needs to take care of for the family.

Hybrid Model

Many companies have recently started to move to the Hybrid Model of work where employees need to work from the office for 2 or 3 days every week. TCS was among the first companies to announce this new model of work. Other IT Majors like Wipro, Infosys, and Cognizant also conveyed that they would also gradually shift to the Hybrid model of work. This hybrid model of work is a welcoming change for many employees. It helps an employee to focus on their work, interact with their teammates and friends and at the same time also be with their family members on some days. There would also be a better plan and discipline in the life of an employee in such a situation. The employee would be able to focus and complete his deliverables on time and at the same time look after his life in a better way. Many times we hear the voice of our teammates through meetings and calls. Since we haven't got the opportunity to directly interact with most of them, there is always an unknown factor that prevents us from approaching them freely for our daily interactions related to work. This uncertainty and hindrances in our interaction with our teammates can be sorted out once we get an opportunity to meet, interact, collaborate and work together to accomplish our deliverables. 

Benefits of Hybrid Model

Apart from some of the benefits mentioned above, the companies also offer their employees many engagement and motivational programs related to sports, fitness activities, cultural events etc. These events help an employee to showcase their skills and interest. It also helps the employees to interact and know each other well. There are also other welfare organizations and clubs within the IT campuses that conduct various programs that engage the employees in a positive manner. Such interactions are essential if an employee is looking to socialize and bring about his overall self-development.  The daily commute to the office would also reduce with the Hybrid setup. This would reduce some of the traffic problems that affect certain cities and towns. The canteen facilities, the library, the fitness arena, the infrastructure, and the Internet connectivity are all resources that are available for benefit of the employees. The employees need to make the best use of these facilities for their growth, self-development and well-being.

Challenges of the Hybrid Model

Even though the Hybrid model looks promising as it looks to address both the work and the life of an employee, it has some challenges and drawbacks. Some of the challenges are as follows : 

- Suppose the company asks their employees to come to the office for 2-3 days a week, would they allow the employees to be flexible and choose the days of the week on which they would be able to come?

- For the bachelors, they need to look for accommodation in a nearby hostel or a rented house. For the remaining days of the week would they plan to travel to their native or stay at their hostel and come to the office as usual?

- If the days of work at the office are not fixed then there can be imbalances where some employees would be working from the office whereas others would be at their home.

- Being flexible with the working days at the office is good but it should not raise comparisons and concerns among the employees. The HR may need a better strategy to deal with such problems that can arise in the future.

Conclusion

The recent changes have brought about a lot of flexibility, opportunities and changes to the working style of the professionals. Let us welcome the change with open arms and align with the processes and policies that are set up by the Govt and the organization. New situations, and methodologies only expand the thought process and the ability of an individual. A person who adapts and adjusts to the changing environment will only bring about a better version of himself.

During the COVID lockdown we celebrated and lauded the members of essential services like doctors and health workers. The least recognized service was that of the Information Technology (IT) industry, who silently retreated into working from home mode, but was the actual backbone of all government services, financial and banking services, healthcare services and transport services. Every message, email, website, software, banking, worked without a glitch, just because the IT industry did not go into a pause during the lockdown. It showed how resilient the IT industry is, even at the most adverse of times. While the world is slowly waking back to normal, with all educational institutions, government offices, financial institutions, travel and tourism services, food and hospitality services and healthcare services back to working from office mode, IT is still contemplating whether to completely switch to Work from office. It is a time when IT think-tanks are weighing the benefits of hundred percent working from home, hundred percent working from office and hybrid working model and we have mixed responses.

What is hybrid working model?

A working model in which the employees can work from home for a chosen period in a week or month and work from office for the remaining days of the week or month is known as a hybrid work model. Many IT companies have officially switched to this model, but certainly not without a few glitches and of course with few benefits.

Benefits of hybrid work model

1.       Employee friendliness – Recently, a small meme circulated in Linkedin, which stated “Happiness of working from home is to see the smile of your kid when he comes back from school to see you”. This effectively captures the reason why majority employees look forward to a working from home option. Child and elderly care are important for men and women alike and if employees are given an option for that support for atleast few days a week, they would happily embrace it and consider the organization as employee-friendly.

2.       Focussed work – now that since most of the other services are back to working from the office model, the only ones who would be remaining at home would be the IT professionals. This creates a calm and distraction-free environment which ensures more focus on work. Since there is no direct employee contact, it also reduces the office rumours and grapevine.

3.       Better employee relations – Hybrid work model avoids the monotony of all employees working together daily, hence avoiding the conflicts that can arise. Employees are refreshed from their monotony when they take a break for working from home.

4.       Financial benefit – Employees can save on the expenses incurred for commuting to office daily, while organizations can cut down on the space and amenities expenditure incurred if all employees are working from office daily.

5.       Better social economy – Since the world is back to normal, if IT alone remains aloof at home, it will pull down the IT-Dependent services economy. Atleast if few days a week if the IT is up and running from office premises, it will boost the IT-enabled services.

Challenges of hybrid work model

1.       Poor collaborations – When employees get the autonomy to choose the days in which they work from office, different members of the same team may result in working from office on different days resulting in communication gaps. When 2 or more of the same team members meet at the office, official and unofficial meetings happen, which might not get communicated to others who were not present at the office. This will result in poor collaboration and may lead to conflict at times.

2.       Poor work-life balance- Though many have mastered the art of balancing work and life when working from home, majority have failed to do so. For them, the office hours have blurred away into personal hours leading to deteriorating health and personal life. In such cases, office productivity may seem to increase when it is hundred percent working from home and it will seem to decrease when switched to hybrid work model, but work-life balance might have gone for a toss there.

3.       Question of Trust – There is a small fraction of IT employees who misuse the benefit of working from home by either whiling away time or by “moonlighting” wherein they indulge in other profitable jobs, sometimes even with rivals. The element of trust is lost in such cases which will strain employee-employer as well as employee-employee relationships.

4.       Financial constraint –For employees whose home location is far from the office location, travelling to office for just a few days of the week or month will be a financial burden. Food and accommodation expenses will add on to it. For organizations, arranging for office facilities for a few days of the week or month and home facility facilities to ensure cyber security for the remaining days of the week or month, would be an additional expense.

5.       Less rapport among employees – Since members of the teams are constantly connected online, they share a rapport among themselves, but miss out on other employees of the office. It results in less bonding and rapport among the larger group of employees in an office.

The key to solve this puzzle is to identify measures so that the benefits outweigh the challenges. It is said that the first six months of a marriage have the most problems and if the marriage patiently withstand the first six months, it will last longer. So, when we are trying to marry off working from home to working from office, we should embrace ourselves for the initial hiccups and withstand them through the initial days, so that it lasts longer.

"If you want to see the future, you must look into the past" 

The one thing that is most peculiar about India is it's balancing nature. Politically we had always kept equal distance between the blocks, western and eastern. Non alignment movement thus proves to one of the confounding grouping ever seen in an international arena. This balancing tendency can be seen in the making of our own constitution. It is neither rigid nor flexible, neither unitary nor federal and where separation of powers is demarcated properly. Yet one of the most heated debates in constitutional assembly were regarding the nature of constitution towards religion and how secularism can be moulded into Indian context. A country such as India where religion is deeply rooted in all spheres of life including governance and public life, the design of western secularism seemed impractical. A complete separation of state with religion is never a choice. We are the people who aligned themselves behind a great man who proclaimed the "Ram Rajya" and "Vasudeva kudumbakam." His ideology were as simple as that. Accepting every religion in same philosophical sense. "Ishwar allah tere naam, sabko sanmathi dhe bhagavan" was his ideology and we graciously followed that. Naturally we decided to stick on with our own version of secularism thus making it a confused and controversial subject in India's discourse. The term has taken on several different meanings over time and now has little to do with any unbiased form of government or removal of religion from politics. It eventually came to mean keeping Indic ideas and insights out of political discourse. 

"Secularism in the Constitution"

There are several departures in the Indian constitution from the model of western secularism. Article 25, which enshrines the right to individual freedom of religion,  also empowers the state to intervene in Hindu religious institutions. Then the entire section of freedom of equality provides safety net against marginalisation based on religion. Finally, there are personal laws in place for different religious communities, along with a non justifiable directive principle of state policy demanding the need of a uniform civil code in future. 

"Secularism making a U turn"

By 1970s there were many debates regarding the secular nature of Indian polity. Even though the Government introduced "Secular" into the preamble of the constitution through 42nd amendment act, the events followed created a vortex of paradoxes. The executive sought to capitalize on religious differences in several blatantly cynical ways which included promoting secessionist sikhs like Bhindranwale against Akali dal and appeasement policies towards vishwa hindu parishad. The next term continued these policies in issues like Shah bano and Ayodhya dispute which culminated in the demolition of Babri Masjid. 

"Role of Supreme court"

The supreme court is the final interpretor of the Constitution. Through Keshavananth Bharathi judgement in 1973, supreme court had invoked the "Basic structure doctrine" which safeguards the constitution from amendment beyond it's basic structure. In the wake of Babri Masjid demolition, supreme court declared secularism as a part of basic structure through Bommai judgement. But from time to time court has interpreted the priority of rights which formed the basis of Shabarimala verdict providing right to equality priority against right to religion. 

"Uniform civil code vs Right to Religion" 

A uniform civil code seeks to provide one law for the entire country, for all religious communities in their personal matters including marriage and divorce. This will ensure the principle of gender justice and freedom of choice. But the stand against personal laws which are integral part of every religion and culture is against the very nature of Indianism that is plurality and diversity. The debate and the inclination of the respective Governments can drive us either way in the wide spectrum of Indian secularism. 

"Today's secularism - Hinduism and Hindutva"

V D Savarkar coined the word Hindutva to describe the quality of being a Hindu in ethnic, cultural and political identities. From there ,there has been many depictions many variations , many interpretations of the word Hindutva. Many of them includes the idea of ultra nationalism and fundamentalist approach on cultural symbols of Hindu ideology. Some of them profess the idea of Hindu dharma as a source of enriching philosophy which ensures sanatan. The former interpretation creates a sense of hostility while the latter a sense of amity. 

These interpretations naturally evolved into new grounds which connected Hindutva ideology to ruling Governments to Hindu vigilantism including Gau Rakshak and ghar vapsi. The growing tensions in one community will eventually result in similar tensions in other which has now taken the shape of communal indifferences. 

The future of Indian polity can only be assured with clear distinction between the state and religion and limiting the executive in the spheres of religion. May be this is high time that we look into the western secular approaches and make actions beyond any vote bank politics to safeguard the law of the land and the land itself. 

Amidst the unsettling times of national emergency, precisely, in the year 1976, the then Prime Minister, Smt Indira Gandhi, put into motion the 42nd Amendment of the Indian Constitution, that marked some major changes in the Constitution, including declaring the nation as ‘Secular’.

The term ‘Secularism’ stands for ‘the principle of separation of state from religious institutions.’

Secularism is a word with profound meaning and can be used as how it would fit. The ‘Western secularism’ for example has its roots in the conflict between church and the state leading to a state of law that sits above all religions and cultural differences. Whereas in India, where there exists a multitude of diversities, secularism takes an almost “neutral” stand to ensure fair and equal treatment of its people irrespective of their faith and belief.

To comment on the future of Indian Secularism, we have to go a long way back in time, around 1500, 2000 years. Though not bound by a constitution and its laws, India was still a secular nation allowing its people to live their life believing and following whatever faith they chose. Even the emperors Ashoka and Harshavardhana were believed to have migrated to and patronised religions, different from the ones they were born into, during their lifetime. The historical monuments at the priced Ellora caves are a standing proof of the unity and harmony that existed between different religions of that time. The situation was slightly altered with the establishment of Delhi and Deccan Sultanate, though there were a few Mughal emperors like Akbar who stood for unity and fusion among people irrespective of their faith.

The unscripted Indian secularism faced the biggest challenge, as history talks, in the face of the British Raj. The infamous ‘divide and rule’ policies by the empire targeted the inconsequential amount of discrimination that existed in the society and fed it with hatred and deliberate unjust favouritism which gradually widened the gulf and directed people to narrow down to communities rather than to get together as citizens. The British empire also introduced ‘personal-laws’ for specific communities, like the Shariath Law and interpreted the long-standing Hindu Code of conduct as they pleased to intensify the situation. The seeds of fundamentalism and religious fascism sowed during that time, has sadly never left us and shook the very base on which Indian pluralism and secularism stood.

Torn between partition and independence, our leaders purposefully omitted the term ‘secular’ while writing the Indian Constitution. Though the 42nd Amendment deliberately declared the nation to be ‘Secular’, the underlying principles had already become weak. What existed was, but a fusion of British colonial secularism (which in turn yielded bigotry), and a pluralistic secularism which was what was required by our nation.

But are our foreign invaders alone to be blamed for the state of secularism in our present day? Don't our opportunistic politicians have their share of contribution in maintaining this gap as evergreen vote churning establishments. Don’t the ‘Specify your religion’ column in the school admission forms and other institutions stand as a constant reminder that “we are different”. Don't our deliberate or otherwise arrogant remarks that may hurt the sentiments of fellow communities enact a role in widening the differences.

Our forefathers carefully crafted four major rights regarding religion while including the ‘secular’ clause. These include

-        Right to profess

-        Right to propagate

-        Right to practise

-        Freedom of conscience

When adhered to strictly, these rights can build a nation of harmony and equality in the ideal world.  There may be loopholes or misinterpretations and even dangerous wrongful interpretations of these rights, but it is important to remind ourselves that we are stronger than those devious forces. We are not to abandon those values labelling it as ‘pseudo-socialism’ but rather nurture it and provide it ample space to grow within our hearts. If a disaster like flash floods or hurricanes, or celebrations like a football World Cup organized somewhere in the world where our country is not even represented, can awaken the unity among our diversities, why not we follow the same on an ordinary day.

Now is a good time to ponder over what our father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi said, “I do not expect India of my dreams to develop one religion, i.e., to be wholly Hindu or wholly Christian or wholly Musalman, but I want it to be wholly tolerant, with its religions working side by side with one another.” This spirit should serve as the essence of secularism and we as citizens of India with such an incredible history of tolerance and pluralism should safeguard secularism at any cost. The policies and rights may need revisits and amendments, but why not make a change today itself, working on the manthra “I am an Indian, You are an Indian, We all are Indians”.

When speaking of education, Kerala always stays ahead of other states of the nation. Topped up with 94% in literacy rate the state works on improving or in fact increasing the educational status of the people over the years. Since the last decade an immense shift has occurred in raising educational awareness to people and it was a part of this that the state government introduced various policies to ensure every child is able to have an access towards basic educational requirements. But the actual question is that, whether the level of literacy rates that we have kept achieving over all these decades does share an avenue of understanding the logical reasoning and analysis of people? Do the self proclaimed highly educated people’s analytical rationality is even directly proportional to the literacy rate accrued?

Since the old ages we have come across a trend of fearing children with the stories of mythical creatures and their existence. We take pride in talking about the folklore glory that has passed on to us over the generations. It has become a common phenomena in the households to see grandparents sing the lore about the gone ages to the little ones. Fusing mystery with horror and terrifying the kids have become a part of glorifying the long lost era. Seeding the saplings of mysteries and superstitions begins here. As we grow up the seedling of superstition also grows along with us.

 Never whistle in the dusk; it invites the attention of snakes. If you are able to hear a dog howling identify it as death somewhere near or assume it to be a paranormal activity. The list of superstitious beliefs never ends. But can this even be connected to the form of implementing fear in the heads and minds of people so that no ray of questions arises any further. 

Often superstitions are weaved over as a chain of folklore as such they tend to be more convincing for the listener to believe in the underlying act. This when examined in a better manner could be further realized as it is a way of saying “no” to certain acts. As it has become a part of human nature that curiosity will be evoked only when we are restricted from doing something. In an expectation of a return behavior of disobedience our ancestors tactically cooked up lores filled in themes infused with horror and made us believe in them. As the third law of Newton’s goes “To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. Jotting down the facts of certain superstitious beliefs we can identify there is an underlying fact of science. It's often heard that one should never swing his legs from a height. The belief that goes with this is such an action would bring a negative impact over your parents. But the real fact behind this is when swinging legs from a height will result in an act of losing one's balance and would fall from the height, that can possibly injure the jaw bones. The point that arises in the heads of every person is that whether this will work if the exact reason is explained to children? Children are curious beings and have the tendency to outperform such acts without understanding the after effects that may arise from the resulting activity. But the solution to the problem is never to develop a wrong and misleading understanding over a concept. At a certain point, just like another side of the coin, even when we attain the basic understanding about the reality of these facts, how open minded are we to readily accept the real science and truth behind this?

We since our childhood itself are forced to grow within the framework of lies and mysteriousness. The level of impact that this will have on the mental quality of the children are never considered. Kerala stands with the highest rates of literacy. The same state could be found in the list of top ten states where suicides take place and this is the same state where the government has listed to be as the one among the top three states with highest crime rates.

If our literacy rate is 94% the crime rate stands at 94.9%. This fact shows us how the educated community of Kerala advances to a negative shade of quality. Amazingly our literacy rate is lesser than the rate of crimes reported in the current year. If irony had a face then Kerala would have been it. 

These shocking details released by the government make us think about how far our educational system has improved. The education imparted to the youngsters is only concerned about how far they remember the points taught to them from a given context. We are in fact measuring the level of by-hearting power of the students. Literacy has now become a point about how many people in the given population knows how to read and write. But what these young populations understand and learn is nowhere in the concerned records. Learning and studying are two different extreme extensions, whose defining meaning should be realized. Learning is more about gaining knowledge and studying is concerned about the concepts of memory and remembering capabilities. This is where our education has failed. We gave unwanted attention to the point of remarkable success in remembering subjects rather than having our kids to gain knowledge from experiences. The reason for diverting from this focal point is the fear of failure. Because we are taught only of success. Once failed it is a forever embarkment in one's life. 

Kerala is renowned for its long and illustrious history of the strong presence of liberal groups and movements on a broad scale. In the available history of strong aristocrats of rationalist groups and movements focusing on the promotion of science among the masses is another important characteristic of Kerala's historical and affluent past of progressive social movements. A state that is endowed with two-thirds of the literate, is no stranger to superstitions. Occult practices and black magic beliefs are embraced by the same state. At one end you can see a literate malayali who workships a vegetarian crocodile and at the another end the same highly qualified and literate malayali indulged in cold blood murders that takes place to support the black magic and sorcery. The occurrence of heinous crimes involving occult practices have been common in Kerala. Murders in the name of human sacrifice is not something that have been developed in the culture recently. Since the time of our ancestors we were made to be a part of such occults that were misidentified to be as a part of the rituals that we were added to form a part of it. Knowingly or unknowingly, mankind was made to believe that with an active access to black magic and sorcery, men will be able to have a hand on eternal pleasure. The reasons for performing such cults were a part of belief that such sacrifices will take over the illness and negativity that are currently running in the lives of the people who perform it. 

With men’s advancement in the dynamic environment and interactions with masses and learning a difference in the way and manner of perceiving things have changed to a very smaller percentile. This is the very first reason why tragic incidents of human sacrifices that had taken place in the different parts of Kerala caused shock to the public. But will such incidents bring any visible change in the attributes of people? Public memory is short as they move on with the flow of the current. People have shrunken to the worlds of their own that would itself act as cocoons. Men started to restrict himself to an interactive schedule fixed up with a smaller circle. People give meager attention to the happenings that take place within their environment leading them to fall prey for such insane activities again. When the interactive circle fell, men started to indulge only with themselves. His wanting for any opportunity was restricted to being the prey of his own ego. What bothers him is what causes trouble to his natural state of living. Everything goes unbothered and ignored unless it questions his own survival. 

What is terrifying is that only incidents of murder attract public attention. In the veil of such black magic sexual harassment, financial fraud, physical abuses and domestic violence take place and cause no stir of movement. Though the political statutes of the state have been demanding for instilling a ban on activities usually termed as witchcraft but the level of enactment is still a question mark. Shockingly, people who are immersed in believing such practices tend to not identify health issues that arise out of psychological factors. Instilling the fear that one’s body is possessed by supernatural powers, assaulting a person under the pretext of expelling ghosts, killing of an animal or bird, prohibiting and preventing a person from taking medical treatment for any illness are some of the ways through which these acts take up. Such activities are not prevalent to any particular religion or caste. 

India as a nation stands 6th among the top 10 nations that have made exceptional movements in rocket science, engineering and experiments. Men have reached outer space and have landed on the moon. But as a matter of fact we the scholarly accomplished people still believe mishaps that happen in our lives are purely due to the influence of the stars in the galaxy. Every time we come across a point of difficulty we curse the time phase that we are going through. It is a surprising fact that people have believed in good and bad times. If everything goes as planned it has been identified as the positive influence of the aforementioned stars that have on humans and if not it is due to the dissatisfaction the stars have on an individual, for which a remedial measure is to be undertaken at the earliest possible for ensuring you are covered from the harmful time zone. Keralites are in a race to find "The Fault in their Stars" amidst their educational history. 

The point to be pondered here is that the Keralites who boast about their level of knowledge are unbeatable and comment over the inhumane activities that take place in the other part of the country are the same people who fall into the vicious trap of superstition. This could be easily traced to how our ancestral reign remains have practiced “untouchability”. A review about how we brought an end to such a system is only through brave reforms.We are creators and destroyers of the problems. This is an important piece of information in this jigsaw puzzle, the problems created and complicated by men will have a solution brought into action by the same men. Men are in fact the only creatures that behave in a way that is not sane in any form. Swami Vivekananda who called Kerala the “lunatic asylum” was right about his understanding. The people belonging to the state of Kerala tend to have bipolar perplexities in every walk of their life.  

By birth itself we are sworn to a legacy. But that legacy is not meant to complete your cycle of life in the lost wake of awless web of black magic. People exploit others in the name of such meaningless happenings. It must also be noted that men take up the roles of the messengers of God, some others act as the mediators of God and then there is another group who self proclaim themselves as Godly incarnations. When exploitation of people takes a turn of twist with tactics we are left behind to witness such happenings. What can be the worst extreme to happen is that a gazillion of disciples and followers go in to serve the Godly incarnations. The belief is that you suffer from a deadly disease. The option is not to take medication and advice from a medical authority but we intend to choose to go to these incarnations to take up the advantage of taking away all health troubles as easy as plucking a flower by just chanting what they sing. This points out where and how we fail as a human and where our education have failed to teach us why logicality plays an irreplaceable role in each and every single individual's life. 

Education is now only termed to be as a part of preliminary requirements for people just like other basic necessities of life. Education is a very powerful tool that can be used in the advancement of human’s upliftment. But the same tool will lose its value, if it cannot serve the purpose of enlightening the human minds. Education shows a phase of development for any country. But the sorcery and education hangs on to the different ends of the same sword. Faith has changed and now it is overruled by a set of misbeliefs. As already mentioned we are groomed since our childhood to believe the abnormalities and thus our subconscious mind is left to be ruled by the supremacies of superstitions. 

A very important question to be answered while in discussion with the concept of believability in superstitious activities and mental health of the people revolving around this concept. Psychologists and anthropologists have enunciated that people who are deep rooted in these misbeliefs are more likely to develop phobias. For this they pinpoints to an instance. People all around the world tend to have a craze in numerological concepts and it is world widely accepted that the number "13" is considered to be an unlucky number. With this in mind, taking the reference it is noted that people tend to assume 13 falling on a Friday is utmost unlucky and have seen a fair rise in road accidents. In the normal context the reasons for such occurrences at a particular point on a continuous rate will be the hot point that the authorities will check on. But at the same point having numerological theory in hand and concluding the situation with such references will be considered void. 

The catalog of superstitions varies to different people due to the differing contexts. Beliefs that are generally accepted throughout the country, beliefs that are relevant only to a particular state, region or community and beliefs related to the restrictions of a religion. In this whole list, superstitions vary if stated in a likert scale of rating ranging from non-harmful to harmful, we can point down certain acts that touch every segment of living. From looking at astrology and luck of the beings, the negative and positive affluence, enforced through animals and paranormal and supernatural beings,the whole zenith of irrationality begins from unharmed hanging of lime and chilly totems to performing exorcism. The satirical involvement of scholar Keralites is a pun. Seeing a black cat cross your path is an omen to expect the worst during the day. Misbeliefs as a whole make us question the authenticity of such practices. Though authenticity is not even a real point in the talk of disbeliefs. 

From the primitive ages itself we were trained and flexibly molded to accept the facts that do not have a real base of science. But what is the change that we were able to come across with? If the primitives had a belief in superstitions that was majorly caused out of lack of education and their inability to give a brief explanation on the real reasons for the occurrences. But now we believe in these superstitions after having access to the fundamental right of education and after having a better vision on science is the ironical duo in our lives. Our beliefs in omens and taboos are still in the apex point or else the taboos in relation to menstruation and sexuality would not still be a part of the environment we live in. Imagine seeing a peepal tree and the very first picture that would come in is the ghostly possessions that are nailed to the tree trunks. To a very greater extent the mass media communications and the entertainment industry have played their game of deepening to fix the roots of misbeliefs once again. Humans tend to develop a nature of believing in things that only give them an experience or that are capable of giving them the reliable facts of certain entity existences. With this context the malayalam media and entertainment industry have made an affluent impact in this case. Various films and other forms of enactments show how the existences of those long lost and forgotten folklore, mythical creatures and entities had some truth. A platform designed to indulge its audiences in the most relevant subjects and entertainment finds huge success, markets and most importantly viewership for such concepts. The focus should be shifted on why the filmmakers and other media people find interest in such concepts. The truth is fear that could be invoked in people. Peepal trees are symbolized to show that the negative energies are being confined to the trees with a nail. And if you happened to see any, the objectivity of such thoughts are confined to affirmation. How far should we carry this weight of unauthorized thoughts of disbeliefs? The answer is unknown.

In various studies conducted by various health and other organizations it was identified that superstitious beliefs and practices contribute to the growing issues of mental morbidity rate in India. What can be the worst to happen in this case is that such practices stops and prevents people completely from earning a medical aid which often leads to either complete lost mind and consciousness for the individual or even death. An individual toiled with depressive thoughts is often considered to find a cure with the end of marriage. Many studies have stated that superstitions have the capability to develop various types of phobias, and generalized anxiety disorders and depressions. The point that worsen these cases are the ways in which black magic and sorcery can be used to treat them. These are the kind of oppressive thoughts that belong to the social stigma that we all form a part of. 

Perspectives and opinions that are long-routed to one’s perspective angle is another factor that have contributed to the continuing momentum of bearing up the burden of scopic less rules and protocols of mystery filled superstitions. Men have the capabilities to make rational decisions that are rosen on objective thoughts. But such capabilities are often destroyed by the overpowering stigmas of black magic. Fear and faith lies on the same platter. Unless they are injected into the minds of the human beings such actions will not have any relevance. This shows us with the justification of why such practices were passed on down to every generation.

A social experiment conducted with a baby and an adult in an empty room claims to show us with a reflective answer. A baby who is unknown to the concepts of fear will explore the world around him, as he is not governed by the forces of any of the former mentioned. At the same time an adult would restrict himself from his movements. An empty and blank spaced room, though showered with enough lighting, is enough to invoke the world of fear in the head of the adult. He is positioned in a point of hallucinating things and his mind would work on the development of stories that he has heard back in his childhood. From such bases along with the imagination and anxiety trouble the adult is found to end up in a mental pressure point that can lead to trauma for the person involved. This is how deep superstitions work in our life. Human mind’s power, capabilities and potential are never estimated to know. It is to these powerful capacitated minds we are flooding with the inclusive and inceptive thoughts of superstitions embedded with fear and faith. 

Though we are leading our lives in an advanced, most modern, dynamic and educated world there are certain irrational beliefs that continue to take over our lives even in this 21st century. The very existence of sorcery believes is something that must be dealt with at the utmost earliest by identifying the travelog of the deeping roots and pulling it out completely is important to get rid of the current evils that goes in a move in our society. Superstitious beliefs form a source of potent contents that are capable enough to generate a heck of difficulty to the society which could harm an individual from different perspectives and dimensions of physical, psychological, emotional, social and financial aspects. Harm is not just restricted to people but also to animals. The real requirement is to recognize the levels and various phases in which the various degrees of education can bring about a change in the possible outcome of people's lives. Education should be treated as an instrument in lowering the effects of superstitions and cult practices. Various research papers prove that people embedded in rituals, customs and beliefs will come over with changes to a minimal amount and would comparatively take much more time to enjoy the momentum of normal life. 

Superstition and the following beliefs have had a very influential contact in the lives of the people since a longer time period. Even in the 21st century, the literate bunch of Keralites hold up the vicious values of such beliefs and the steps taken to eradicate it is still at a null point. With the growth and development of science a larger proportion of people started to realize the real effects and underlying points in grapevine conceptualized sorcery. The uncivilized and uneducated traditional populations had been identified as the major source of propagation of these beliefs, who resists against the changes and carry on such beliefs without accepting the truth of science or technology that we have advanced with. No matter how we advance in the educational levels, having even a minority community of such traditional and primitive believers always poses a challenge in prancing on to any forthcoming advancements we make. They are secured to have the capability of subverting the ideals of modern society. 

We human beings as a whole have been in the roller-coaster of drastic evolution for over decades. These changes are specific to the dynamicities of technological upgrades and exploration of science and technology aspects. Changes occur everywhere. We only face a minimal wave of the changes. Humans prefer to have a moving attitude with the transformations. Though we resist it initially we at the end of the day follow the trend pattern. In a close watch in studying the pattern of development of people and society we will be able to identify how far humans have traveled in knowing the real facts and bases in the happening of every concerned activity and this is the reason why we have an immense quench for scientific innovations, studies and activities. The same science has paved the way for development for the society on a whole as in a holistic way. 

Keralites are the ones who always stay ahead of studying and observing the changes and adapting them. Obsessed with unending craze for technology, innovations and related areas of study have displayed a very forward moving attitude while studying the changes and accepting them. The stupefying reasoning of being adamant to the superstitious beliefs have been contributed over as a subject of study in transferring legacy over the upcoming generations. Since the early ages the ancestors believed in various omens and misbelieved it to be in connection with the series of events that took place in their life. The astonishing factor here is how we are ahead of literacy, blindly following the same track. Existence even in the 21st century that we regard as a century that will be powered by artificial intelligence and overruled by technology have people lost in the sorceries and black magic. Even though, an evident notice on how the levels of superstitious beliefs have comparatively decreased over the ages we are never in a point to completely wipe off these impacting beliefs that have had ever and far reaching effects on people. Such beliefs can be considered to be a precursor over an individual’s attitude development and behavior. 

In reaching a further conclusion, superstitions are the final outputs manufactured from the social phenomenon that were developed from social contexts and conditions. It remains to be the only area where changes are never applicable to. This is due to the point that the basic content is constant in these beliefs and they are never subjected to any form of changes. The major reason for the basic prevalence and existence of all these beliefs is the ignorance of truth. To put an end to this misbelief that goes around in multiple names can be pulled over only by encouraging people to find the path to identify the truth in an effortful way and thus making them think with rational decisive qualities and logical reasoning to drive people reach and afford life in a more smarter ways.

Would you go ahead on your way if a black cat crosses your path? Or would you throw a stone over the cat's line before taking your next step? The intention behind doing so, is to deflect the evil effect from the black cat to the stone, as it would cross the path before you do! Hang on for a moment before you scoff at this absurdity; there are people in our society, who believe that a random black cat can control their fate. People who are breathing in 2022 but still living in the medieval era! If that cat had the ability to write, imagine its diary note that night - "Today, I jumped across the guy from 3rd floor on his way to office. I had been offered fish curry meals by his neighbor - a cost effective 'Shatrusamhara pooja'! Unfortunately, nothing happened to him, so my offer got cancelled. A disappointing day, and a jump was wasted, now my paws ache too!"

Humans have deviously identified omens using all sorts of defenseless animals and things around us. These generalizations have started from the occurrence of an event somewhere down the history lane, a mere coincidence! For instance, guests might have arrived one day when the crow cawed but deducing the conclusion that guests would visit every time the crow caws near your house, is outright ridiculous! If that's the case, in modern day apartment culture, crows need to be more specific. D Block, 11th floor, Door No.12 would not be that easy for the crow to deliver the caw warning! There's more - lizards are the truth bearers, a lonely Mynah (bird) is bad but a couple is good (apparently, being single is no fun!), a grasshopper brings forth fortune, the infamous ring made out of elephant's tail hair is for luck and prosperity, hundreds of beliefs on crows mostly associated with death (ending up naming a group of crows as ‘murder’), parrots predicting the future (parakeet astrology), and even the tiny little ants aren't spared - red ants are bad, but black ones are auspicious! There is no objective evidence in any of these beliefs, yet people continue to follow, just because it makes them feel they are in control of their future.

During olden days, people were chaotic, and imparting common sense through logic hardly helped to ensure caution. Instilling fear using scary stories about supernatural forces was the sought-out solution to make people obey and bring about order and structure to the society. But these customs and rituals were blindly followed disregarding the social reformations, and the rationale was completely forgotten. One example is that older people still insist on avoiding cutting nails, sweeping the floor, or combing your hair after dusk. In a time when electricity was not available, doing these things at night would have had an adverse effect, but why should this be prevalent in a society where 50W LED lights brighten up your nights, perhaps a few lumens more inside the house! Some of these were reasonable during those days when there was shortage on necessities of life. The age-old belief on menstrual impurity is another such misbelief and is embedded so deep in the conservative minds even today. In the absence of sophisticated sanitary pads or tampons, traveling long distances or doing heavy works were difficult. An option that was installed for women to take proper care and rest, has turned into an impurity narrative prohibiting them from temple, touching 'sacred' plants etc., while conveniently excluding kitchen and household works from the list. How can it still be a taboo when women are conquering even the toughest physical sports and are simply unstoppable on all calendar days! Same way, we haven’t been able to move past the belief that the positions of certain planetary objects influence our destiny along with the script called horoscope that claims to forecast the events of one's life. Since horoscope is written based on the time of birth, nowadays people are “choosing” auspicious day/time of birth in case of C-Section or induced delivery to make sure the baby is blessed with all sorts of auspicious yogas. Ironically, advancement in science is used to effectuate superstition by pre-calculating one’s life.

No matter how progressive and educated we claim to be, we still see a rush to buy gold on the Akshaya Tritiya Day. It is believed that purchasing gold on that day would bring good luck as the gold bought on this day would never diminish and only grow more and more. Although, there's one difference these days people are buying digital gold too on that day, thanks to Digital Revolution! Our mindsets are seasoned with such practices and beliefs passed on to us from our older generations. Questioning them would be labelled as most disrespectful, and many a times, absence of a logical explanation is met with another superstitious threat - 'Bad things will happen to you, if you disobey!' along with different types of "curses". This doesn't stop here, the list is endlessly filled with beliefs on dream interpretation, fortune telling, divination, dodging the evil eye, palmistry, numerology, black magic rituals, sorcery, exorcism, and even grave issues like human sacrifices. Recent events in Kerala’s Elanthoor on human sacrifice are an example of sheer ignorance and blind faith. Shockingly, it has come to the extent where people are willing to follow these practices even at the cost of other human lives.

Science has grown in leaps and bounds and continuing its pursuit to find answers to literally everything. Even in such a time our education hardly encourages questioning the system. Even highly educated people follow many of these practices for good luck. The "Touchwood" comment in online social networking platforms to avert bad luck is an example for that. Literacy rate of Kerala cannot be pulled into this either as the ability to read and write cannot guarantee the presence of common sense and logical thinking. Enlightenment begins when we seek answers and find the origins of these beliefs. While we wait for centralized laws to deal with inhuman evil practices and superstitions, change should begin from our homes. This generation is in our hands, and we are in charge for molding the next, so take a moment before exclaiming "Sathyam!" when the lizard chirps, else come up with an explanation to answer your kid's quizzical expression, staring at you and the lizard!

In between education and superstition

1. An inherent contradiction

Kerala is treated as one of the highly literate and educated pockets of India. Unfortunately, the vibes of education do not prevent us from being equally superstitious. This dubious contradiction may have to be well debated in society to come out of the chaos.  Let us go through some of the aspects that might have contributed to the current state of our immensely superstitious but formally highly educated society.

2. Acceptance of superstition

There are many aspects that paved the way for the unusual acceptance of superstition in society. Rather than going after absolute reasons, understanding the contexts that nourished the silent growth and co-existence of many of the unhealthy practices, maybe more meaningful.  Analyzing some of the below broader headings may be worth revealing the context.

The decline in the spirit of education

Dilemma of Freedom

The general acceptance of escapism

Thrust of capitalization

Decline of honesty

2.1. The decline in the spirit of education

Education poses many good definitions. Through his experiments with “Viswabharathy”, Rabindra Nath Tagore showed us, how education can be used as a tool for the liberation of thoughts, wisdom, and values. With the notion of scientific temper, our first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru attempted to bring an analytical mind to equip us to come out for slave mentality. There were many veterans who struggled to use education as an effective device to bring value and humanity.

Independent India, had another challenge for the spirit of education. It was nothing but one of the side effects of education called employability. Unfortunately, the more, we started relying on formal education as entry criteria for jobs, the more we were running away from the very spirit of education. This was silent, but, powerful re-definition of education. Its intent was mostly shortened to a job-finding technique, which we failed to unwind.

The destination-focused education sector was to face some traction of social responsibilities, reflection, and commitments, via the existence of campus politics. During and after the freedom struggle, campuses, through open reading, discussions, debates, and conflicts, acted as the energy hub for transformations. Like any stage of adolescence, campuses were also not immune to physical conflicts. While unplugging campus politics, we surrendered our last weapon which would have been used as an effective voice against the shift in spirit and objectives of education. It gradually fell down from building value systems and scientific temper to mere mechanical qualification exercises.

A consistent decline in humanities and an emergence of a more technical-focused curriculum across our country may be viewed as proof of the paradigm shift. The diversion is now blatant when we are entering into the era of industry-focused deemed-to-be universities that drive syllabuses pointed to specific employment needs. The shift is from knowledge to technology or tooling.

Superstitions, on the other hand, enjoy an undue place in society, under the helm of beliefs and freedom. The decline in the spirit of education is directly or indirectly contributing to the unchecked growth and acceptance of superstitions.

2.2. Dilemma of Freedom

Freedom is a tricky term, most of the time – it varies from context to context. At the time of our great freedom struggle, it was the haul for self-reliance.  After the declaration of the official freedom statement, we seem to have tumbled into a dilemma. Instead, of taking up nation-building to pursue the motto of self-reliance, the majority of us focused on making ourselves free of dependencies.  More than the building of a collective nation, we started building independent individuals. The new definition of freedom conveniently created “others” among ourselves and started becoming self-protective. This tendency not only brought doubts about the goals of the collective called nation but also increased the air of mistrust and fear of loss for many of us.

Independent India witnessed many attempts at restructuring like land reforms. Since the shift of freedom was the undercurrent, the actual result of land reforms, ended up in forming more independent induvial than the expected uprise in social justice. A keen observer and scholar of all times were warning us on the side effects – Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, used to advocate for declaring the farm sector as an industry and was pushing for creating state-owned land banks instead of distributing lands to equip persons. The suggestion would have been to make a more collective and interdependent society than a society as a collection of people starving for independent existence.

The over-focus on personal freedom was paving the way to a highly selfish mindset among ourselves. We have started shrinking towards our individual virtues, aims, and comfort. Our social concern, commitment, and sense of responsibility started running low in the context of over-personalization.

The impact that emerged was far-reaching, the first generation after independence was thrilled by the personal heights and often lost in its objectives and goals. While doing this, they were also effective in resource accumulation. The next generations often experienced a sense of dictation on choosing objectives in the pre-text of achievements and understanding of their forerunners. Thus, we nourished a population who were free but were piped with clueless achievements, not of their will.

The result of all these aspects is one of the other contexts for the over-acceptance of rituals and shortcuts. Having unconvinced goals, on one hand, confused mind with growing suspicion; fueled by spiritless education might have given a better ground for mechanical solutions. As the population is already termed to be comfortable with told objectives, told actions might have been swallowed without any thought. Lack of social sense and selfishness nourished by over-personalization may be seen as a reason for accepting superstition and a viable tool.

2.3. General acceptance of escapism

We have discussed the decline in the spirit of education and the emergence of individual selves in the previous sections. The erosion in the value system and rise in selfish motives makes it very convenient to disown anything. This might have led to another problem, that of escapism.

The tendency is obvious on all fronts of life. An injustice happening to a neighbor may not be attended, to because it may be disowned as the responsibility of law enforcement agencies. One may not worry about an unhealthy institutionalized practice by a religious group, as it can be disowned by priests or so-called religious scholars. The democratic process may be disowned by established political parties and leaders. While disowning everything, the attempt is to run away from the responsibility and to find someone responsible for the shortcomings.

Everyone holds beliefs to one degree or another – some may be scientific; some may be religious. The habit of disowning and escapism makes ones on beliefs untrue, without even asking any questions in fear of ownership, the dictations are seen as comfortable choices.

In this context, if we view rituals and superstitions, the ownership of the actions lies with a godman or a black magic professional, and hence the actions can be performed without any feeling of guilt.

2.4. Thrust of capitalization

Capital makes sense in the context of an exchange value. A thing or service attains capital value or can be capitalized if it can be exchanged (and not consumed) for a value. Thus, the expectation and optimism aired by any of the capital-based systems are founded on the ability to sell or service. We can not say that it is totally unacceptable; as it is the way that capitalism works.

The tool of capital is money and persons who can exchange money. A highly self-oriented society with the habit of disownment is, in fact, a result of a misguided education objective. Such a society will be more flexible for ruthless exchanges with less moral baggage.

Rituals and superstitions are sellable or serviceable commodities. In addition, it also generates optimism. It gives news value, another commodity on the fly. Hence, for an unchecked capital flow, such unhealthy practices may be inherently comfortable.  We could see that the victims of such practices roam around the practitioners – event after failed goal - as the optimism it generates overrules everything, and business is involved on many fronts.

2.5. Decline of honesty

Only a brave soul can be honest. The lack of ownership and decline in the value system eventually generates a society of slaves. A mind that accepts slavery can not question it. To avoid raising questions, and facing questions, the easiest way is to learn to be dishonest. The drive of capital and selfish motives makes dishonesty justifiable and sometimes it is glorified as well.

Rituals and superstitions are dishonest from any angle. The follower is dishonest since he is afraid to understand the hollowness of it. The conductor is dishonest since he is articulating actions that he is in no way convinced or authorized.

The media in general and social media in particular acts as a messenger of dishonesty. It acts as a thread that effectively connects the dots of the doctrine.  This amplifies the impact and, in a way, gives an impression that these are socially accepted practices that are there for some time.

3. Coming down to the problem

While reviewing these aspects we could easily relate that all of these aspects or contexts are tightly coupled and interconnected. Almost all of them give strong indications that as a nation or as a society we are derailing from collective ownership and objectives of nation-building.

3.1. Be the change

All of us have to think about the reasons from one’s own viewpoint. I have tried to lie down, and some of them found logical to me. The first step towards a change is to be convinced that a change is needed and the change will follow. The more we are aware, the more we will be capable of adapting to positive change.

We can be more reactive as well as proactive in the contexts or aspects we discussed.

3.1.1 Be Reactive

We have to bring back thoughts and ideas and have to challenge cold-minded repetitions and rituals to come out of this impasse. The below-listed objectives may be more realistic than forming rules to ban, and probably glorify, superstitions in particular and rituals in general.

Realign the objectives of education to the building of a value system, social commitment, and scientific temper

Social responsibility and a sense of collective growth need to be established

A general sense of ownership and bottom-line responsibility may be emphasized in the social fabric

The system should not be aligned with the capital flow, rather it should be brave enough to play a vital role. Nehru was trying to take the middle path, later it seems we have lost track.

Need to insist on the value of honesty and the amount of happiness it brings

3.1.2. Be Pro-Active

The transition of illogical practices to false truth is most probably well represented by one of the all-time favorites of Keralites, none other than “Kumaranasan” - “Yesterday’s mistakes may be misjudged as today’s rituals. They may be treated authentic tomorrow; do not give them a space”.

He rightly said it, say no, or avoid, if we are finding some illogical things evolving in front of us.

4. Part of the wave

Humanity might have gone through many relative ups and downs. The show goes on…

It may sound unrelated – the solution may have to start from a cultural renaissance! Various forms of arts and literature have to emerge with the known, unknown, direct, or indirect goal of advertising the context of the decline in the commitment we are facing on different fronts.

In fact, it happened in past, many times – freedom struggles, literary booms worldwide, movements of veterans of various religions – Krishna, Jesus, Muhammed, Sree Budha, Kabir Das, Sree Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Sree Narayana Guru, etc. – if we are mindful.

Let us be part of the next one or the ongoing one!

Literate Kerala - Rich in Superstitions?

Kerala, the God's Own Country  can claim supremacy over any other state in India in terms of education and literacy. But many news coming out recently are making Kerala home of superstitions. Recently, there has been an incident where the Malayalis, who consider themselves as the front runner of culture and education had to bow their heads in shame. Kerala is notorious for bringing back a superstition that existed in ancient Kerala. Irrational beliefs and customs that follow them are what we include in the scope of superstition. Spreading such beliefs regardless of religion is an insult to literate Kerala. The practice of sacrifice, which existed in ancient Kerala, has recently been reintroduced in Kerala. Human sacrifice at Ilantur is not an isolated incident. The double murder in Poovar, the suicide of a mother and daughter in Neyyatinkara, and the Nandankod murder are in this series. People who are addicted to superstitions are becoming cruel and murderous. When Kerala is moving to a state where even blood relations are being killed for the protection of their faith, the question arises as to whether our educational systems need to be revamped. We will remember a girl named Greeshma who recently killed her lover with poison. The young woman poisoned her lover because the astrologer told her that the man she married would expire. Greeshma is brilliant in academics.  It seems that education does not even affect rational thinking. You will be shocked if you consider the number of Malayalees who go to see witches to cure illness, get prosperity and work, get rid of ghosts, and destroy enemies. All problems have solutions for such people. Remedial actions include performing pooja, chanting water, chanting ghee, animal sacrifice, and purifying fire. Sadly, even educated people fall into the trap of such fake monks. Women and children who suffer from mental problems are the most exploited. Remedies for this are spells, home, and exorcism. Due to such people, patients do not even get proper treatment. Finally, treatment refusals have even led to the death of the patient. These bogus people are taking maximum advantage by performing spells on the mentally ill.

People don't even think about the place of these beliefs that oppose two people living together. "Kaivisham" is one of the most popular superstitions in Kerala. The food given by hostile people (it can be given by worshiping or doing similar actions) is called kaivisham.

There are people here who believe that love, friendship, etc. are the result of hand poison. The community approaches fake monks to avoid love, friendship, and alcohol. Some people pray that even if they get Covid or cancer, they should not go to the hospital hoping that Jesus will save them. There are a few young people who get addicted to alcohol and drugs through satan seva. Colonel Jinson killed his father and mother in the scope of such superstition. 

The proposed law to prevent superstitions and customs is called 'The Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill' 2021, although the Law Reform Commission has prepared a draft of the bill in this regard, even after a year, there has been no further action. There is no other way before us except to enforce this law strongly and enable the children to work against such superstitions in the junior classes themselves. Let's hope not to repeat such human sacrifices...

If you've been following the news about the criminal underbelly of Kerala, it might seem to you as if, in recent years, the state that sees itself as the citadel of literacy and progressive thinking in the country is drowning in irrationality and superstition. Human sacrifice, satan worship, prosperity-bestowing antiques and naked pujas have all made news in the state and national media. If details of these crimes, most of which is public knowledge by now, haven't filled you with a sense of shame, disgust and fear, I doubt anything would.

Is Kerala really that superstitious?

Why is it that a state that prides itself in its high literacy rates, exceptional human development index, world-class healthcare systems, enviable gender ratio -  and many other parameters that are favorable to human survival and excellence and would put some European nations to shame - is seeing its people preying and falling prey to things quite primal?

A common narrative is that as contradicting as it might seem, given the media attention recent ritual killings in Kerala have received, Kerala isn't quite a superstitious state. This narrative argues that ritual killings and crimes based on superstition happen a lot more in other states, but are underreported or undercovered. Kerala's high levels of literacy and its consequent aversion toward superstition, among both the general public and the media, is what triggers the kind of response and coverage incidents like these get. Data in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), prima facie, tend to support this narrative. As per this data, Kerala had reported zero murders arising from witchcraft in 2021. Chattisgarh reported 20, Madhya Pradesh 18 and Telangana 11. 1

However, this narrative still requires further examination as the data needs to be interpreted in the context of the existence, or non-existence, of legislation against superstitious practices within specific states in the country. One thing is clear: there isn't a central law in the country that criminalizes witchcraft or similar superstitious practices. However, a recent news article refers to The Prevention of Witch-hunting Bill, 2016, which was introduced to the Lok Sabha by Raghav Lakhanpal, then MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).2 The bill however didn't get far enough in the parliament for it to become a law.

In the absence of a central law against potentially dangerous superstitious practices, states have introduced laws for this purpose. Bihar, according to the same article, is the first state to introduce a law against superstitious practices - The Prevention Of Witch Practices Act, 1999. 

Jharkhand came up with a similar law in 2001, Chattisgarh in 2005, Odisha in 2013, Rajasthan in 2015 and Assam in 2018. Kerala doesn't have one such law yet, A draft legislation on this matter, "The Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill," is still only in the works.3

Hence, in reality, the data from the National Crime Records Bureau, neither supports nor refutes the narrative that Kerala isn't as superstitious as other states but only looks so as a result of diligent journalistic reporting. No murders as a result of witchcraft or similar superstitious activity have been reported because there might not have been legislation to report it against. Is there more superstition and more ritual killings in Kerala compared with other states? Only clear legislation and accurate reporting will tell. 

Drawing the line between beliefs and superstitions 

While the mainstream media and public are unanimous about the abolition of superstition and superstitious practices, especially ones with criminal consequences, the lines that divide superstition from belief are often blurred and drawn very subjectively. Often the very same TV channels and newspapers that condemn superstition earn revenue from advertisements that promote yantras and beads and good luck charms – not to mention the daily, weekly and yearly astrological predictions. The staunchest critics of superstition amongst us might ourselves be performing aartis, rushing across the street before the cat crosses, and subjecting our vehicles to poojas. For any of our efforts toward abolishing superstition to be effective, it is of paramount importance that we first give superstition a clear definition. What is belief and what is superstition? What is the line that decides that my belief is now superstition and needs to be weeded out? Is it superstition when practiced by the other person and belief when it’s practiced by me? These are all questions that will have to be contemplated seriously - by lawmakers if legislation against superstition is to be formed and by society to build clarity and consensus on what we see as superstition. For lawmakers, the job becomes less tedious as they have the option to learn from - both the mistakes and successes of - the states that have legislations against superstition in place.

Superstition spares almost no one, says history

It isn't just the ordinary folks that are or are seen as superstitious. Some of the greatest human beings to have walked on earth have been superstitious. That includes even Mahatma Gandhi, who has been accused of being superstitious by the likes of Rabindranath Tagore and Michael Coates. 

Tagore's criticism of Gandhi came following Gandhi's comments about the 1934 earthquake that hit Bihar and Nepal. In a statement he issued to the press, Gandhi described the earthquake as “a divine chastisement for the great sin we have committed against those whom we describe as Harijans.” A fierce debate between Tagore, the man who gave Gandhi the sobriquet "Mahatma," and the Mahatma himself ensued.4 

Coates's criticism, on the other hand, was a result of Gandhi wearing the Vaishnava necklace of tulsi beads.5

"Come, let me break the necklace," said Coates, claiming the wearing of the necklace to be a superstition.

"No, you will not. It is a sacred gift from my mother," Gandhi replied. "I cannot, without sufficient reason, give up a necklace that she put round my neck out of love and in the conviction that it would be conducive to my welfare."

Gandhi later wrote about his conversation with Coates: "Mr. Coates could not appreciate my argument, as he had no regard for my religion. He was looking forward to delivering me from the abyss of ignorance."

There are also stories that the time of India's independence (the midnight between August 14 and 15) was negotiated and finalized between Louis Mountbatten and Indian astrologers. Mountbatten wanted the date to be 15 August, which was the day Japan surrendered Burma in World War II when Mountbatten himself was the Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia. But the Indian astrologers found 15 August to be very inauspicious. A compromise was finally arrived at, and the midnight of 14 August was agreed upon.6

Superstition hasn’t spared anyone. The educated and the illiterate, the rich and the poor, the famous and the notorious - everyone is a victim or perpetrator of superstition of varying degrees. Any endeavor taken to weed out superstition should talk to people of all classes and sects.

Beliefs, for some people, are a mechanism to cope with the uncertainties in life, ways to stay hopeful when things are going against them. But when beliefs and superstitions take a strong avatar and engulf someone's rational thinking completely, it delivers results that are unfavorable for the individual, those around the individual and, as we have seen recently, to society at large.

Any attempts to criminalize superstitious practices should begin with defining superstition at a broad level and then elaborating on the details of what kinds of superstition are harmful to the well-being and progress of society and should be condemned. As mentioned earlier in this article, Kerala can learn from states that have such legislation in place, in this regard. 

It is important to note that, especially in a secular society like ours, any legislation made to curb superstition doesn't criminalize innocuous religious beliefs and practices. Citizens have the right to believe in and practice their religion without fear.

Learning from the past

Very often, solutions to today's problems can be found by turning back around and looking at the past. India, and Kerala, have had a legendary line of social reformers as much as we have a rich history of superstitious practices. But we have come this far. We have shed many habits that were not good for our own well-being and progress. Looking back to understand how we did that will help us understand how we can weed out superstitions that cause harm.

In that context, I'd like to draw your attention to the now-abolished practice of Sati Pratha.

The humans that moved mountains

Unquestionably one of the most brutal practices that ever existed in human history, the Sati Pratha belief required a widow to immolate herself at her husband's funeral pyre. The choice a woman had in this matter was little. It is also said that women who didn't volunteer for Sati Pratha were forced or even drugged to do so.

The abolition of Sati, therefore, can be considered a turning point in the reform and social awakening of India. The man who sparked the fire that made the abolition of Sati happen is none other than Raja Ram Mohan Roy who, in 1811, witnessed his sister-in-law having to submit herself to Sati upon her brother’s passing. Three years later, he started his campaign against Sati, becoming the first person in the country to protest against this practice. Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s protests weren’t limited to Sati; he spent a significant energy of his life campaigning against child marriage, polygamy and the caste system, and in favor of inheritance rights for women. Finally, in 1829, Roy’s efforts came to fruition as the then Governor-General Lord William Bentick banned Sati by enacting the Bengal Sati Regulation, also known as Regulation XVII - the first social reform legislation enacted by the British in India. Campaigning against the ban also was a person from a faith other than Hinduism - in which Sati was practiced - and from a country other than India. He was the English Christain missionary William Carrey - a reformer in his own right who had an undeniable role to play in the activism against superstitious practices in India in his time.7

It wasn't only the rajahs. the English evangelists or the elites that crusaded against social evils. One of the most, if not the most, prominent activists we've all read about, Dr BR Ambedkar, was neither a rajah nor born an elite.  Born in a humble family, Ambedkar beat all odds and became an evangelist of the highest standard - an evangelist for the cause of equality. As an active public figure in the country, he campaigned against many evils. In the end, he didn't create a law as Raja Ram Mohan Roy did; he created the whole constitution.

Uniting for change

Individual activists and leaders have campaigned against superstitions and other evils and, eventually, managed to get legislation passed. But India also has a history of society coming together, their conscience moved by an event or practice, to make change happen. The Indian Independence Movement is probably the biggest example of this phenomenon - an entire country coming together to free the country from the biggest colonizer of the time.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 is a more recent example. Also known as the Nirbhaya Act, the legislation amendment was fuelled by the protests that broke out after the Nirbhaya event on 16 December 2012, the details of which are now public knowledge. The victim died thirteen days later after she was raped. The event received national and international attention, with even the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women urging the Government of India to take appropriate, sustainable action to ensure better safety of women. Public protests broke out all over the country, with protestors in Delhi even ending up clashing with the police. Social media erupted with posts about rape culture in the country, the importance of teaching boys how to treat women at an early age, the relevance of sex education, and the punishments courts should grant to perpetrators of rape.

All of the outcries prompted the government to appoint a judicial committee to make appropriate amendments to criminal laws to ensure stricter punishments for sexual assault. The committee was headed by JS Varma, former judge of Supreme Court. In less than a month's time, the committee received over 80,000 suggestions and petitions from women's groups, legal practitioners, NGOs and the general public. Taking the petitions and suggestions into consideration, the committee submitted a report to the government, citing the root causes behind crimes against women and proposing causes of action. 

The report recommended the need to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, revise the punishment for rape and clarify the powers of the Delhi police among other things. The act that was eventually passed based on recommendations from the report expressly called out certain acts of offence and incorporated those into the Indian Penal Code. According to former Minister of Law and Justice, Ashwani Kumar, 90% of the recommendations made by the Verma Committee made their way into the ordinance that was subsequently replaced by a bill, which was later passed. Despite criticisms about the law, what can't be denied is that the law made the definitions of sexual crimes clearer and the punishments more relevant. Changes in the law have now made the character of a sexual assault victim irrelevant. It has also introduced into our systems the presumption that, if the victim states in court that there was no consent, there wasn't one.8 This stands out as an example of a society coming together to get the government to pass legislation for the society’s own good.

Summary

We can make a few inferences, based on what we know from history and the analyses that have been presented in this article. 

Firstly, we will have accurate information about superstition and crimes triggered by superstition only if we have appropriate laws against which such crimes can be recorded. Legislation can also curb superstition, by empowering law enforcement agencies to proactively take action against crimes recorded in legislation. 

Secondly, superstition transects class, education, financial or political status. Any initiative driven to minimize superstition should cut across all classes and sects of society. That superstition is exclusive to certain groups is a misheld belief. 

Thirdly, sometimes, individuals and communities can bring about change. When people come together, or are brought together, to fight against a social evil, change happens. As we have seen in through the examples in this article, legislation can come as a result of the influence of an activist or of public outcry. Remember, when change has already come about, legislation is only a side-effect, an insurance to protect our future generations.

Finally, any of the above is possible only if it starts clarity in our own minds about what's superstition and what's not, between what's reasonable belief and what's unreasonable fallacy. This can only happen as a result of clear rational thinking; as a result of mothers teaching their children the rational, scientific way of looking at life and beliefs; as a result of us practicing what we preach. For the people of a literate, highly educated state such as Kerala, this shouldn't be too much to ask.

References

Chapter 2A "Murder (States/UTs)" is Table 2A.2 "Motives of Murder -2021", https://ncrb.gov.in/sites/default/files/CII-2021/CII-2021-Tables.html

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-are-the-laws-on-witchcraft-in-india-8206958/

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2022/oct/13/law-to-banblack-magic-on-anvil-in-kerala-as-human-sacrifice-news-sends-shockwaves-2507510.html

https://scroll.in/article/724133/suggesting-religious-reasons-for-quakes-isnt-new-mahatma-gandhi-did-that-in-1934

Mohandas K. Gandhi, An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Boston: Beacon Press, 1993) p. 123-124 ( Excerpts from https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/mahatma-gandhi-and-two-attitudes-of-religion.html)

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/governance/our-politicians-tryst-with-superstition-62654

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carey_(missionary)#cite_note-sharma-6, https://airccse.com/ijhas/papers/1216ijhas08.pdf, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Mohan_Roy, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_Sati_Regulation,_1829

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Law_(Amendment)_Act,_2013

“People are more productive working from home than people would have expected. Some people thought that everything was just going to fall apart and it hasn’t”-

The words of Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms Inc. in an interview with CNBC reflect how the IT industry’s work culture has gone through a paradigm shift during and after the pandemic.

A hybrid work model combines the freedom and flexibility of working from home or a remote space with the benefits of a structured on-site work environment. In the literal sense, it’s a mix of remote and office-based working. Employees using the hybrid work model have better time management and a greater ability to combine their personal and professional lives.

The prima-facie challenge would be that the management personnel should delve into micro-management techniques for employees to retain consistency and control quality issues.

A sphere of change in the work environment has an underlying impact on various stakeholders and the employee-management-employer relationship is one among such perspectives.

Taking Aristotle’s viewpoint, each individual and family is a unit and each one’s work is a contribution to making society a better one each day. Thus, we have to consider the dimensions of various stakeholders in altering work models.

For employees.

The hybrid work model promises flexibility both in time and space to work in ways that are most effective for them. They are given the option to work from home at ease and the opportunity to fulfill their tasks at an office. With much enhanced work-life balance, in turn, satisfies the “social security needs”, which, according to Abraham Maslow, is quintessential for a working human being to increase quality-centric productivity.

As per the study by Stanford, employees working from home reaped improved work satisfaction and the companies faced less labor turnover.

The unproductive time, energy, and money the employees spend on commutation can be mobilized and re-used for their personal or family which is a great advantage.

From my personal experience- the hybrid model promises sufficient time for an employee to prepare for academic courses and inculcate talents that are beneficial for the career. As per a Harvard business study employees can trailblaze new ways to leap the routine paths to successfully use remote work to benefit themselves.*1

In the meantime, the esteem needs of employees as specified by Maslow, cannot be fully satisfied through a hybrid work schema. “Esteem needs” refers to recognition and acceptance of one’s work among a guild of colleagues. Human beings are social animals and there is an anthropological need to belong, communicate and socialize with a group. Workspace has provided the right place for the same. In the hybrid working method, we have to refrain from thinking about getting optimal satisfaction in this regard which can lead to serious psychological problems like depression and umpteen OCD’S.

For employers

The eternal 5 Cs’- Clarity, Communication, Collaboration, Consensus, and Compromise are the critical elements in people management and the underlying success of a business.

Employers have to get these 5 Cs’ on track to harvest success either in an office-based format or a hybrid work model.

For hybrid work procedures, the management has to use and depend upon more technology and micro-management measures with precision to hit the 5 C s’, these methods have flaws of their own.

In terms of expense for a hybrid work pattern, the business houses are relieved from incurring high amounts of infrastructural payments like rent, electricity, internet, and a portfolio of miscellaneous expenses. The saved expenditure can be used for business expansion or development thus increasing job opportunities and more spheres of success.

Hybrid work models are the best available patterns for start-up ventures and upcoming entities since the promotional costs of the company would become less.

As I stated earlier from the study of Stanford *2, an organization with a hybrid model has to face fewer attrition rates compared to others, which in turn is a colossal benefit.

Employers can acquire talent from any part of society if they are committing to a hybrid structure of work. Some talented people are unable to relocate to the place where the company is situated and the organization can collate such talents into their processes. Hence the talents from rural areas will also get an equal opportunity in getting selections to the urban-based organization without moving to cities.

Data security is also a significant challenge one may face in a hybrid work pattern. Homes may not be as cyber threat-proof like that as structured networking offices. For the assistance of Cyber-dome the voluntary project of Kerala Police can be utilized, more organizations and professionals should be a part of cyber-dome and make the voluntary organization a part of IT culture in Kerala which can provide assurance to our existing investors and surely lure prospective investors also.

For the Nation.

Before the pandemic, India was facing stringent competition in the IT sector from various countries like the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, and China. But right after the pandemic, India had a better edge in IT, than other countries. We have accepted and adapted to the altered hybrid or work-from-home model in a very swift, proficient, and professional manner than any of our competitors could, which resulted in enhanced Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and increased foreign reserves for our nation.

At the same time reduction in infrastructural fees like rent, land and building tax, electricity and water levy, etc. has apprehensively affected the budgets, especially for State Governments.

For the environment.

Less commuting to work means less fuel burnt for vehicles, thus, in turn, there is a reduced impact of carbon fumes in the environment. This also results in saving fossil fuel for society as a whole.

For various Stakeholders.

Thinking about any specific work model, we only see the employer-employee perspective, matters that only affect the duo. But, by only taking a look at the bigger picture, we notice other stakeholders who are involved. The essential group if I may say, like Cab and Autorickshaw drivers, cleaning staff, Security staff, electricians, networking personnel, small shop owners adjacent to IT parks, hoteliers, and Senior citizens who converted their part of homes as hostels and PG facilities.

The answer to how a hybrid work culture affects them won’t be a pomp and splendorous one. From my discussion with Mr. Manilal, one of the shop owners adjacent to Technopark Trivandrum- the pandemic era or the work-from-home period for IT employees was a nightmare for him and his family, since almost 100% of his customers were IT employees. He was unable to even pay the nominal fees to the Merchant’s Association to retain the membership during the said period. It would be the same for the rest of the stakeholders in varying degrees.

There are chances that this can lead to more division of wealth in our society, which is a menace and will have a direct or indirect bearing on every citizen.

Conclusion

For start-up ventures and upcoming businesses, a hybrid working model is the best available option, since they can mobilize talented resources from various segments of society in a cost-effective manner.

For an established and structured organization, in my opinion, the work-from-home option can be provided according to the needs of employees and as a reward which can instigate more work satisfaction among employees, thus can decrease labor turnover.

References:

*1- Harvard Business School Study.

https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=58390

*2. Stanford University Study.

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/working-papers/does-working-home-work-evidence-chinese-experiment

The Hybrid Work Model is the new way of life. Gone are those days when we scouted to office five-six days a week. The entire world has just become a smaller place. And, all thanks to the Corona Virus for that. It has been a tight slap on our face, a stringent lesson to our ego and a reality check to all of us who had it all sorted three years back. If Covid 19 and the last three years have taught us anything at all, it is all about how we can live so much more with so much less. The last three years have taught us how to give up our big office spaces. It has taught us how beautifully we can work from the smaller closet spaces in our houses, it has taught us how much more we can deliver from the sanctity and simplicity of our homes. And the last three years have taught us how to trust each other more rather than the rules and policies around. That way Covid 19 has been an eye opener.

This topic also takes me back to my first job at a KPO in Info Park Kochi 12 years before. I had been into that team for around 2 years then. My first ever team, my first ever manager. In those 2 years I would have slogged additional hours on many days and I hardly exceeded my one hour break. Then a friend visited from hometown once and we went out for dinner. And on that night, for the first time ever probably I exceeded my one hour break by another 30 minutes. The moment I am back at my seat, my manager comes up behind me, bends over my desk and he tells me “Sindhu, I believe you are going in the wrong track now’. I still cringe at those words thinking he said that to me just for taking an extra 30 minutes break which brings me back to the current situation of work from home/hybrid work model. We are way past those days of micro-management now. Today, we live in an era where we are no more made to feel guilty for working from our comfort zones, for spending time with our families while working, for taking care of our mental health or for taking a break just because we want to take one or feel like it. Today a lot of candidates are walking into job interviews demanding work from home or hybrid work option because we have just realized nothing matters as much as our 'space'. 

This hybrid work model has offered us flexibility like never before. You don’t need to commute much these days. You don’t need to dress up. You need minimum planning. Thus it gives you more time, space, energy and money to play with. On a personal note, as a woman it has helped me navigate seamlessly through a difficult pregnancy. It has helped me stay with my rainbow baby (born after 3 miscarriages) even after 6 months of maternity. It has helped me play with my toddler and see her grow up every day. It has helped me see my parents spent priceless moments with their first ever grandchild, none of which would have been possible if we were working from office alone. We need to understand there is no going back to these moments, if missed once. And, as human beings ultimately we are all living for this. So this hybrid work model is lot more than about ‘just work’. It has showed us that you can impeccably work at 3 tasks at the same time while still singing a lullaby to your baby. It has showed us that work life is cooler without the ‘white floors’. It has made us realize that no roof is going to come crashing down if we attend a personal phone call while working. It has broken the many myths associated with the so called ‘IT Industry’. It has shown us that being human comes first and it is totally okay to think so. The hybrid work model is thus setting a new trend, a trend about all the small things that matter in life. While most people were chasing after success, glamour, and fame earlier, the hybrid work model today calls out to us with a smaller, quieter, calmer voice. It tells us to slow down, worry less, but enjoy more.

It is not just the employees but the Employers also stand to benefit from this new work culture. It has brought down the cost of transportation, utilities and maintenance for many companies. These reduced bills and expenses are in turn coming out as better profits & returns for all and resulting in add on privileges for employees. For instance, a lot of companies today are offering fully paid workation and staycation packages to employees. Some companies have also gone one step ahead and completely given up the lease on their office buildings etc. transcending these savings to better alternate options. So the new work from home/hybrid work model in the IT industry is a win-win for all. It promotes flexibility, improves productivity and efficiency, helps build better personal and work relationships, leads to improved satisfaction for all and results in a more positive work culture.

Having said that, this hybrid work model with all its benefits comes with some challenges too. There is always that ‘questionable integrity’ factor that’s hanging behind our heads like never before. We need to be more careful and mindful of each step we take while working from home especially for the reason that no one is watching us now and this automatically brings us ‘more’ under the radar. Anything and everything that we do would be scrutinized more and looked upon with more ‘suspicion’ now. Thus, this new model calls for increased accountability and responsibility. We all saw the Wipro incident where so many of their employees were sacked for unethical conduct of business while working from home. There is also that factor of ‘working forever’ since we are working from home now. Many of us work beyond the stipulated time on many days now since the lap is always around. We cannot deny that it has had a toll on our mental and physical well-being. Add to these,  the less ‘face-time’ it creates between colleagues, elevated disconnect between teams, poor communication, increased risk of home isolation etc. and one could say the new work model comes with its own shades of grey.

So like the two sides of a coin, the work from home/hybrid setup also has its own pros and cons. It is up to us how we make use of this prospect. Our deeds would ultimately decide if this new work model would make or break us in the long run. I would say let’s make maximum out of this opportunity while we can but without sacrificing even a tad bit of our professionalism, values or work ethics. Like the saying goes, let our work speak for us because ‘It is not the job you do, it’s how you do the job’ that matters.

From Early 2020 almost all IT companies declared complete Work from Home policy due to the unexpected pandemic. The only sector having the privilege of complete work from home was IT sector where all the fields like banking , health sector etc where in trouble.

As a part of returning to normal life instead of asking everyone to return for all the working days, now IT companies has bought Hybrid Work Model, where employee must be in office for at least three working days which is very flexible system.But of course, there is another side of the coin as well, where we have a question regarding security, people relationship etc. Let me deep dive to this topic little bit.

For all working mothers, I have seen much advantage on hybrid work model. Since it helps in work life balance of an individual. People can balance personal as well as professional life parallelly. All resources will get more time in a day since travelling time can be ignored and the the morning peak time stress can be reduced. Hence one can feel more relaxed and work quality and can extend the work hours.I feel companies are also can achieve more profits, since workspace used is less. Internet charge, electricity, water cost etc can be saved more.An individual can be in his comfort zone and work.Fewer people in the office means fewer chances of passing on illnesses. Infections are less likely when there are fewer workers on premises. 

But there are some disadvantages also for hybrid work model. As people start working remotely, interpersonal relationships are harmed. Absence of many festive celebrations like onam celebration, Christmas etc are making like a bit boring. Since there is not a fixed time to work, sometimes over work hours are making us stressful.

Employees working outside the office could create cybersecurity vulnerabilities. They may use personal computers for work or connect to unsecured networks. An organization must confirm all remote employees meet their security standards.

Kerala has emerged recently again in the top position of the Performance Grading Index (PGI) for Indian States
and Union Territories, a study released by the Union Ministry of Education. In terms of education quality,
access to learning, infrastructure and facilities, Kerala has been a forerunner for many decades, even with a
title of the most 'literate' state, where even the oldest people know how to read and write and education is
given prime focus.

A common question that arises now is whether education and common sense are inter related and whether with
education alone, people would be ready to let go off all their superstitions and beliefs that are not based on
anything scientific. These superstitions are either passed down from generation to generation, stem from some
incidents that have happened in our lives (as it is easy to relate bad things to bad omens than finding the real
reason behind it) or a misconception/greed that arises as part of the human mind. A highly educated and politically
aware state like Kerala is expected to be far from all superstitions and work towards scientific knowledge, which
empowers our younger generations to be future ready. Even the state school science fair (2022) held recently was inaugurated
by boiling of the milk (considered auspicious) and was criticized by many as it was a 'science' fair and not a
religious ceremony, which shows the superstitions are in the mind of people and are here to stay longer unless strict
actions are taken. Whenever we buy a car, a lemon is squeezed first under the tyre for good fortune and to 'avoid'
any mishaps or accidents. Irrespective of caste,creed or religion, rich or poor, Kerala is one of the most fertile lands for
superstitions.

The main cause for such superstitions is the lack of awareness among the common public and a lack of efforts to bring
this awareness from the relevant authorities. The laws against superstitions are almost not there and with the recent

advent of uncensored online/digital platforms, people tend to believe whatever is shown and sometimes believe in
superstitions and rituals that can harm themselves and others. The recent ritualistic sacrifice followed by brutal
killing of two women in the otherwise calm Elanthoor of Kerala has sent shockwaves across Kerala and we as a society
should be held responsible. The reports had even suggested the accused consumed human flesh based on the advice of
a sorcerer, which shows mentally we have not reached the state of development that Kerala always boasts about.
Usually Keralites accuse North Indians to be superstitious but with so many recent events, it is clear that even with
high quality education, we have lost the mental growth that is needed to understand how to live together as a society,
where the benefit of all is what matters. The pursuit of happiness, pleasure and spirituality has made people eager
to believe and act up on any heinous crimes/superstitions and this is a grave danger that we are facing.

Many people with illogical beliefs try to paint a picture in society that they are quite socially inclined but this is
actually a mask to protect themselves from social scrutiny about their secret activities. They find pleasure that they
got away with such superstitious acts which build their confidence to go to the next level of acts. These people
may have antisocial and narcissistic personalities, with severe self-love and a lack of empathy which makes their belief
and superstitions very hard to break and they consider it a do or die situation. People have always been intrigued by aspects
of heaven or hell, near death experiences, astral projections etc. and when they try to make sense of this half cooked
knowledge along with whatever information they get from the internet, they fall deeper and deeper into superstitions. The
law that was drafted against superstitions in Kerala almost 10 years back has not been taken forward, as confirmed by
A Hemachandran, one of Kerala's former director general of police-rank officers and this shows why miscreants go on a
rampage and are more confident once they make up their minds to do any superstitious acts. The Kerala Exploitation By Superstition
(Prevention) Act, 2014 which awarded penalties for superstition and made them cognizable and non-bailable has not reached
fruition, giving miscreants a free run in the state.


As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, out of the six human sacrifice cases reported in the country in 2021,
two were in Kerala which is indeed shocking for a culturally forward and educated state. A 6-year-old boy was hacked to death by his mother purportedly as a human sacrifice at Palakkad district in Kerala last year, which is shocking as even parents are ready to sacrifice their own kids for petty beliefs. Many times superstitious rituals are easily passed of as a traditional ritual and hence
it goes unnoticed, unless a crime happens and is uncovered. The so called astrologers and quick healers are easily
advertising themselves on media and getting lots of publicity. There are channels dedicated to these "gurus" and primetimes
are allocated by reputed Kerala medias to showcase miracle artifacts that can heal, attract wealth, make all wishes come true etc.
which all take advantage of the insecurity of people and their wish to prosper in life, no matter what happens. The lack of
adequate laws and limitations of the police force add more seriousness to the same. We have to understand that this is against
the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act and hence illegal and non sensical as well.

Violent exorcisms still claim to happen in different parts of Kerala to get rid of the Djinn/ yaksha/demon etc. based on the
corresponding religious practices. People on a large believe in maadan (a demon that attacks at night) and often aspired many
heart attack related deaths to this demon, which is still believed by many (some even calling the demon Marutha). It is pretty
evident that sorcery is ingrained in Kerala culture itself. Kerala is supposedly created by Parashurama, who is said to have
selected six Brahmin families to perform sorcery (the current Malaya tribe claiming they are original sorcerers in Kerala).Many tales in Kottarathil Sankunni's Aithihyamala, which is Kerala's Arabian Nights, have sorcery and black magic as their backdrop. Even the
folk practices like 'theyyam', 'theeyattu' and 'padayani' of Kerala are all based on one or other form of sorcery/superstition,
with movies like Kantara adding more collections from Kerala showing how much we still trust on all these superstitions to help us
in life. Most Malayalam films with a rural backdrop features an oracle and superhits like Manichithrathaazhu show how exorcisms can help to cure mentally unstable people just by giving them belief, which many think as reality.

The hopelessly faithful group of Kerala who still clench themselves to supernatural elements to calm their anxiety even go for
exploring weird and dangerous ways like Chathan seva, a kind of devil worship that involves animal/bird sacrifice. This custom
is still prevalent in many parts of Kerala even after the enactment of Kerala Animals and Bird Sacrifices Prohibition Act of 1968
that has prohibited the killing of animals and birds to please a deity. The Godmen and Godwomen of Kerala (self proclaimed God/Goddess or avatars/clairvoyants) are even promoted by religious factions, celebrities, politicians and as a whole the society silently accepts them and their superstitions. Their ashrams even after repeated violations or cases from even foreign nationals claim
to be 'heaven' and this shows how deep rooted the evil is and how hopeless we are as a society against superstitions. There are even swamis/self proclaimed deities who have cases in Kerala (smuggling, swindling gold etc.) who control the rural folk from abroad and cause tensions in Kerala.

Justice Devan Ramachandran of Kerala High Court has wondered and has stated in the courtroom: “Some of the things happening here(in Kerala) are beyond the limits of absurdity. Today it is human sacrifice. I wonder where Kerala is going.” Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill, 2019 is also in cold storage as of now.

In March 2019,Thushara, a 27-year-old woman, was killed by her husband and mother-in-law, who had been practicing ‘black magic’. Thushara weighed only 20 kg at the time of her death, as she was fed just soaked rice and sugar syrup as instructed
by a sorcerer, according to the police. In August 2018, Krishnan, an occult practitioner, his wife and two sons
were killed by his assistant and helper who started an ‘independent’ occult practice. The accused killed his mentor
and family, suspecting that Krishnan’s magical powers inhibited his own success in occult practice. In 2017, Cadell Jeansen Raja
did multiple murders when he killed his parents, sister and a relative as part of his experiments with so called astral projection
in Trivandrum, which not only shocked the state but the whole country. Medical cases like schizophrenia can add more belief in such
superstitions and thorough medical care and evaluation may also be needed for such cases. Thus evil openly prevails in 'God's own country'.

Proper education along with awareness against such superstitions and strict laws that are enacted from the grass root levels may help Kerala society in the future. We
may not be able to change those who already have made up their minds to believe in superstitions, but there is still hope in the future. The society,
politicians need to act fast irrespective of any other differences before this menace becomes a huge fire and consumes the moral values of the majority.

I still remember the day I got pregnant with my first baby. It was after a lot of early miscarriages and chemical pregnancies that I finally got that scan report with an active heartbeat. I was on cloud nine but that happiness did not last very long since my doctor advised me to take rest and not to travel during the first 3 months. I could not even think of quitting the job and I was sure that I will not get 3 months' leave. So the only way I could overcome this chaos was to request to work from home, which seemed like an alien word to HR and my manager. There were a lot of discussions with top management, managers, senior team members, new joiners, and maybe the security too. Finally, they agreed to give me 2 months of LOP. Yes 2 months loss of pay and along with that, I can take all my pending leaves also. So that becomes almost 3 months' leave. Since I had no other option, I had to take that. The irony was that I had to go to the office every single day from my 4th month to the day before my delivery since I had no leaves left. So that was how "work from home" was considered back then.

It is a new era for IT employees today regardless of the type of company and job. This is one of the best things that happened due to Corona. Every single IT company had declared work from home during the peak covid time and I believe IT is the only industry that got this flexibility. There were other professionals like Teachers, who could work from home. But watching my kid attend the online class and the trouble these little monsters give the teachers took all my agony of not becoming a teacher. With the work-from-home option, most companies were able to retain their employees and as employees, it was a boon to have our job safe. The bonus payment was the only thing that affected most of the employees during the covid season. 

Even though work-from-home had all these benefits, it had many challenges too. My second baby was born during the covid season and when I rejoined after my maternity leave, the work-from-home culture had already been established. Since it was the lockdown period, I couldn't send my elder kid to school and I had to work with a baby and a toddler at home. The maids were not allowed in most of the apartments since it was peak covid season. Cooking, taking care of the kids, attending online classes, homework, activities, meetings, job, cleaning, and whatnot. I sometimes felt like Goddess Kali in all aspects.

Scrum meetings were the only time the team was together online and that is more towards the funny side than the status updates and technical discussions. Sometimes there will be 4 little monkeys jumping on the bed and sometimes the wipers on the bus goes swish swish. Sometimes Peppa will be crying and other times there will be Paw patrol on the go. Each and everyone on the team works in different time zones. They all have their personal things to take care of along with the office work, because of which no one could demand them to work during a particular time. Working from the office was very different. There were more breaks than meetings and most of the heated technical discussions happened in the pantry rather than in closed meeting rooms. That gave us the freshness that is most needed in life. Meeting with people, discussions over Mohanlal movies to India's current GDP to the American President's latest speech. Everything under the sky was a discussion topic there. After such short breaks and discussions, the work felt more relaxed and stress was out of the equation.

While working from home, you are taken for granted. You have the flexibility of working at your comfortable time, so 'attend a late night meeting' was the tone. That sometimes removes all the flexibility from your life. Is there a work-life balance? Yes. Because I can make fish curry and attend a meeting. No. Because you are always expected to be available. 

Summarizing, working from home has its good and bad sides. But the flexibility it gives weighs off most of the challenges. Working from home can positively impact employees and many feel refreshed without having to commute. However, overworking is a reality many face as it can be hard to switch off at the end of the day. In an office environment taking breaks for a chat and enjoying the hour lunchbreak is part and parcel of the day. At home it is tempting to work through breaks or eat lunch in front of the computer.

Benefits:

• Flexibility to work in terms of location and time
• More effective use of time because of the possibility to do multitasking
• Higher productivity because of fewer breaks in between and fewer discussions over non-technical things.

Challenges:

• Less team collaboration and it affects the team being full of individual contributors and sometimes forgetting the need of team work.
• High employee burnout as it becomed difficult to separate work from life since both are happening at home.

When planned carefully and strategically, the hybrid work model - combining remote and office work - has the potential to improve the organization in several ways. A hybrid model can offer flexibility and empower employees to work to their strengths, which in turn boosts productivity. By encouraging a culture that views remote work as a positive alternative to completing deep-focus tasks in the office, teams can find a good balance of creativity and collaboration. From an organization perspective, once they move to a hybrid environment they can reduce the office space as every team can select different dates to work from office. With the hybrid model starting to seem inevitable, companies need to provide the right collaborative tools for both remote and on-site workers so employees can work efficiently in any type of setting. Whilst there are downsides to hybrid working, for the most part it is considered a beneficial way of working. Both companies and employees can reap the rewards of splitting their time between their home and office, tailoring their days to best suit the way they work best. It is predicted that hybrid working models will be adopted by companies across all industries. Many businesses that have already adopted the new way of working as a response to the pandemic cannot imagine returning to the office fulltime. Employees are happier. Productivity is elevated. Results are abundant.

The new variant of Corona Virus which was initiated in China during 2019, termed as COVID 19 has impacted our social and economical culture. The impact of the same on society is drastic. Despite the protocols and vaccination drives, we are still facing the impacts associated with the same. The impact it created in work culture is also drastic. Most of the businesses and organizations suffered in the initial time very badly. It is worthwhile to analyze the journey of how each work unit responded, reacted and fell back in place. We really proved ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. Within a short amount of time we proved a lot. This difficult time has again proved that if we stand together united, we stay strong as well. In spite of all restrictions and threats of virus, the pharma companies had emerged with successful vaccinations in record time. Have we ever thought that new vaccines can be researched, developed, tested and implemented in such a record time? While the debates on its implications are still on, we surpassed a critical time with basic vaccinations hopefully. Now at least we are in a position to think about the future and the whole world and leaders have already put their thinking cap on to develop a new strategic work culture. Almost all now agree that the work culture will change completely from the previous set up and we need to embrace a hybrid work culture.

                                                     As a representative of the IT industry which is the pioneer in establishing business continuity amidst all crises through the implementation of ‘work from home (work at home)’ initiative, I feel privileged to write about the topic ‘Changing Work Culture – after COVID’. In the IT industry work from home is not something initiated by COVID. We were practicing the same for a long time now ever since the inception of laptops and high-speed internet. The only difference I can see is that earlier it was on a need basis due to personal/family needs or to continue or support business on holidays/weekends in emergency situations and was for a limited period like a few weeks or months, but now work from home has become the new normal. Almost all IT professionals are doing work from home from March 2020. Wow, I just realized it’s such a great achievement. For more than one and half years we ensure the proper business from home!

                                                     Imagine if the work from home initiative was not there in industry. Can we think of how many companies would have shut down by now? How many engineers and supporting staff would have lost their jobs? How many families would have been bankrupt and committed suicide? What a social hazard it would have been! But we were lucky to have this culture enabled already. Having said that, in the IT industry it’s not something new. But what about other fields? Let’s think about government sector offices, hospitals, education departments etc. Did we imagine these to run through online mode so nicely before this covid? Definitely a big No in India at least. We have definitely seen these implemented in developed countries, but in India, these were unimaginable prior to this. Though we also had online education and systems for higher education, those were not considered mainstream and also, we never thought mainstream education could be effective through online mode. But now even the government is planning to start a lot of higher education courses in mainstream online after seeing the successful implementation of necessary infrastructure and guidelines.

                                                      I still remember the day we got news that schools are going to shut before summer vacation in March 2020 just before kids were about to start the final examination of the academic year 2019-2020. There was a lot of uncertainty at that time, though we never expected the effect of the pandemic to remain for so long. We heard news of a large number of people losing jobs at foreign countries and returning to India. Central government announced the first lockdown on 24-March-2020. The entire economy of India or rather the entire world started to shake in the rise of pandemic.  But soon the industries like IT responded to the situation and started running business through work from home access for employees. Thanks to the infrastructure and network facilities which enabled the smooth transition of work from office to home. Definitely there were initial hurdles for long term work from home set up from companies and employee’s sides. But soon we started sailing smoothly. Again, a lot of important government sectors started adapting the same and it was just a starting. One by one all industries moved to a new mode.

                                                             Education department, private and government sector started online classes. In Kerala, we even started school classes through television! We know that there are still issues in providing education access to all in online mode, but in spite of all hurdles, what we observed was a massive shift in mindset, infrastructure and culture. Even in the case of work culture that was a massive shift. Remembering the trolls on how mothers were changed to ask kids to take mobile phones to attend classes and notes from trying to keep their kids forcefully away from mobile phones. It was really fun to observe the transition. A lot of network issues, new procedures for examinations, invigilation, assignments and what not! Before the students forgot basics, we were able to set up things right keeping aside the population who still can’t access the same. But over the period, for people with digital access, education became normal for teachers and students. I have even seen more enthusiastic kids in online classes.

                                                              In India, we probably never imagined doing our doctor consultation online before, though we used to talk to doctors about our doubts. But the pandemic has changed the long hospital queues. We again managed to work out home remedies before rushing to hospitals and started practicing better hygiene to keep the pandemic away. Though hospitals were affected initially, again the online consultations picked up well, so the primary level consultations became online and only very necessary cases started flowing to hospitals, which reduced rush as well as provided better facilities for the needy and also, I feel doctors can also work more comfortably. And no need to say there is a revolution in the hygiene sector. A lot of new brands and companies to support mask, sanitiser, soap and disinfectant requirements arose during this time. So maybe some sectors were the worst hit, but this has created new business opportunities and work for many too. Initially it might have been survival of the fittest, but slowly all sides started to wake up with subsidiary businesses.

                                                                 There are industries which can’t be operated fully in online mode like public transport, we need drivers and conductors in buses to serve the society unless we fully move to autonomous vehicles which may be a little more time taking. But still here the office works can be carried out remotely with proper infrastructure. Also, as the number of office and school goers decreases, the number of physical staff required for operations can also come down.

                                                               A lot of public sector offices changed their customer services through online mode like village offices, corporation offices etc. Other private sectors like LIC, personal banking etc which were having online facilities earlier, mandated all customers to use those online services unless for critical transactions. Secretariats and other important government sectors started providing updates to customer services online through portals or mobiles. What a bliss in fact. No long queues in offices and it also reduces chances for corruption. Overall online services will definitely save a lot of time for employees and service consumers. No need to travel, No long queues and No ask for changes! All these have created a lot of new opportunities for job seekers, when an organization moves from a normal set up to online or paperless set up, we can imagine the work behind that – requirement of online portals, data entry, data syncing etc. On one side when jobs of people were affected, the other side was creating new opportunities.

                                                              Now what is not online? Not only the mainstream education, yoga, dance, music, arts and crafts, drawing, karate etc everything is online. The professionals can establish their business online and can teach any students from anywhere. Looks really promising right? A lot of new career options as trainers in different online services, a lot of small-scale businesses started around these opportunities like Akshaya centers and computer establishments to support the public in these activities and provide them training. A lot of money transactions became online and virtual. So, we moved fast closer to a Digital India during the pandemic in fact!

                                                               We have seen online marketing and retailing going well during this time. We have shifted to online shopping at a faster pace. Have seen a lot of courier companies and online shops making good profit during this pandemic situation. Even the online food services flourished well. Surely these contributed more job opportunities and employment options and so did the revenue, right?

                                                                   I have even witnessed football classes being taken online where concepts are covered and with limited edition offline classes for practice. So overall in any sector we take online and remote working is a possibility now. The complete transition from morning rush to catch school, office and public buses. 

                                                                   At high level COVID 19 has shifted work culture from office to home, offline to online, fixed time to flexible time and what not! An unimaginable shift in all sectors, work culture and society. It's the future which will really measure the success or impact, but I am sure that the shift is massive.

Impact on Society

                                                                Now let’s see the impact of new work culture on society. We can definitely think of positive and negative impacts just like anything else. Especially being a new way of working and managing things, many would take time to adjust and fall in place. Also, we might not be in the right position to think about the success now, the future will prove that. But we sailed with positivity, we created a shift and so we will confidently emerge as winners.

Positive Impacts/Advantages

                                                                 First let’s see the plus side of it. Just take an example of transportation. Definitely the time from 2019 December onwards would be remembered not only for COVID and lockdowns, but also as a less carbon emission period. Though the studies mention that due to ozone layer problems still the impact on the environment is not reduced much. But I am sure at least we reduced our contribution to harm more. And if we continue with the right measures, we can control environmental impacts very well, at least at the same level as now.

                                                                    When the commuting community is less, overall support and infrastructure required for the same will gradually come down. This will reduce the vehicles on the road which will result not only in reduced pollution but also the traffic will come down, so overall time to travel will become less, requirement of road will come down, so we will encourage more greener spaces and healthy nature around us. With less travel people will get more time with family and friends and which will result in a more healthy and happy community. We know that, in foreign countries, when the weather forecast is bad, everyone will work from home, here many times during bad weather people will get stranded and face bad weather. This situation will also be avoided with new culture.

                                                                       People can contribute more time for public service and also for their hobbies. This will again increase the opportunities for artists and other non-mainstream departments to increase their career options. The most important challenge for people to be involved in any leisure activities is time, ideally time to travel. The savings in that would allow people to do exercise, yoga etc which will add more health for people. The lifestyle related diseases will come down and we will surely move towards a healthier generation. All these will contribute to the overall happiness index and more satisfied and happy workers in all fields and surely will benefit the overall society.

                                                                       Society talks about the abandoned old generation a lot. Actually, we all know the reason, it is not because we do not like parents or grandparents or we do not want to take care of them. The old generation is isolated and abandoned due to lack of time. If we have a proper hybrid work culture, the situation will change considerably. There are options to take necessary leaves during emergency periods, but we will not be able to take such leaves often. Also, not everyone will have the freedom to lose the earning option. So, if we have a work culture which supports options to carry out work from home, this situation will also be changed. Don’t you think it’s so nice?

                                                                        Most of the time we tend to limit our work opportunities around the place we stay as we need to support and take care of family as well. So, our opportunities are limited. This situation will also change with work from home culture. Organizations are also limited by the choice of employees in a particular location. But work from home will enable a mutually benefitting situation for employees and employers. Organizations can onboard talents across the globe and employees can also work from their preferred locations. This mutually rewarding situation will enhance the relationship and will definitely turn out to be a positive and encouraging one.

                                                                  In customer service departments like village offices, banks, revenue offices etc we know the pain that employees and consumers face. People from far away places need to travel early to reach the offices and then unnecessarily wait in queues for hours just to get their priority. Anybody will be happy? When the online services are provided, people can use the same from home and only when it is required to travel to the office for clarifications (which cannot be carried over phone/online) or manual sealing/stamping those can travel. This is not only beneficial for the consumers, but the work of employees in such divisions will come down as well. We always talk about consumer issues. But can you think of employees who really need to take care of such long queues. They may need to avoid or cut short their tea and lunch breaks. When these primary level services are online employees will get more time to focus on priority items which need manual intervention and also if work from home is also provided their satisfaction level will also get increased. Here chances of corruption will also reduce, online services will make all payments digital, so tax excavations can also be reduced. Also, consumers will get faster response time and all receipts will be available online for reference. That will also have an impact on a greener environment as no need to take printed receipts always. Only when needed people will take print outs, so less trees will be cut for paper, ink etc.

                                                                People can arrange their work time based on personal convenience. We know many people will have some personal work that will take 1-2 hour sometimes but eventually end up taking leave earlier. But now they can carry out that and then take extra time on the same day later to compensate for those working hours to manage. So, employees start to manage their work and work time which will again add to satisfaction. The offices will become fileless, paperless, no need to worry about lost records and files. Office spaces can be reduced, less cafeterias, less electricity, less A/C, less recreational areas overall contributing to much greener nature.  

Negative impacts/Drawbacks

                                                     We cannot see only positive side for anything. As we say “Even the divine nectar will be poison if consumed in over dose”. So, there will be negative sides as well for anything. When work from home is enabled, we will cultivate a workaholic generation as some people can tend to work beyond expected time and people can become more socially withdrawn. So, on one side employees will tend to work more and which may have a positive impact on work initially but when the expectations also grow more, it will lead to exploitation and health issues as well. Also, sometimes where there is dependency on a co-worker and the same person is not available at a particular time, it may have some impact on work and schedule. So having a soft guidance on work time and flexible time will be beneficial.

                                                                Proper network is the base for the infrastructure required to set up a work from home culture. So eventually we may need to see the impact on Society in terms of getting more space for towers and radiation. Though there are no clear studies on the impact of network towers and increased health issues, the discussions and research are still going on. Also, more space needs to be allocated for towers and related communication infrastructure. IF the employees are not covered with a proper network, it will have a negative impact on work, schedule and quality. It might affect the overall project timelines for corporations.

                                                                    The companies may tend to reduce head count and expect employees to work more. Sometimes employees can take advantage and take more time to complete work. These kinds of issues need to be addressed.

                                                                   The work from home culture can make less staff in the service department which may delay priority processes and emergency services. When services are moved to hybrid mode (online and offline) proper adherence needs to be ensured. Auditing and record office keeping should be done properly and the records should be synced up properly. Else it will create an inefficient and inaccurate system.

                                                                           On the outset many people will think it will reduce the employee requirement in various sectors and departments. Though initially, it feels like that eventually, it will create new responsibilities and new work options like auditing, communication services, migration of data from offline systems etc. Also, eventually the right skillset will get the right kind of job. People may initially feel that there is no differentiation between office hours and personal hours, the culture shift should be managed carefully. Some offices may feel a surplus of staff which can have a negative impact as well.

                                                                            The coordination between employees and team culture may be impacted if not taken care properly. Individual performances may become key to success which may again device unhealthy competition without transparency.

                                                                            It is reported that people spending more time in front of computers and calls, are having health issues. Ears and hearing issues are becoming more with improper use of audio-visual media. People can become socially withdrawn as well.

What should be done?

                                                                          It is certain that we need to focus on a hybrid work culture. It will be a combination of online and offline as well as a combination of work from home and work from office. These may look the same, but have different faces and issues and nature.

                                                                          As we already talked about, exploitation, job reduction and transparency issues, let us think about the solution. First, we can talk about corporate organizations as the work needed to ensure proper working will be less there due to already implemented policies and processes.

                                                                         From the employer's side, they need to enable the proper infrastructures like laptops, compensation aligned with increased electricity and internet consumption, proper communication channels and point of contacts for necessary activities. The HR team needs to ensure the proper connection with team and employees to ensure right comradeship and togetherness required. There might need online events and global meets to ensure a team feeling.

                                                                 Legal and structural awareness and communication of flexibilities and responsibilities of employees should be clearly communicated. Management is responsible to ensure transparency, work mode supporting maximum participation, diversity and inclusions in the work, more rewards and visibilities to be created etc. The transparency on flexible hours vs leaves needs to be ensured with policies. Also, the data security and data privacy related aspects should be made more structured and need to create more awareness among employees. Eventually the culture of individual ownership will evolve, but till that time there should be concerned bodies and policies to ensure the same.

                                                                 Virtual events and family events are required to keep up the spirit and enthusiasm among co-workers.  Once the pandemic is up there should be provision for online and offline events

                                                                   From the employee side proper adherence to set standards by organizations and nature of work. Managing the individual time and priorities without impacting the team activities. They should become their own managers. Proper communications with the team. They should be responsible for taking flexible time and compensating without impacting work and team work. Leave should be carefully managed along with flexible hours.

                                                                    In terms of government sector organizations where the work from home and online services are not yet complete or partial, they may need more support to establish the same smoothly. The amount of work needed to set up a culture will vary from department to department and team to team. Some of them may need to set up online services themselves so that consumers can avail services online so that employees required in offices to support customers for such services can be reduced. All existing records need to be migrated to online for hassle-free operation. Any division operating with partial online and partial offline mode, needs to ensure proper syncing mechanisms and procedures to ensure correct records. Any offline updates should be updated online as well. So maybe in the initial period there should be a mechanism to get more work done by employees or need to manage with additional contract staff.

                                                                      It will definitely create new job opportunities in various departments and also the existing employees need training to change their working methods. Training needs to be considered as an investment rather than cost as it will be benefiting a lot in future. Compensation structure may need revision overall to accommodate new expenses like power, ac, laptop, internet etc whereas the existing components for travel and related expenses can be revisited. Proper mechanism and rosters for ensuring required staff at office also needs to be ensured for critical services.

                                                                     Any organization should plan for a hybrid culture. Education department and medical services should also ensure the same. The mix of online and offline modes should be ensured in education as well. The practical sessions and lab sessions should be done at school whereas the theory and basics can be covered online. Or in case of distance mode education, like the ones happening for higher education, virtual lab sessions need to be arranged for computer related practical work. Definitely we know the labs of medical students need to be offline itself for the benefit of the community. So, the decision of what can be done online, offline, hybrid etc need very detailed studies in background and need an action plan to start implementing at surface on priority.

                                                                       Just like now, the primary health investigations can definitely go online. But wherever there is no clarity for doctor or patient, the treatment should need at least a physical visit to ensure more accuracy and less time for treatment.

                                                                                 Also imagine the online swimming classes, online driving classes! Definitely those should as well be designed with hybrid mode. The governance should ensure the maximum reach for participants and employees in these programs through incorporation of different organizations to ensure the near access for practical sessions. Say for example, the governance team should ensure the provision of nearby facilities for practical sessions for different participants. For example, imagine the new recruitment for a KSRTC driver, it is the responsibility of the assigned station master in the assigned depot to make sure that the driver has enough experience to drive the bus safely. So, the selected persons can go to their nearby locations to complete training and get certified and if the opportunity is not there in the same location, he can be opted to work in the next available location for him. So, there is enough work on the governance model to ensure maximum quality and satisfaction.

Future!

                                                                                Future is definitely hybrid. So let us start the basic and fundamental work for the future now. The younger generation is well adapted now itself with hybrid modes of education mechanisms and the facilities and opportunities they have. Similarly, the slightly older generation may struggle initially to get used to new modes of normal. Probably they are already adjusted and learnt with the current situation. So, the employees and the service consumers who require digital access and training should be provided the same in multiple phases. I remember there were different social organizations and corporates started doing the digital awareness classes for social awareness and culture shift.

                                                                             It’s the responsibility of the mid generation to bridge the gap. We should enable the less privileged to attain new skills and evolve to a new role and also, we should ensure that maximum humane and social elements are imbibed in the younger generation for a tolerant and peaceful society. We are used to long queues and adjustments but the younger generation gets everything at their fingertips, so the tolerance level may be different, so we should make them understand the necessary adjustments and give true expectations of different levels of activities. There is no doubt that modern or developed nations face a lot of security issues due to intolerance. The shift should address those aspects as well and take necessary care to imbibe human values, tolerance and social culture as well. So, a lot of social and cultural organizations are required to set things right. So, a lot of new professions and services will emerge out of it.

                                                                       Definitely it’s the wake of the digital era, so no one can live out of it. So, whether or not work culture needs change, socially we need a culture change. So, let's adapt and embrace the culture for the future, Lets sail smoothly to a digital world without losing human touch. Organizations need to create opportunities for employees and events to ensure that they remain social as well. Like the corporates we should also enable social activities and funds to support social causes and the less privileged.

                                                                       Overall if we implement the new culture with necessary guidelines and policies the new culture shift will be very beneficial for all. It is the responsibility of the implementation team and leadership team to ensure the smooth transition to a better future and better world.

                                                                     Government has also taken necessary steps to support the hybrid work culture. They have made guidelines on the work hours and policies that need to be ensured for a work from home culture to ensure that there are necessary procedures in place so that employees cannot be exploited illegally. The steps that are taken now should be continued with the same level of enthusiasm even beyond this crisis time.

                                                      The working community should also understand the importance of culture shift and develop new personal traits and work culture or rather a social culture to remain more adaptable and resilient to changes to support a great future. We should be ready to face any future crisis like this, we can be better planned, planned with more optimism and necessary steps. We should make sure that we leave a strong learning and action plan behind us for the future generations to come and embrace the world more confidently. We know the class of working groups in private, public and government sectors contribute to economic growth, so with the new work culture I believe more people will be encouraged to work and thus overall, the same will contribute more towards the development of the nation as well.

Conclusion

                                                       In a nutshell, the future is of a hybrid work culture and we should embrace it at the earliest. The fundamental steps are done in response to COVID 19 and we created a massive shift. The same should not be diluted in any case. We should continue the right steps to make fundamentals strong and sustainable to pave way for a more flexible, resilient culture that can face any similar crisis in future without much hassles.

                                                         We know new variants are emerging continuously nowadays and hence it looks like we have to deal with it for more time. So, it is of utmost importance to have a switch on/off mode in work culture to shift between different modes as appropriate for the situation and nature of work.

                                                          We are now at a stage where businesses or work can be carried out from the office, home and in hybrid mode. I feel that is the most sustainable one for the future. We should be careful in keeping this benefit intact and confidently march towards a better world, where no crisis can impact our life or work.

                                                           Definitely, there is no “One size fit all” approach we can recommend. Each organization/corporate/department/team needs to devise their own suitable hybrid model with creative and innovative approaches to carry out their own business/work properly.

                                                             Let us not go through similar situations in future. Let’s embrace the hybrid mode of work culture and let’s lead the way for a bright future for the generations to come. Let’s pave way for more successful generations to come with all our lessons and proper culture in all fields. “Action speaks louder than Voice”. So, the IT industry is on the right path to lead the way. Let’s encourage and advertise more for the benefit of the whole society.

I, You, We... The Truth!

The day is always busy with code, calls, and commitment towards the so-called excellence but for us, it indeed grants us a minute or few to either write or read about something happening around us! The Truth! I believe truth plays a predominant role in IT and those hilarious conversations never end that easily! When I say that, I should give some examples. However, the fact is, when it comes to writing, the author takes the liberty to use a stranger for all his poor stories, so do I! I know these guys who keep mailing each other stating that the issue is at your end, and we cannot do anything from our end. Their narratives will be awesome! This happens at least once every two days, and both say the same until the 3rd or 4th email conversation. Indeed, they come up with the past evidence stating that the issue was resolved by you last time – Again, both say the same (Yeah, we are more into production support). They point out the emails, chats, and a couple of documents until the manager comes into the picture. Finally, the truth will come out in the end as most epics in the world have rightly preached!

More about truth, one of my colleagues was offered an onsite position though the traveling date was never mentioned when he put his paper. It was a verbal promise and the Covid situation was often referred to during his discussion with the manager. Will he enjoy the breeze abroad? Was that a strategy to keep him longer in the company with this unbelievable attrition rate? What is the truth? The skype chat, Mails, Client, Global travel policies, and significantly, the annoying guy who just left the country and keeps posting pictures wherever possible, all matter in this subject! Assumptions play a vital role not just inside a team, company, but very importantly in life! A proverb says, what you see, hear, is not the truth, but what you understand after a proper assessment is! What is going to happen next is what defines the trueness of what is happening now! Yes, we are living in the post-truth era!

Oxford Dictionary defines post-truth as "Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief". When I read this on Wikipedia, the first thing that came to my mind was politics. I am not talking about the ones happening inside the closed walls, but in public, Infront of thousands of people! A political leader blames a party for something which he has no evidence other than a mere allegation. Interestingly, he gets a response back from the opposition stating that it all happened only because of his party. Since we don’t have a manager here, the truth never comes out. But what survives among us is millions of tweets, tons of Facebook posts, and loads of WhatsApp messages! It’s a matter of people to either believe or not and that goes as per their personal belief, and nothing related to the truth! Again, into politics, I noticed one of my friends who likes a set of personalities and his Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp groups were filled with a certain ideology – The same I noticed with my uncle who has the same ideology. They both follow the same posts, view the same videos, and forward the same messages. They like to hear more on that topic, and they believe it’s true! The stuff they follow can even portray their character to a certain extent! And they can be categorized into a group based on their interest in social media. “Tell me who is your friend, and I will tell you who you are!” is an old proverb! “Show me the YouTube feed, and I will tell you who you are!” is the new one!

Social media platforms have taken control over other media and this generation relies more on Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp to know news and current affairs! I find Twitter funny most times! They do the same with Facebook too! For anything that happens, they post an indirect note! The simplest example is if Kerala Blasters wins an amazing match, Twitter floods with #Manjappada! People who don’t know about Kerala Blasters will never understand the meaning of it and I once again take the liberty to speak about a stranger in Kerala who doesn't exist! Imagine the same with a day-to-day issue. A guy posted a #CongratulationsBhai for a celebration a film star made and unfortunately, just minutes after the post, the film star met with an accident! His fans started harassing him thinking that he congratulated him for his accident, created memes that are still alive although he had clarified his post within a few minutes! When it comes to social media, “Once said remains always said, yeah even if the post was deleted!”. Even this statement about a guy and a film star as a whole is also part of the post-truth era – My sincere contribution!

The Post-truth era is all about believing and connecting emotions rather than analysing the truth. Social media plays a vital role in changing the mindset of people. Years ago, when newspapers were the sole source of news, we had authenticity and we have even witnessed the newspaper authorities who apologize if ever a piece of false news was published in their newspaper. Today the case is different, I sometimes feel like everyone around me is a news reporter. A guy keeps sharing forward messages which are highly unimaginable. The fake articles about covid he shared were worse than covid itself! People believe what is posted on Facebook and WhatsApp is true and never try a step to verify its legitimacy. Many YouTube channels followed by lakhs of people are more propaganda and highly biased. A YouTuber posts a video for which another YouTuber replies with another video, both explaining their views but nullifying the truth. We are all one way or the other connected to those biased feeds for which we have an emotional quotient than authenticity. I remember an old story I read when thinking about the way a message is passed via social media nowadays. How emotionally they narrate a topic just to get their benefit out of it. The story goes like this!

A guy was speaking about a dangerous chemical in front of 50 people in a hall. He urged everybody to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of that dangerous chemical! He had enough reasons with him, he said, “It can cause excessive sweating and vomiting... It is a major component in acid rain... It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state and accidental inhalation can kill you...”. He further added, “It contributes to erosion, and it also decreases the effectiveness of automobile brakes…” and finally, “It has been found in tumours of terminal cancer patients”. He asked everybody to support him for its Ban! What do you think of it? Do you go with the ban or not?

Among them, forty-three people said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was “Water”!

The same method of narration is applied to most of the social media content and interestingly whatever the guy said above is at least true but when it comes to social media, most times lies! There should be strict laws to ensure only truth is spread which may seem difficult to enact, but it’s a need of the hour. Until the government takes a solid measure, make sure not to believe everything you read on social media. Spend some time to know the truth and be responsible before sharing anything that’s not a part of your knowledge! Cheers!

The world today is addicted to social media, Facebook itself contributing millions of users in India alone. The data that gets posted and shared is so immense that the truth between truth and lies are diminishing day by day. There are many who share news and so-called 'facts' without even checking the authenticity and also act as 'WhatsApp University' professors who have an opinion that is based on their emotions and argue hard that it is the truth citing few examples that are borderline reality.

The truth is often harsh and may not always be in alignment with our personal beliefs and less appealing to the audience. Social media platforms work on data and how they get posted and shared and information has to flow more for them to generate revenue. Governments, corporate giants all want to influence the public in one way or the other that is beneficial for them that they generate or make others generate favorable posts/survey results on social media platforms. This may look very genuine at first but if we do a search on Google, we get to understand the authenticity of many facts and most of them would be getting 'fake alerts'.  People find it easy to live in their own personal beliefs and create a post truth era for themselves that they portray in different social medias as well. When many people recite/share the news, it becomes viral and attracts more people to read/watch it and gain popularity. Mostly expert and informed opinions are secondary to emotions in social media and are often criticized by those who are not aware of the situation. As users, we need to fact check and not blindly post/share news and this responsibility will help us as the first step while using social media.

Celebrities or leaders worldwide have millions of followers and even fake profiles as followers to generate a persona online. They want to show how much respected or celebrated they are but they create post truths and their followers are forced in a way or other to support them even for crimes in social media. We should think of the impact this has on our individual lives and the society before posting or supporting such people's posts. They want to generate money for them by posting their pictures on social media and we should not blindly follow them. It is time for us to be socially responsible on social media as we are the society and we are creating the future.

We have to limit overuse of social media and use it to share good and helpful posts that will benefit the society. In this era, it is hard as people want to satisfy their inborn need for validation and hence use social media for the same. It wastes our time and almost always doesn't create a real positive impact on us, but just a virtual satisfaction. We are somehow dominated by the “now or never” rule spread by social media, we need information about the world to make us feel part of it at any cost, even if in the process what we access to or receive is partial or incomplete, which is a big danger in itself. Social media customizes data and now feeds us news to match our personal likes, if you watch a cooking video, more cooking videos are shown to you and if you watch a celebrity interview, promotion posts related to their other interviews/shows start showing up which means we are being watched, our activity is tracked in the name of 'personalized and improved performance'. The rumors and speculations shared by us on social media suddenly get the status of truth just for being acknowledged by us. In the end, it doesn’t even matter whether it's true or not, what matters is that this information speaks about us and we are an active part of it as we make the social media ourselves.

The kind of posts we see basically change our thoughts to align with them and even can have an impact on world events, a good example being how Donald Trump won the US presidential elections by the influencing nature of social media in this post truth era. Social media which most people thought would advocate true democracy are in many ways manipulated and everything around is played around to make the rich richer while democracy is just a word written on paper. Instead of the want for validation online, we should believe that what we do in real life has the most impact. Social media is a two sided sword, we need caution while using it, mostly it is uncontrolled and for many an unsupervised, free world to express themselves and their beliefs.

Fake news is considered by many as the real virus these days. When a vaccination comes, there is uproar on social media that it is not effective and has not been experimented. Doctors argue over it, many post videos and reviews, some may sound very genuine to us. We need to check with a registered medical practitioner and believe in their expertise rather than falling prey to these sudden geniuses who appear online for a few minutes of fame. Many videos online are edited or enhanced and we should genuinely think about the practicality before trying to apply that in our life. Kids/teenagers should be given special attention if they are influenced/using social media. The eagerness for following the trends and viral tricks can even be life threatening and parents should caution children on the difference between reality and social media fame.

Social media can make/break events and people and now it requires changes in our laws where the spreading of false news should be controlled and contents needs to be checked for authenticity. With YouTube providing money for video/content creators, people are in a rat race for creating unique contents even if they are fake. Social media should be used only sparingly and with a thorough understanding that what we see there may not always be true. We should not be prey to the weaponization of social media.

Social media is slowly transforming into Metaverse, a digital world where reality can also be challenged and real laws will not be applicable. Metaverse, currently in news because Facebook changed its name itself to Meta emphasizing on this concept,  is a combination of virtual reality, augmented reality and video where users can literally 'live' by exploring, interacting and playing within a digital universe. This has a lot of implications and many people may use it to actually harass others or even find loopholes to commit crimes. Nobody has full or correct answers on the governance of such virtual worlds and how much chaos to expect in this post truth era itself.

Our life experiences shape us, it is our moral responsibility to never leave our integrity and use self diligence when on social media. This helps us and others and saves us from future embarrassment. What we post or share on social media/online stays forever in one form or another, even after it is deleted. We should think of securing our life and helping others rather than going on Twitter wars.