Superstitious? come here & make money

Colonialists had much to say about India being the land of superstition and whatnot. It served their purpose to invest in stereotypes of all sorts, of course. But a few events even now can make some of us pause and wonder about where we stand on the rational stuff.

But faith, actually, isn't always a driver: often, superstitious stuff can lie beyond the domain of religious belief, while yet seeking sanction from it. Perhaps it's just the fear of the unknown that's led to superstitious cults, practices and quirks in almost all parts of our modern world in one form or the other.

But superstition in India can also be good business. Some villages in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, for example, are already celebrating Diwali and making a brisk business of festivities and rituals.

Shopping is on, purchases are brisk and reports say even people who used to be idle this time of the year are earning money. This, because rumour has it that anyone not doing so will face a calamity and/or lose an eldest son. Part of the rumour says a deity asked people to do this.

Whatever the cause, this, actually, might not be a bad idea to practice during these economically brow-furrowing times and can, potentially, flummox all those market doomsayers. The world may yet learn one more lesson from us: superstition as an economy-stimulant!