Protecting freedoms

A secular society is based upon the principle that the State shall not promote or demote any one religion in relation to the other. Secular societies also allow their citizens to practice any religion of their choice. The right to freedom to practice religion falls from the freedom of speech and expression, which is the paramount freedom. However, though the State cannot promote promote one religion or prohibit another, the question is can its citizens do the same. The freedom of religion is based upon the idea that each individual can peacefully practice the religion of his choice or not follow any religion at all. However, the freedom to practice religion has been extended to discriminate against the adherent of other beliefs. Prohibiting the use of contraceptives by employees as it is against the employer's religion or discriminating against LGBT individuals because of the same, are some of the common examples how citizens are using their freedom of religion to discriminate against anyone who does not fall in the same group as them. The 'do no harm' law is an attempt to bring the freedom of religion to the level where it was originally intended to be, the right to practice religion freely without harming the rights of others. In a free society, one person's rights are another person's duty but those rights also cease to exist the moment they start damaging another person's rights. Therefore, the law to prevent religious discrimination would be a much awaited step towards attaining the freedoms that everyone in a free nation should possess.

Free speech in educational institutions

Free speech is the basic human right on which every other freedom is dependent. Without the freedom to express oneself, an individual cannot claim any other right. Educational institutions catering to students belonging to a diverse background have a duty to protect the freedom of speech on campus. In order to be inclusive, institutions need to be able to address the problems and issues pertaining to a particular group. Whether it is gender identity or ethnicity or race or disability, students belonging to every category have aright to express their needs and speak up against their violations. Any form of interference by the outside elements in the exercise of this freedom should not be tolerated by institutions in a free country which claims to be a protector and guardian of human rights. Once the freedom to express themselves and demand their rights is taken away from a group of individuals, it does not take long to take away their remaining rights. Freedom to speak up is the sole guarantee that their other rights are safe and protected. Therefore, institutions should take every possible step to protect the right to free speech and establish permanent committees to look into any incidents of violations. By protecting the fundamental freedoms of students, the institute can truly claim to be inclusive and open to all irrespective of their differences.

Science and pseudoscience

Science and mythology have no common base. Pseudoscience based upon mythology, superstitions, false beliefs and no real facts has no place in a society trying to make scientific progress. Scientific method involves making hypothesis, experimenting to prove and disprove it, forming theories based on experimental proofs and being open to scrutiny. Pseudoscience, therefore holds no place in a scientific gathering. Thus, when at a science conference, politicians made claims of 'scientific advances' inferred from mythology, then it makes no sense. Individuals should, therefore, abstain from making claims about science that are not based on any experimental evidence but are just figment of imagination.

A fight for equality

Gender equality or the fight for gender equality is an issue that is not taken seriously by the majority of people. Not only it is ignored but it is misunderstood as well. Gender equality means the right to be treated an equal in all spheres of social, cultural, professional or political life. Even in the twenty first century, women do not have equal rights over land or possessions, they are still not paid equal wages for equal work, they still do not get priority in education or health care, they still do not have an equal political voice. The result is that they have to fight for their rights and they continue to do so. Recently, women in Kerala formed a 620 km long human chain to stand up for equality in the religious sphere. Despite the court order, the women are still barred from entering a temple. But the issue is not of just one religious place barring entry of women, this discrimination is present across the world. Discrimination against women is actually discrimination against almost half the world. It has been a fact that cultures that do not discriminate against women have a better future. Studies suggest that the world hunger could be reduced if only women get an equal right over land ownership. Educated mothers bring up better children. Yet, the society bars them from the rights that they have. Gender equality is a right, it is not a privilege. Striving for the same could lead to a more peaceful and progressive future.

Lingering memories

Life is full of memories, sometimes of those people who have ceased to be part of our existence. Sometimes we wish for the people from our past to return but many times time and distance makes it impossible. I still remember friend I had when I had just started school. We were five year olds and were very close. But our friendship didn't last long as her family relocated to Bombay. Time passed and I even forgot her name but still thirty years later, I still remember my friend who was with me for just a couple of weeks. I often wondered if I can find out something about her from the school records but I know that she wouldn't remember me. In the years that passed, I met many people and made many friends some that have been with me for decades now, but still somewhere in my heart, I feel a desire to meet my childhood friend who was also my first friend that my mind recalls.

Winter mornings and Sherlock Holmes

The cold winter mornings with snow outside mean one simple thing: one cannot go out. They mean sitting inside, eating, drinking and not doing much else. But two things make a good pastime during such cold dreary times: board games and books. While games of any kind require company, books do not. And I personally love to read detective stories during such time. Of all the works on crime fiction, the most interesting and befitting one seems to be the stories of Sherlock Holmes. There is something about the atmosphere in the stories that matches with that outside and one of the most interesting things seems to be curling up and devouring those words that describe the fantastic crimes, though easily solved by the great mind of the detective. I have read these stories innumerable times, yet don't feel exhausted at the thought of re-reading them, especially when it is all white and grey outside and the stories just reflect the same back.

Genetic engineering

Researchers in China have recently claimed that they have led to the birth of first genetically modified twin girls. They claim that the girls carry genome that has been modified to protect them from HIV infection. However, they have not published their work in any peer evaluated journal or even revealed the identities of the twins or their parents. The genetic modification of human embryos is highly regulated in all countries and genetically modified human embryos are not allowed to grow and be implanted. The long term effects of modifying the human genome are unknown and the potential risks of the same outweigh any advantage of the same. The ethics regarding the modification of human babies is enormous and the scientists avoid entering into it. There are issues regarding taking consent of the donors and also the potential harmful traits that can be transmitted to future generations of the genetically modified babies. The claims made by the Chinese researchers need to be assessed before anything can be said about the genetic modification of human foetuses for eradication of diseases.