It is an airport in a foreign country. It is very cool and chilly. It is over nine in the morning. The passengers are waiting there for next flight which is expected after six hours at about three in the afternoon.

There are doctors, professors, international journalists, businessmen, industrialists, scientists and such intellectual class belonging to various and different countries. They all sat on the chairs and benches in the green and flowery park at the airport enjoying the warmth of the bright sun.

The journalists and some others began to share their views on some issues. I had the opportunity of listening to them.

" How could a religion form democracy in Afghanistan?"

" When the religions took birth in the ancient times, the word democracy was not born!"

" All religions were born as social code of conduct to ensure peaceful and harmonious social living for all the people."

" When religion itself sheds terrorism and blood, what it could be?!"

" It could be bloodshed only! It could not be religion at all!"

" No doubt, Bloodshed took place to end despotic kingly rule to form democracies. How it will be possible in the present times for the religion to form democracy?! All religions are outdated!"

" They form religion only, not democracy!"

" Do you think that the political leaders do not know that there always exists rivalry and enmity between religion and democracy?!"

" Then, what?!"

" The history says that religions were used to build unity amongst the people to achieve freedom and independence. They were used for their protection from their enemies. The religions had the strength of building UNITY amongst the people to achieve their objectives."

" When the objective is achieved , it should be used only to serve the objectives of peace and harmony for which it was born modified and modernized to meet the modern needs of the people. It settles as traditions and culture in the flow of times!"

" Is it so easy? Will it transform so as modern?"

" It formed in India and it developed as political and social culture of Secularism, all religions respecting each other's beliefs fairly and friendly by the people under Gandhian thoughts. The religions are deep rooted and not so easy to eradicate or annihilate them"

" If that does not take place, what it will be?!"

" Religion rules! No democracy!"

 

" All religions are outdated. All religions were born as social code of conduct for peaceful and harmonious social living of the people. Those religious codes were made in ancient times thousands of years ago. How do they apply in the modern times?"

"Did any religion anywhere achieve the peace and harmony?!

"History says 'No' "

"Why?! Then what for they are needed in the modern ages?!"

"People want it and follow everywhere. It is the politicians and the religion leaders who were and who are misusing religions in their vested interests and creating hatreds and bloodshed"

"The enemies of peace and harmony are identified!"

"Then why should people keep silent?!"

"Questioning is easy, but answering is very difficult!"

"That is why we are talking about it!"

"They are deep rooted. The people's beliefs are also deep rooted. The progressive and advanced people call them blind beliefs. Yet, most of the people believe and follow them. This is encased by the politicians and religion leaders for their vested interests. It is my observation"

"It is true, yes, it is true!"

"The best way I think is the philosophy of Secularism, that is, respecting each other's faith and belief "

"It is true, but in such a situation, the misuse of the faiths and beliefs continue and more perpetuate!"

"It is known for all that the misuse should be controlled and avoided. But, then , how to do it! What is the solution? You may say awareness should be created amongst the people to avoid the misuse! That is not so easy and so possible! Decades and centuries of experiences proved it?"

"Then, what is the solution?!"

"On one side, the fact is that people follow it. The other side, there is misuse by the vested interests. The experiences show that creating awareness amongst the people to control misuse did not do well! These are the main facts of the issue to find a solution!"

"It is true! On one side, the faiths and beliefs are creating hatreds and bloodshed! On the other side they are terribly hampering the advancements of economic developments and intensifying the poverty! This is the sorry and worrying state! Then, what is the solution?!"

"We all and the experienced intellectuals and scientists should think over the issue and find out a solution. There is no issue that has no solution!"

 

"The religious beliefs and practices have settled as part of the people's living. They can not be uprooted. The vested interests misuse them. That is also not possible to control and avoid. The religious faiths and the practices are fundamental rights of the people. Hence, no act could be made to abolish them. The vested interests by misuse create hatreds and bloodshed amongst the religions. The misuse can not be avoided. Under these circumstances, the religions are harmful in several ways. These facts are before our naked eyes. The politicians and religion leaders are identified as misusing them in their vested interests.. Then, what is the solution? It is easy to say that there is no issue which has no solution. That is true! Then, what is that solution?!"

"Religions are opium which are highly addictive narcotic drug. The people are made addicts to it. That is why they can not be uprooted."

"Yes, they are created to make people addicts. Who created them and what for?"

"The rulers created them to continue and perpetuate their despotic rule to make the people submissive, obedient and faithful so that they can not agitate and revolt against their despotic rule for freedom and their rights."

"Yes, it applies to all religions without any exception."

"The history shows that they always supported the rulers. The rulers say that they are created for peace and harmony for the people. But, the religions never did it! If people are silenced as addicts of religions, yes, there prevails peace and harmony to the benefits of the rulers!"

"The religions can not be taken simply and merely as religions! They have deep histories! It is a great weapon in the hands of the rulers to serve their vested interests!"

"There is a wrong opinion in the minds of the people that a particular caste in India created the religions being creators and leaders of the religion! It is wholly a misunderstanding created by certain vested interests."

"Who created them and why?"

"It is an historical truth that the rulers in their vested interests created them too! They were employed by the rulers and they were servants of the rulers only. Even in democracy, they were and are employed as servants by the government only to perform religion duties! If at all anyone says that a particular caste only created, the religions would not have been so deep rooted making people so gravely addicted! They would have died long back to the good of the people!. How history was misinterpreted by the vested interests keeping aside the facts and truths! It is the historical truth that the British used castes and religions as great weapons to build disunity amongst the people to make National movements fail and collapse. It is doubtlessly clear that the castes and religions were not created by a particular caste or castes and they were built by the ruling political powers only in their vested interests.

Such wrong opinions and wrong and misleading beliefs were created by some vested interests."

"Yes, it is true. Yes, it is true history."

"It is the British, the Imperialistic terrorists and racists who enslaved Indians, chained them and took them by force to other countries and used them as scavengers and for mean Labour works. Then, who made different people to perform different duties?! Was it not rulers?!"

" we all agree. It is the true history."

 

"The history proves that religions never worked for the peace and harmony of the people."

"What?! How?!"

" when Indian, the Akhand Bharat's parts of the Nation were illegally occupied by Muslim forces with terrorism and bloodshed, their religion never condemned it. It supported their terrorism."

"Not only that, when the British terrorism illegally occupied the Whole Akhand Bharat part by part with bloodshed, their religion, that is Christianity never condemned it. Further, it began attack on Indian culture and supported their suppression, torture, looting of Indian wealth and bloodshed."

"When the British imperialistic terrorism enslaved the Indians, chained them and by force transported them to other countries and used them for scavenging and such mean and hateful works, the religion never condemned it"

"The food grains produced in India were exported to other countries for their business benefits. It led to deaths of lakhs of Indians and crores of Indian hunger sufferers. Their Christianity never condemned it."

"They jailed and killed countless Indians who fought for freedom with non-violent satyagraha movement and made Indian blood flow in rivers during their rule of 190 years. Their religion never condemned it"

"Yes, it is the true history. Then, what for religions are needed when they could not or did not afford peace and harmony for the people?!"

"They always serve the vested interests of the rulers who gave birth to them!"

 

"The religions did not condemn the wars that took place world over!"

"It is true! The Vietnam war began in 1954. There was active involvement of the United States of America in the war"

"Yes, it was a war between the communist government of North Vietnam and South Vietnam and it's principal ally, America"

"It was a war between two political ideologies, communism and capitalism"

"Yes, the war intensified the ongoing cold war between America and the Soviet Union. China also supported North Vietnam"

"True, 3 million people were killed and left Vietnam people suffering from various diseases."

"Yes, American president, Richard Nixon ordered the withdrawal of the American forces in 1973."

"Yes, the Vietnam communist forces ended the war seizing control of South Vietnam in 1975. The country was unified as Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976 "

"Some experts opined that it was a defeat of America involving wastage of $ 843.63 billions. The war continued for 17 years and 9 months."

"Some opined that it was a success of communism over capitalism!"

"The religions did not or could not do anything for the peace and harmony of the people!"

"Then, what for the religions are needed?! For superstitions and blind beliefs?!"

 

" The American war in Afghanistan lasted for twenty years. It ended on the last day of August, 2021.It placed before the world many questions, lessons and challenges"

"Yes, It is expected that it would bring over many new political strategies and transformations in political friendships and enemities all over the world"

"Who are Taliban?"

"The Taliban emerged as ruling power after withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989. They vowed to fight corruption and improve security and also followed an austere form of Islam. By 1998,they had taken control of almost all of the country."

"Why and how did the war begin?"

"Yes, The war started in the weeks after 9/11 terrorist attacks twenty years ago in 2001 in America. American president George W.Bush vowed - to win the war against terrorism"

"True, Osama bin Laden was the mastermind of the attack. He founded Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in 1980. The war started to disrupt Al-Queda and capture or kill Osama bin Laden"

"In Afghanistan, there were not only Taliban, there were people of Afghanistan and people belonging to many countries. In such a situation, did the war not disrupt the lives of such civilians, the innocent people? To take revenge on the terrorists, how the people's lives could be disrupted? Even the laymen question it!"

"The supreme power of the world did it! Who would care for such questions?!"

"Yes, death toll is estimated to be in many tens of thousands. The number of people wounded or became sick due to the war is yet to be known. Lakhs of people migrated for shelter to neighboring and other countries leaving their properties. Many such disruptions took place for the innocent and helpless people."

"An alternative Afghanistan government was set up. The war between the American forces an the Taliban continued for 20 years. It was said that if the Taliban return to power, it would derail the global war on terrorism"

 

"The America made the war for 20 years to kill Osama bin Laden, to end Al-Queda, to ensure that the Taliban never come to power again and made it a world war against global terrorism."

"Yes, but did the America achieve them?!"

"Yes, they killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 in Pakistan after ten years of the war!"

"Did they end Al-Queda?!"

"No! It spread to some other parts of the world and grew stronger many times!"

"Did they ensure that Taliban never come to power again?!"

"No! Taliban came to power in August 2021!"

"What about the world war on global terrorism?!"

"It led to rise and growth of global terrorism in many parts of the world with many terrorist foundations!"

"Then, what was achieved by America?!"

"Nothing except disruption of the people's lives with heavy costs!"

"It is the common people's understanding! That is all!"

"What do you mean ?!"

"The world's supreme power has its own political strategies which we do not know! These are the opinions without knowledge of their political strategies! "

"Yes, it is better to stop our conversations at this point!"

"Could Taliban form democracy"

"No! A religion could not form democracy! Taliban's earlier rule proves it"

"Did or could the religion condemn the war?! Could it provide peace and harmony to the people?!"

"No! Then what for religions are needed?!"

"I have a solution for the issue of religions!"

"Surprise! What is that?!"

"The old generations could not find the solution because they were addicted to religions in one way or other!"

"You mean that new generations will find a solution to the issue!"

"Yes, they are already on the way of finding the solution!"

"How?!"

"They have developed reason in their thoughts and social living and are going ahead fast with advanced knowledge of sciences and terminologies! They form a new world and new and true democracies with economic development and welfare"

"Thank you for your solution!"

The coolness began to grow hot. They all thanked each other with friendly smiling faces and went to their rest rooms.

I had the opportunity of listening to the conversations of the protagonists.