Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Evolution revolution” (January 23). Minister of State Satyapal Singh’s questioning of Darwin’s theory of evolution made me remember what former President Giani Zail Singh had to say about the evolution theory. He said, “If man has evolved from monkey, why on earth monkey is still there”IJ If species have evolved from one over the another, why hundreds of thousands of species and sub-species are still presentIJ The earth should have been filled with only men and women. Going further, should we assume that man evolved from woman or vice versaIJ
There is no need for anyone to get pained or offended when validity of a particular theory of science is questioned. Science and scientists are not perfect. What appears right today in science might turn to be wrong tomorrow. In fact, it is science that evolves through acceptance and correction of mistakes by adopting an open-minded approach.
The conclusion of Darwin is after all theoretical. Mistakes and speculation do surface in all types of theories in the course of time. According to our revered scripture Srimad Bhagavatam, it is not the body that evolves; it is the soul that evolves through eight million four hundred thousands species. At present, scientists are foolishly not accepting the existence of soul. Until and unless they recognise the truth about soul and body relationship, their theories regarding origin of life will remain imperfect.