An analyis of Arun Shourie's interview on his new book

I just finished watching an interview of Arun Shourie with Sagarika Ghosh on CNN-IBN Live on his new book "Does He know a Mother's Heart?"(How suffering refutes religion). I have always been a great admirer of Arun Shourie from the time when he was the executive editor of Indian Express - a man of integrity, fearlessness, dignity, honour and truth. I followed almost all of his interviews that were uploaded on youtube. This interview definitely shows a different dimension to his thought process and compels us to think about the existence of God. This book takes us to the journey of his son, Aditya, who is suffering from cerebral palsy for many years and wife Anita, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, leading him to ask, "How can there be extreme suffering if God exists?" He is trying to find his answers through the study of different scriptures and religion and come to his own conclusion. He looks at the concept of God as preached by various faiths from time immemorial, questions them, and concludes that God is just a creation of human thought invented out of fear for the unknown.  Likewise, I am trying to find out my own answer to this question.

I haven't yet read the book, but Mr. Shourie, in his interview says  that in Hinduism we rely completely on God. I differ from him here. We believe that God is compassionate and kind but we don't have to sit and rely on an external object to do some miracle. (It is not that miracles don't happen). Action and karma are the key factors to understand life. If you read the Gita or the complete works of Swami Vivekananda, they have never said that we will not suffer.. Suffering is a part of human life. Religious philosophies give us an understanding to endure those sufferings. If we look at our mythological stories, each and every God-incarnate, be it Prahlad, Jesus Christ , Raja Harishchandra, even Rama had to suffer immensely but they continued to have faith in God.

At one place, Sagarika says, "So you are coming back again and again to the self, to the individual, to the mind, power of the individual to transcend his suffering or to deal with it?" Doesn't this sound familiar? In Vedantic philosophy, I have learnt about self-realization to find God within by empowering oneself with knowledge and faith.

Mr. Shourie further says ," what is the explanation  that they (scriptures) give for such acute suffering of innocent and good people?" When God bestowed His blessings upon him, because of which he earned name, respect, fame, success and prosperity, why then did he not question  God? Why then did he not write a book praising God? When life seems to be good and rosy, we do not question the existence of God. We do not ask  Him, "why have you given so much to me and not to others?" Because we think we deserve it. But so do others. At that time why does our heart not feel the pain and anguish on such disparity of God? For example, when we go for an interview and amongst thousands one gets selected and others do not we attribute the success to ourselves, to our education and intelligence. But is it really the case? How does the interviewer know that you are the right person for that job?  Other candidates must be having the same or more credentials in their hat as well, and yet, you get the opportunity. It is because you are destined to have the success of that kind, at that time.

I know we do not have a ready answer always to people's plight, natural calamities, war, accidental or sudden death. At that time we only can pray,

"God grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference."

I myself am looking forward to read the book as it seems interesting and forthright . . The question that he is asking is what we keep on asking time and again. "why do good people suffer when the wicked and corrupt live perfectly happy lives?"