Hathras Horror: The Fatal Consequences of Superstition

I was casually scrolling through the web when I came across some deeply disturbing news. A student in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district was allegedly killed as part of a sacrificial ritual performed by the school's owners to bring prosperity to the institution. The school's owner who is believed to practice tantric rituals, reportedly instructed his son, Dinesh Baghel, the school's director, to sacrifice a child for the prosperity of the school and their family.

 

I have raised my voice against superstitions in many of my blogs, and people often tell me, "Let people follow what they want; it's their choice." To all of them, I want to say, look at this incident. This is the result of superstition. They took the life of a small 7- or 8-year-old boy as part of a ritual driven by blind belie

 

The name of the school is DL Public School in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. One of the culprits involved in this horrific act is the school's manager, engineer Dinesh Baghel. Many people believe that education is the key to eliminating superstitions. But Mr. Dinesh, despite being an engineer, proves otherwise. To add to the irony, the school is an English-medium institution. We often assume that an English-medium school must be very sophisticated, westernized, and of high standards. But in reality, this school is led by individuals filled with superstitious beliefs.

 

 

 

This is not an isolated incident. Many cases of witchcraft and black magic occur throughout the year. Some make it to the news, while others remain hidden. Despite knowing about these horrifying events, we still tend to believe in superstitions. There's something within us that prevents us from being rational. This happens largely due to societal conditioning. From a very young age, we are exposed to certain beliefs, and the things we learn in childhood become deeply ingrained in us. These beliefs are not easily broken, so even after being shown countless proofs, we often ignore reality and cling to these age-old superstitions.

 

 

First, let’s understand what superstition is. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, superstition is a belief that is not based on reason or scientific thinking. In simple terms, it means, "I don’t know what it is, but I believe in it." The phrase "I believe" shows superstition. Whenever you say, "I believe in this" or "I have strong faith in that," it can be a form of superstition if it can't be explained scientifically or rationally. In the past, superstitions served a purpose because scientific reasoning was not well-developed. People wondered why certain things happened, like why it rained or why rain didn't come. They had countless questions, just like we do today. Back then, they believed a god sitting above sent the rain. But today, we have scientific knowledge to explain why rain occurs.

Many people believe that education can solve the problem of superstition. But if we look closely, one of the culprits in this case was an engineer, supposedly educated. Personally, I have seen well-educated individuals, including physics teachers, practicing superstitions. This shows that education alone doesn't make someone rational; it is the habit of questioning that leads to rationality. Questioning is the real solution. Sadly, from a young age, we are taught not to ask questions. When we question religion or other sensitive topics, whether to our parents or so-called great gurus, they often respond with, "Don’t question God’s authority, or you may be punished." Whether in Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, or other communities, people are usually told that God is to be believed, not proved or thought of rationally. If you dare to ask questions, they label you as an atheist or a non-believer, warning you not to question the authority of the Almighty.

 

When you encounter such thinking, it’s essential to distance yourself from these spaces. Superstition lies in blindly accepting beliefs without questioning. I’m not saying that belief in God itself is superstition, but if you are forced to believe without the freedom to think rationally about it, that’s superstition. If someone allows you the freedom to think about God and make your own decisions, then you are truly a rational person.

 

Even today, many so-called modern and educated people don’t believe in the old superstitions but have created new ones. For example, people are fascinated with astrology and horoscopes in much the same way that Stephen Hawking was fascinated with astronomy. Let me give you an example: A traditional person might believe in visiting a sacred tree on a certain night and offering something because their guru told them that it would please a deity and if they failed to do so then the devata would get angry and punish them.

 

An educated person might not believe in such rituals, thinking it’s old-fashioned. But they could still fall into other modern-day superstitions. They might believe their spiritual master’s advice on meditation, incense sticks, auras, and magnetic fields. They may say, "I meditated and felt another realm," but it’s just another form of superstition. They use words such as vibrations,aura,feel etc.. and their favourite are english speaking cool babas.
Society adds to this with expectations like, "You must clear exams like JEE or UPSC to succeed in life," or "You must marry and have at least two kids." And if someone says they don’t want to marry, society questions them: "How can they not want to marry?" But is that really something we should be concerned about? It’s a personal choice, yet society pressures us into conforming to these beliefs, just as it does with other superstitions. This societal pressure contributes to problems like overpopulation, unemployment, and more.

 

The same goes for gender-based expectations: Males and females are expected to dress and behave in certain ways. These are the modern-day superstitions. My question to both the old and new superstitious believers is: How did you come to believe all this? If no one told you these things, would you still believe them?

 

Here’s an exercise for you: Sit in your free time and note down everything you do from morning until night, and ask yourself, "Why do I do this?" When you start questioning, that’s when you truly become rational. Being rational means questioning every aspect of life.

 

 

In the Hathras case, during the investigation, the police discovered pooja materials, rope, and religious photos hidden behind the school, confirming that black magic rituals were being performed. These items are typically associated with a deeply superstitious person, someone who has twisted religious beliefs into dangerous practices. What’s even more alarming is that these symbols of faith, meant to bring peace or blessings, were used for a horrifying act—sacrificing a young life. This shows how dangerous unchecked superstitions can become, especially when they are mixed with blind faith and desperation for material gains. It’s a harsh reminder of how easily superstition can cross the line from harmless rituals to destructive, violent acts.

 

This case also highlights the sad reality that, in many parts of our society, even those who seem educated or progressive outwardly may still harbor ancient, harmful beliefs. It’s a wake-up call for us to question and challenge these outdated and dangerous superstitions rather than quietly accepting them as part of tradition.

 

 

And I give a general piece of advice to all of you: please stay away from all kinds of superstitious people. These are the individuals who blindly believe in something, and they can lead you down dangerous paths. If tomorrow, their baba or spiritual leader says something about you, they will believe it without question and might act in ways that harm you—just like how the principal did with the child in Hathras.

 

If I speak frankly, the greatest challenge India faces today is the grip of superstitions. When beliefs are based on superstition rather than facts, progress comes to a halt. If there are facts, the nation will advance, people will truly be educated, and development will follow. A superstitious person believes, "I am right. I am good. I know everything, and you know nothing." In such a mindset, there is no room for growth or change. On the other hand, a person who thinks rationally and is grounded in facts knows there is always room for improvement. A factual person will accept their flaws and work to become better, while a superstitious person remains stuck in their false sense of superiority, believing they are already perfect and cannot be challenged.

 

 

In conclusion, we must actively launch a campaign to combat superstitions, using platforms like blogs, YouTube videos, and, most importantly, by practicing rationality in our daily lives. By raising awareness and encouraging logical thinking, we can prevent tragic events like the one in Hathras from happening again. It’s not enough to just talk about change; we must be the change.

 

I hope that after reading this blog, your mind has turned against the harmful grip of superstitions. If you’re interested, feel free to explore some of my other blogs on the topic of superstition.Astrology exposed,Bageshwar Baba exposed,Sathya sai baba exposed.

 

 

"Superstition is the religion of feeble minds."

-Edmund Burke

 

"It is the first duty of every rational person to question everything."

 – Voltaire

 

“Belief is a substitute for the experience. The person who believes does not know. He simply believes, and believing is not knowing.”

-Osho