He holds no office of profit. He owns no business empire either. Yet, he has devoted his entire time and energy for eradicating superstition, blind beliefs, social taboos and the like. An arch enemy of religious obscurantism and fanaticism, a restless crusader against occult practices, Debendra Sutar has undertaken a pioneering effort for introducing a legislation in the Odisha legislative Assembly for those willing persons voluntarily expressing their desire to donate their bodies after their natural death for medical research. Sutar also played a pivotal role in promulgating a law in the Assembly against witchcraft in our State by providing necessary data to the Government over this macabre practice of burning women suspecting them as witches. Both these Acts have come into force from 2013. He is also in the habit of extending free legal aid by arrangement with the social-minded lawyers and also helps such victims in rehabilitation and in providing education to the needy. He has his own ways to reach the desired goal for an egalitarian society. Nourishing strong contempt against the supine bureaucracy, Sutar files PIls in the High Court and pursues the court for carrying the matter to its logical conclusion. At present, he is the editor of Odia magazine Vaignanika Charcha published from Bhubaneswar. The journal carries articles against social dogmas and superstitions. In an interview to The Pioneer, Sutar spoke to Sugyan Choudhury at his CDA residence in Cuttack.
What propelled you to take up endgames against superstitionIJ
As a child, I had been very inquisitive. I used to question on anything I did not have an answer. I remember I was then a primary school student. On a lunar eclipse day, I had to return home from school in full fasting, walking down a long, long way, while I was hungry. Even then, my suffering did not end. I had to keep on fasting thereafter throughout the night. This incident shocked me very much to be on revolt against our customs. As a youth, I observed that poor villagers had to sell their minimum possession of accruable land organising feast for the entire village on the Sraddha ritual of the departed. I have noticed my mother propitiating Goddess of wealth lakshmi, but we still continued to suffer from extreme poverty. Such incidents left a deep imprint in my mind. When I grew up, I pledged to fight against all such blind beliefs.
How did you begin trying to end witch hauntingIJ
large numbers of people, particularly women, are killed in Odisha being branded as witches. Every year, an average of 70 murders is committed in Odisha for alleged practice of witchcraft. During last six years, 360 people have been killed. But there is no concern expressed about this. Much less numbers of people died in the State in the hands of Maoists. I have tried to bring an end to this medieval practice. In 2011, I filed a PIl in the High Court for directing the Government to frame a special law on the matter. The High Court after adjudicating the case directed the Government accordingly. In 2013, the Government promulgated the prevention of witch haunting Act. In case of a witch killing, both the perpetrator and the victim suffer longtime social and financial disaster. Therefore, once we come to know any such incident, we try to investigate the different aspects involved and try to develop social consciousness.
What’s your interest on the post-death body and organ donationIJ
When vital organs like heart, kidney, lungs and liver fail due to any reason, people die. Efforts are taken to treat these diseases with medicines and surgery. But often, such treatments are not enough to set right the organs. With the developments of medical science, it is now possible to save the patient by removing the diseased organ and transplanting a healthy organ in its place. Now, from where does his healthy organ comeIJ It is not possible to extract such an organ from a living person nor will any living person agree to part with his organ. But once a person is ‘brain dead’ if instead of cremating or burning a dead body, we extract the organ from such a body and transplant it in the patient, we may save a number of lives. The cornea extracted from such a person may give sight to somebody who is blind due to some corneal problem. In this way, a man or woman who is dying will live in another body for many more years. Besides, there exists an acute shortage of cadavers for medical students to study. First, for a long time, I had been knocking at the doors of Ministers and MlAs. Failing in my efforts to convince them, once again I took the shelter of the High Court through a PIl. After the High Court’s directions, the Government brought about an amendment to the Odisha Anatomy Act, 1975 facilitating body and organ donation after death. Until now, we have donated 15 bodies to the different medical colleges in Odisha. We have deposited more than 500 forms from different persons pledging to donate their bodies after death.
Odisha still abounds with superstitious beliefs and practices. What other works are you undertaking to eradicate these phenomenaIJ
Yes, it is unfortunate but true. Many of such old beliefs and traditions are impeding social development. Take for example, Rath Yatra. It is one of the important festivals of Odisha and celebrated everywhere. It is a part of our social life. Such festivals may be necessary for all-round societal good. But just one aspect of it: Every year, the carts for the deities are built anew from fresh wood. For making the three carts only for the Puri Rath Yatra, 1,000 trees, 50–60 years old, are cut every year. This is having a serious adverse effect on the environment and ecology. We like to say that instead of building the carts anew every year, necessary repairing could be done. I had moved the High Court on this issue too but without a success. We are trying to build up public opinion on the matter.
It’s said charity begins at home. Do you in your life and family practice do what you preach against superstition for a scientific bent of mindIJ
Yes. I had told you that right since my childhood I started questioning. As a child, I could not do more. But when I was grown enough to take my own decisions, I have tried to live by examples. I married without a priest, without a provision, without dowry in a most informal way. We do not have a ‘Puja room’ in our house; we have a library instead. Instead of observing Sraddha for our forefathers, we keep their photos and remember them. All my family members, including my children, have deposited the form pledging our bodies after death. After my mother’s death, her body was donated to the SCB Medical College. It was the first such case in Odisha. Instead of believing in fate and miracles, I repose confidence on my work. I am happy.