KOCHI: No religion or God was spared on Sunday when a bunch of Malayalis got together in Kochi for Litmus-22. Touted as the biggest atheist conference in the world, Litmus saw participation of around 10,000 people, said the organisers. They said atheists, scientists, academics and common people who question religions and the concept of God, took part in the event that started at 9 am. The theme this year was ‘Let evidence lead’.
“God is Harry Potter,” said C Ravichandran, one of the leading figures who has spoken out against religions. “Religion is fiction created by some. However, unlike other literary figures, these writers never admitted to writing fiction,” he said.
Litmus garnered international attention when writer and academic Richard Dawkins tweeted about it recently. The organisers said more youngsters attended this year. Among them was Suraj C S, 21. “More youngsters are questioning religion now. This year, around four to five speakers were aged under 26,” said Suraj, who discussed the topic ‘Will India become a Hindu nation?’
“Some in our country, especially Hindutva forces, wish for it to be. Some fear it. However, it will never happen any time soon, at least officially,” he said. “The RSS already believes India is a Hindu nation. However, it won’t be able to make it official as our Constitution is secular,” he said. Suraj said not all attendees were atheists. “Some are curious or doubtful. What is important is to keep the discussion going,” he told TNIE.
Askar Ali, a young ‘ex-Muslim’, spoke on the golden age of Islam in the first session. “There was a time when Islam promoted scientific thinking, philosophy and new interpretations of the Quran. However, 14th-century Islam returned to traditional beliefs. Women weren’t allowed to read or write, and studying science or philosophy was banned. This didn’t change. Muslims are paying the price for it even now,” he said.
He said though an increasing number of Muslims are questioning rigid religious rules thanks to social media, some continue to follow old practices. “My family blames me for thinking more and asking questions. They feel we are not supposed to gain more knowledge than someone who lived in the sixth century,” he said.