Of superstitions and Traditions

FM radio is my only source of distraction during my commute to work and back. Something to keep me sane lest the traffic and the driving skills of fellow commuters drive me crazy. Yet, FM itself drives me crazy sometimes. We have 8 FM channels, so at any given point, the probability that one of them is playing a song I like is pretty good. Yet, it routinely happens that every channel is running an ad or their RJs are blabbering away to glory. And sometimes the trash spewed out by these RJs gets to my nerves.

Like today, for example, every RJ was extolling the virtues and traditions of Rakhi. Listeners can win gifts for calling in and sharing their memorable Rakhi experiences. Even celebrities were interviewed to throw light on this great tradition of bonding among siblings. Some RJs had tied Rakhis to government servants as a token of gratitude and love for keeping the city going. I don’t know the exact genesis of the ritual, or its symbolic meaning, but I am sure it is in the lines of the protective band on the brother’s wrist warding off evils, or even better, the sister taking on harm that was otherwise intended for the brother. This is undoubtedly a big event in many Indian families, and its fine to maintain that tradition.

But the same RJs were making mockery of the rituals we perform during an eclipse. That throwing away all food before the eclipse was blind faith. That asking pregnant women not to venture out was being superstitious. RJ after RJ was shunning these superstitions and proclaiming to be free of blind faith.

I wonder where tradition ends and superstition starts. Too much to expect the RJs to know this. If they had better IQs they wouldn’t be making a fool of themselves on radio.