Political use of religion hurts science: Yechury

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury has said that misuse of religious sentiments for political gain is the biggest barrier in the development of science in the country.

He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Science and Secularism' organised by the All India People's Science Congress here on Saturday.

“Unlike common belief, science is not against religion but it is against the conditioning of the human consciousness which became more and more dependent on religion,” Mr. Yechury said.

Communalism

He said communal forces in the country were trying to mix philosophy with theology and mythology with history. “They prevent development of science in an attempt to maintain their domination over people,” Mr. Yechury said.

One form of class conflict that was going on was between those who tried to bring the fruits of scientific inventions for the benefit of masses and those who wanted to commodify science and research findings, Mr. Yechury said.

Criticises Centre

“India's secular democracy is a sham. Only an elite class is enjoying the democratic and secular rights.” Mr. Yechury said the Union government's stand against a joint parliamentary committee investigation into the 2G spectrum row was demeaning to Indian democracy.

C.P. Rajendran of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, public health activist B. Ekbal, All India People's Science Congress president C.P. Narayanan, general secretary Amit Sen Gupta, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad president Kavumbayi Balakrishnan and others spoke.

The seminar was organised as a prelude to the five-day All India People's Science Congress to be held in Thrissur from December 27.

(Source : The Hindu)