Unique celebration of Darwin's birthday

Breaking away

February 12, which marks the birthday of Charles Darwin, best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory, was celebrated in a unique way in the Capital.

In a bid to highlight issues emanating from religious extremism and superstitious belief systems prevalent in India, a group of scientists and social activists held a Janta Darbar of sorts outside Shri Ram Centre.
As the scientists began the interaction, hordes of passersby joined in the discussion, initially, mostly out of curiosity.

Amitabh Pandey, the organiser of the ‘street event’, told Metrolife that given the current political climate, scientific events such as these are of extreme importance. Pandey then went on to speak about the evolutionary theory proposed by Darwin and addressed the ever growing crowd which formed a circle around him.

“One hundred and fifty years ago someone suggested that humans are animals. It took us so many years to realise that we are animals and not a moment to forget the same. We are one species among the many that exist in the world, yet we behave as the sole owners of this planet,” Pandey said.

He further said that people need to understand that ‘all of us are basically the same’.
“When this simple notion is realised, we come to respect each other as individuals and not as some caste, religion or creed,” Pandey said.

Interestingly, Inder Salim, a street artist, along with some other artists, during the course of the discussion, tried to bind the crowd together using a twine. The engrossed crowds, after realising the black thread wound all around them, began to break it in a bid to release themselves.

Salim would later tell Metrolife how the breaking of the thread is a symbolic explanation of how people deny the fact that they share the same genesis as others.

Ritesh Kumar, who was listening to a shirtless Pandey, even became agitated upon seeing the threads. Another woman accused the artists of carrying out ‘black magic’ before making a hasty exit.

There were of course, who were impacted by both Pandey’s speech and Salim’s performance.

“This definitely made me think. I was listening to the speaker when I noticed the thread and decided something fishy was happening. I almost left and then came back because I was intrigued.

I might disagree with the speaker on many front but most of the things he said made a lot of sense,” said Akhilesh.  Meanwhile artists continued to circle the group and bind them with the weak thread which people continuously attempted to tear away.