Yet another post documenting a Nirmukta (Bangalore Free Thinkers) Meet. As the title suggests this meeting was about how to move on from online activism and discussions over coffee to a real world impact. This was about acting on the ideas we discussed over the past few months. No action was taken at this meeting as well. This time however the whole purpose was to discuss on a plan of action for 23rd March which is being observed as Indian Atheist Day. This time the turn up was impressive. With 11 individuals, it was a healthy headcount for a productive discussion.
It was at a Coffee Day as has now become a norm for these meetings. This time the subtle change was that this was one in Jayanagar near Ashoka Pillar. It was scheduled to start at 2pm. People continued to trickle in till around 2.30. Some of the participants had unfortunately sat at different corners of the venue but thankfully found their way to the main group. The discussions started in an unstructured manner as we kept adding chairs to accommodate the latest entrants. The broad theme of topics ranged from the history of Atheist movements in India to the manners in which Atheism can be taken to the public without offending the hyper-religious. Another topic which divided the group was the perception of the word Atheist.
The discussions carried on about how one can go about educating people about science, philosophy and logic. The discussions were peppered with personal experiences. After a few hours of free-flowing discussion we came to the consensus that the general discussion should be put on hold and we need to look at the matter at hand. To have a presence for the Atheist or Non religious community it was proposed that we should have a helpline of sorts apart from a possible website and e-mail id where we could be reached for support. The idea is to have a sense of community for people disillusioned from religious institutions. This was more of a long term plan since the specifics and the scope would have to be fleshed out in the coming weeks/months. It may also need some kind of investment.
The immediate goal would be to organize an event on 23rd March. The most feasible idea which came up was a stall at a popular mall (tentatively Forum Mall, Koramangala) where we could engage with the public and discuss Bhagat Singh’s ideas and the importance of Freethinking. More details would emerge over the next two weeks. Anyone who fancies the above idea or wants to be part of this is welcome. The exact concept and scope of this outreach is still to be finalized. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Everyday Conspirators 