Skip to main content

Recalling 1995, when Gujarat chief minister justified Ganesha 'drinks milk' superstition

By Rajiv Shah 
An interesting story in The Wire” on how the Sangh Parivar had “organized” the 1995 Ganesha milk miracle and why the plan flopped” a quarter of a century ago took my memory down the lane back to September 21, 1995, the day I began seeing long queues in Ahmedabad with people trying to “feed” Ganesha idols with milk in small and big temples, mysteriously wondering how the Lord was “drinking away” all the milk they were feeding. The queues must have continued for at least a week. 
I didn’t stand in any of the queues, but surely I found that many of my relatives, inimical in standing in queues, buying up Ganesha idols from the market telling me how they were “surprised” by the mysterious disappearance of the milk. While I don’t want to endorse or deny whether it was a Sangh Parivar plot, or if it flopped, what I surely remember how the then chief minister of Gujarat, Keshubhai Patel, went on to endorse the “miracle”. He said, “Haa… Bhagwan Ganesh doodh pive chche” (of course, Lord Ganesha does drink milk).
If I remember correctly, while the so-called miracle continued for a few days, yet, surprisingly, no organization – let alone politicians in the opposition from the Congress – came forward to point towards why it was a mere superstition. A seasoned politician, Keshubhai Patel, of course, was (and is – he is 90 plus now) not well-educated. But why others in the BJP who claim to be following some kind of scientific temper refused to expose the superstition.
Bewildered, I, with my family, decided to visit the residence of an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist, Abhijit Sarkar, whom I was then in close touch with – he lived not very far away from where we lived then. This scientist sat next to his young daughter, with mine – studying in the fifth standard in a very ordinary school – curiously looking at this scientist to see what he had to say.
The scientist brought a doll with which his daughter would play to demonstrate how it “drank away” all the water fed to her! He explained what the author of “The Wire”, P Raman, also states in order to suggest why the Ganesha idols were “drinking away” all the milk offered to them. According to Raman, “The first to demystify it was T Jayaraman of the Institute of Mathematical Studies. He showed that the phenomenon was a play of surface tension and capillary action.”
Raman also quotes Indian Rationalist Association president Sanal Edamaruku to say that “showed close-ups of idols to explain how milk coated the idol, collected at the pedestal and flowed into the gutter”. Then, “Another scientist said idols made of Mahabalipuram stone accepted milk more easily than those made of Orissa stone.” Further, “India Today” quoted psychologist Udayan Patel: “The point at which the milk disappeared is the point when the mind ceased to function.”
My interaction with BJP leaders, during my stint in Gandhinagar as the “Times of India” man, suggested that while many of them, like Keshubhai Patel, were not above board insofar as superstition was concerned, there have been those who do not believe in it any way. Take for instance Anandiben Patel. As education minister under Keshubhai Patel, and a Narendra Modi protégé, she told me once that solar eclipse should become an event for children to see and explore the phenomenon in space, and superstition around it needs to e exposed.
It’s another thing that, while they may not believe in superstition, they have a very poor understanding science. Take our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for instance. Addressing Indian Forest Service (IFS) officials once in Gujarat as chief minister he talked of how the snake sips milk, with most IFS officials smiling at his ignorance. Instances on how he confuses science with some mythical events galore, and one can find several examples about it on the web.
However, I am still at a loss to understand why Congress leaders, who call themselves followers of Nehru-Gandhi ideology, don’t care to oppose superstition. “The Wire” reports how Sitaram Kesri, a minister in the then Narasimha Rao government, quoted internal reports to say that a temple in Jhandewalan Park near the RSS headquarters in Delhi was the “epicentre of the miracle”, and it was a “BJP ploy to gain votes in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections by spreading false rumours.”
However, I don’t recall either Rao or Kesri calling it superstition plain and simple. As for the leaders in Gujarat, less said the better. To them, Nehru and Gandhi, who opposed superstition, even today are less important than the Sonia Gandhi family. They don’t even recall the great contribution of Nehru to promote scientific temper in India, including setting up major scientific institutions like ISRO.

Comments

Unknown said…
India on Way to become RSS Ideology Dominated HINDU RASHTRA. I am Babubhai Vaghela from Ahmedabad. Thanks.

TRENDING

Junk food push causing severe public health crisis of obesity, diabetes in India: Report

By Rajiv Shah  A new report , “The Junk Push: Rising Consumption of Ultra-processed foods in India- Policy, Politics and Reality”, public health experts, consumers groups, lawyers, youth and patient groups, has called upon the Government of India to check the soaring consumption of High Fat Sugar or Salt (HFSS) foods or ultra-processed foods (UPF), popularly called junk food.

Astonishing? Violating its own policy, Barclays 'refinanced' Adani Group's $8 billion bonds

By Rajiv Shah  A new report released by two global NGOs, BankTrack and the Toxic Bonds Network, has claimed to have come up with “a disquieting truth”: that Barclays, a financial heavyweight with a “controversial” track record, is deeply entrenched in a “disturbing” alliance with “the Indian conglomerate and coal miner Adani Group.”

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Jharkhand: Attempt to create red scare for 'brutal crackdown', increase loot of resources

Counterview Desk  The civil rights group Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization in a statement on plans to crackdown on “64 democratic progressive organisations” in Jharkhand under the pretext of the need to investigate their Maoist link, has alleged that this an attempt to suppress dissent against corporate loot and create an authoritarian state.

Victim of 'hazardous' jobs, Delhi sanitary workers get two thirds of minimum wages

By Sanjeev Kumar*  Recently, the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) organized a Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop for sewer workers and waste pickers from all across Delhi NCR. The workshop focused on bringing sanitation workers from different parts of Delhi to train them for organization building and to discuss their issues of minimum wage, contractual labour, regular jobs and social security.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.