Harsha Mohan Sarma
(harshasarma183@gmail.com)
History teaches us a harsh but enduring truth: a society that humiliates its thinkers ultimately destroys its future. A careful reading of the history of civilization reveals that those who dared to seek the truth, illuminate the path of reason, and challenge accepted falsehoods were almost always met first with ridicule, hatred, humiliation, and persecution. However, with the passage of time, those very individuals emerged as the guiding lights of human civilization. This phenomenon is why it is often said that truth is first ridiculed, then fiercely opposed, and finally accepted as self-evident.
The condition of rational thinkers in today's society is strikingly similar. They strive to dispel the darkness of superstition, dismantle the walls of irrational beliefs, and bring unreason before the court of logic. In return, however, they are rewarded with suspicion, mockery, humiliation, and social ostracism. It appears that our society has learned to honour blind conformity more readily than reason itself.
A rational thinker is not necessarily anti-religion, anti-culture, or opposed to moral values. Rather, such a person believes that truth must be established through evidence rather than mere belief. Rational thinkers ask questions because knowledge cannot flourish without inquiry. Unfortunately, in many societies, questioning is viewed as an act of defiance. Those who ask "Why?" are frequently branded as rebellious, arrogant, or disrespectful. Such a mindset does not propel society forward; instead, it chains humanity to outdated and primitive modes of thought.
History offers abundant examples. Socrates encouraged the youth of Athens to think critically and question accepted ideas. His "crime" was simply that he asked questions. For his actions, he was sentenced to death by giving hemlock. With remarkable composure, he accepted the poison, embracing death without surrendering either his principles or his reason. Centuries later, the world recognized that the true crime had not been committed by Socrates but by a society that feared independent thought.
Likewise, Galileo Galilei, after observing the heavens through his telescope, declared that the Earth revolves around the Sun. His conclusion contradicted the prevailing beliefs of his time. He was put on trial and forced to recant his views. Yet the Earth never ceased orbiting the Sun, and history eventually affirmed what science had already established. Truth may be silenced temporarily, but it can never be imprisoned forever.
Our subcontinent offers equally compelling examples. Raja Rammohan Ray faced fierce hostility when he campaigned against the practice of Sati. Many branded him an enemy of religion. Similarly, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar endured relentless ridicule, insults, and public criticism for advocating widow remarriage. Yet history has honoured not those who defended regressive customs but those courageous reformers who illuminated society with the light of reason.
Today, the form of persecution has changed. Public executions are no longer necessary; instead, social media has become a courtroom where individuals are swiftly judged and condemned. Anyone expressing a reasoned opinion often faces personal attacks, slander, ridicule, abusive comments, and orchestrated misinformation. When arguments fail, character assassination becomes the weapon of choice. In this digital cacophony, falsehood often drowns out the truth. Public judgement becomes clouded, and critical thinking is frozen under the weight of prejudice.
The root of this tendency lies in intellectual inertia. Many mistake belief for truth and struggle to distinguish facts from assumptions. Scientific thinking, however, follows the opposite path. Science never begins with belief and proceeds toward truth; it begins with evidence and arrives at truth. The absence of this fundamental understanding has intensified hostility toward rational thinkers.
When does a society become weak and lose its capacity for progress? It happens when questioning is feared and new ideas are rejected without thoughtful examination. A family that tells its children, "Don't ask too many questions," a school that values rote memorisation over critical thinking, and a society that confuses disagreement with enmity all gradually lose their creative vitality. Just as stagnant water eventually becomes polluted, a society deprived of reason gradually decays through intellectual stagnation.
In reality, rational thinkers do not destroy society; they merely hold up a mirror to it. If a person sees blemishes on their face in a mirror and chooses to smash it, the blemishes do not disappear. The sensible response is to cleanse the face, not break the mirror. Rational thinkers perform the same function. They expose society's flaws, hypocrisies, and inconsistencies. However, instead of correcting those flaws, society often chooses to attack and insult those who reveal them.
The true beauty of democracy lies not in unanimous agreement but in respecting differences of opinion. Reason deserves to be answered with reason, not with abuse. Insults have never established truth. Every era of history shows that while forces seeking to suppress reason may achieve temporary victories, they ultimately face defeat. Today we live in an age of artificial intelligence, space exploration, genetic engineering, and digital technology. If we continue to ridicule those who question established beliefs or think rationally, it reflects not merely a failure of education but a weakness of culture and a crisis of civilization itself. Academic degrees alone do not constitute genuine education; true education is reflected in one's ability to respect reason. One's ability to respect reason, not just academic degrees, reflects genuine education. in one's ability to respect reason.
To insult a rational thinker is not merely to insult an individual. It is to insult knowledge, science, humanity, and the future itself. The court of history has never honoured those who silenced reason; it has honoured those who stood courageously on the side of truth.
Therefore, if we aspire to build a healthy and progressive society, we must learn to respect the diversity of opinion, welcome questions instead of fearing them, and recognise reason not as an enemy but as civilisation's most faithful companion. A nation that seeks to silence its rational voices ultimately condemns its future to stagnation. Conversely, a nation that keeps the lamp of reason burning never allows its civilization to descend into darkness.
"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." - Voltaire.