... in the market of miracles

Faith is a personal belief, but the future of a nation is determined by logic, evidence, research and innovation.

India's strength lies not only in its faith but also in its knowledge tradition. The problem arises not in worship, prayer, or religious belief, but when miracles are replaced by evidence and superstition by reason. Societal insecurity and uncertainty also operate behind claims of astrology, palmistry, prophecy, witchcraft, or miracles. In such times, a scientific outlook does not mean opposing religion, but rather cultivating the habit of asking questions and seeking evidence. Children must be taught to question rather than simply memorizing answers. Laboratories alongside temples, reason alongside faith, and a scientific consciousness alongside tradition are the true needs of modern India.

Today's India presents an interesting paradox. While the country is advancing in areas such as space exploration, digital technology, medicine, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence, many segments of society remain fascinated by claims of miracles, prophecy, astrology, palmistry, witchcraft, and so-called divine powers. From time to time, new religious sites, spiritual centers, and popular saints enter the spotlight. As a pilgrimage site becomes a center of devotion, the number of followers of a storyteller or saint rapidly increases. This is not just a matter of religion, but also a matter of understanding the psychological and intellectual tendencies of society.

It might be sarcastically said that new "gods" become popular here from time to time. But behind this satire lies a serious question: why do people find such an attraction to miracles and supernatural claims?

Humans are inherently curious and fearful of uncertainties. Illness, unemployment, marriage, children, exams, jobs, financial crisis, and worries about the future drive them to seek answers that offer immediate reassurance. Science often takes time to find answers to problems. In contrast, if someone claims to predict the future, explain the cause of illness, or offer a solution to a problem within minutes, a person in distress may be drawn to them. This is the psychological ground where a market for superstition is created.

In India, many people have become popular, including those who predict the future by reading palm lines, predicting marriage and career, determining life's direction based on planetary positions, and claiming miracles. Social media has further expanded this trend. Previously, a claim was heard by a limited circle of people; now, a video can reach millions of people in a matter of hours. Visual impact, emotional language, and stories of personal experiences can make a claim seem like evidence, whereas personal experience is not the same as scientific proof.

This is where the need for a scientific approach comes into play.

A scientific approach does not mean that a person should abstain from worship, visit temples, or abandon their religious beliefs. Faith is a matter of personal life, and everyone has the right to their own beliefs. However, accepting a claim about a natural phenomenon, disease, cure, or miracle based solely on faith is not a scientific approach. The scientific approach says: ask questions, look for evidence, test, and be prepared to change your beliefs if the evidence changes.

The Indian knowledge tradition itself has been filled with questions and curiosity. From Aryabhata to modern Indian scientists, our tradition has made significant contributions to mathematics, astronomy, physics, medicine, and other fields. Even today, Indian scientists and technical experts are demonstrating their capabilities worldwide. Therefore, it would not be fair to say that India is a country unfamiliar with scientific thinking. The real challenge is to ensure that scientific consciousness reaches the last person in society.

Looking at the world's technological development, technologies like GPS, Google, Microsoft, YouTube, Facebook, and artificial intelligence have been built upon years of research, experimentation, investment, and learning from failures. They were not created by claiming miracles, but by identifying problems, asking questions, experimenting, and developing solutions. Such talent exists in India as well. The question is, where are we channeling that talent?

The role of our schools is crucial here. If a child is given answers to every question simply by citing tradition, their curiosity may be limited. If they are told to ask questions, seek evidence, and investigate for themselves, that same child could become a researcher, scientist, doctor, engineer, or innovative entrepreneur in the future.

To foster a scientific consciousness, families, schools, the media, and social institutions—all must understand their roles. Instead of sensationalizing claims of miracles, the media should factually investigate them. Experiment-based education should be promoted in schools. Families should encourage children's questions rather than suppress them. Instead of immediately believing a video on social media, we must cultivate the habit of investigating its source and evidence.

It's also important to understand that superstition isn't limited to the religious sphere. Believing in rumors, assuming someone is an expert without proof, mistaking everything on social media for truth, and relying on health claims without scientific basis are all manifestations of the same problem.

India doesn't need to take away anyone's faith. What's needed is to strengthen conscience. We need a society where temples are also laboratories, prayers are also research, traditions are also questions, and faith is also respected for evidence.

Our greatest goal for the coming generation should not be the discovery of a new miracle, but the discovery of new questions. An India where children don't ask, "How did this miracle happen?", but instead have the courage to ask, "What is the evidence for this claim?"

The real progress of a nation is reflected not only in the number of its religious places but also in its schools, universities, libraries, laboratories, research institutes and innovation centres.

Have faith, but with discretion.
Have faith, but with room for questions.
Tradition should remain, but with scientific consciousness.

Because the future of a nation is not created by miracles but by knowledge, logic, research and human discretion.