Author: Kausik Gangopadhyay

One of the popular atheist bloggers who was grievously wounded in an assassination attempt by the Islamic fundamentalists, Sunnyur Rahman, now lives in Delhi, India. He is a rationalist atheist activist from Bangladesh and an author of many popular Bengali books apart from being a talented cartoonist, graphic artist, and lyricist. He fearlessly raises critical questions and exposes the exploitation through religious propaganda. His skepticism has invited violent fundamentalism upon himself but that has not discouraged him as revealed in the scintillating discussion with Poulami and Kausik Gangopadhyay. Some excerpts are presented below.  You were born in a Muslim family.…

Dharma is an age old tradition with an unmistaken element of diversity unlike any other ancient or modern civilisation. Quintessentially, dharma is the scientific investigation of human psyche by human beings for human beings. While dharma is experiential, the doctrines associated with dharma can be marked by the explicit focus on Satya and Ahimsa. Mistranslation of Dharma as Religion Often dharma is translated as religion in the absence of a proper synonym in English. This has been challenged by many scholars. Prof. S.N. Balagangadhara, an insider to the western academia, pointed out this “non-religious” construct of the Dharma tradition. In…

Dharma Tradition is Indic[1] Nationalism Dharma tradition, one of the oldest social systems, has its own socio-political narrative. This narrative can, arguably, be identified with Indian nationalism which, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, was founded upon principles of Dharma. For instance, Sri Aurobindo[i]—in his Uttarpara speech in 1909—explained this connection:  When you go forth, speak to your nation always this word, that it is for the Sanatan Dharma that they arise, it is for the world and not for themselves that they arise. I am giving them freedom for the service of the world. When therefore it…

Acknowledgement: I sincerely thank Kaal Chiron (twitter handle @Kal_Chiron) for his inputs.  Dharma could be defined[i] as the documented scientific path, which facilitates man’s progress to Absoluteness that is rooted in his True Self. The long-term peace of our mind is ensured if we move on the path to Absoluteness. Dharma can, therefore, also be called the ‘science’ of attaining peace. The use of the word science here may be puzzling for some, which has precisely been used to mark its distinction from a ‘faith’, the word that is typically used to describe a religion. The heart and soul of…