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Kolkata: In a climate of escalating religious polarisation across India, a counter-movement is gaining ground in West Bengal, where hundreds are uniting under the banner of atheism to champion rationalism, scientific temper, and constitutional rights.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, approximately 500 people from diverse walks of life, who describe themselves as atheists and rationalists, gathered in Kolkata for a conference, marking a significant consolidation of non-religious thought in the state.<\/p>\n
This assembly was organised by the Atheist Forum, a platform launched in Nabadwip (incidentally, the birthplace of Gaudiya Vaishnavism-founder Chaitanya) that is now establishing a regional presence in six additional districts, with thousands across the state reportedly embracing the atheist worldview.<\/p>\n
\u201cSupport for atheism is growing daily,\u201d said Pratap Chandra Das, the Forum\u2019s central secretary. \u201cThe fates of people like Gauri Lankesh, Narendra Dabholkar, M.M. Kalburgi, and Govind Pansare have made young people question religious authority. We knew the task was tough, but fear and despair won\u2019t help.\u201d<\/p>\n
The conference drew a diverse crowd, ranging from staunch atheists to skeptics. Speakers included students, teachers, professionals, and homemakers. Many shared stories of turning away from religious orthodoxy.<\/p>\n
Sumita Basu, a homemaker, said, \u201cI\u2019m not comfortable with the current social atmosphere \u2013 it doesn\u2019t align with my thinking. That\u2019s why I came here after hearing about the movement. Being an atheist doesn\u2019t mean disrespecting any religion. It\u2019s about being open-minded and free-thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ideas of people like Derozio, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Raja Rammohan Roy, and Jagadish Chandra Bose are being erased from school curricula. Religious content is replacing the lessons of Bengal\u2019s renaissance. Children are being deprived of scientific temper and environmental awareness,\u201d shared another women in attendance who identified herself as Mousumi.<\/p>\n
The atheist movement, which began with a mass rally in Nabadwip, has since held district conferences in Krishnanagar (Nadia) and Barasat (North 24 Parganas). The Kolkata event established the city\u2019s first district committee and launched a membership drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cReligion is now being used to suppress all burning issues and legitimate demands, hence the growing importance of atheism,\u201d explained economist Subhendu Dasgupta, one of the main organisers of the conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kolkata: In a climate of escalating religious polarisation across India, a counter-movement is gaining ground in West Bengal, where hundreds are uniting under the banner of atheism to champion rationalism, scientific temper, and constitutional rights. According to Kashmir Media Service, approximately 500 people from diverse walks of life, who describe themselves as atheists and rationalists, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":187452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t