Brief Biography of Sh. Megh Raj Mitter

Megh Raj Mitter is the founder of Rationalist Society Punjab (Now nameed Tarksheel Society. He is the author of fifteen books in Punjabi Language. Some of the books has been translated in other Indian Languages.

For many centuries the people of India have been a victim to intellectual slavery and sick mentality. They live in society sans scientific ethos as they are groping in the darkness of worthless rituals. Enmeshed in the cobweb of superstitions, shibboleths, and religious retrogressive beliefs they have been dragging their existence deprived of rational thinking. Whenever they try to make their way through the maze of superstitions, they are besieged and captivated by the forces steered by the conservative priests, popes and maulvis propagating and preaching the old wives’ tale. Even in this age of science these fundamentalist forces are flourishing swiftly as they have commercial nexus with the masters of technology. Horoscopes are authored by the computers. Big and small silver screens provide a friendly and amicable space to the spirits, ghosts, hags, witches and phantoms.

But the Darwins, Galileos, Socrates and Charvaks of every age have fought against these forces, and even today these pro-people intellectual rebels are waging a relentless war against the blind and black powers. Though they were exiled, locked up in the dark dingy cells or thrown into the burning fire by the state and its patronized religion, light and enlightenment tried their best to dispel darkness and ignorance. Opacity and gloom do not dare to counter the dawn. Whenever the sun of cognition rises, human thought gets elevated and hence, floats in the sky of freedom, liberation, salvation and open endedness. From time to time many progressive intellectuals and scientists of India have guided our people and led them on the path of scientific truth.

Of these progressive efforts, Rationalist Society Punjab (RSP) (Regd.) or Taraksheel Society (Regd.) India is such an organization which is a household word in the state of Punjab. A staunch critic of cheating saints and tantriks, the Rationalist Society Punjab is illuminating the paths of life in every village and town of the state. Its activities have regular space in the vernacular dailies. This organisation is not only committed to fight against superstitions, blind beliefs and faiths but simultaneously it is committed to construct pro-people progressive culture. In every nook and corner of the Punjab the scientific and rational nature and ideology of this organization is appreciated and recommended. The rational consciousness, which is fast emerging among the Punjabi people, illustrates the practical significance of the organisation under review. The founder of this mass based organisation is Megh Raj Mittar.

Megh Raj Mitter is not merely a name of a single individual but he also represents the caravan of the enlightened people. Megh Raj has broken down the barricades of conservative traditions. He is a committed explorer who advances through the thick woods in search of sun and light. Scientific ideology is the primary text or statement of his manifesto. But the hegemonic ideology frowns at the truth discovered and delineated by him. The reverberating waves of his reason and logic defy the sandy castles of the fundamentalist & conservative forces like maulvis, priests, pandits and bhais. The ambassador of darkness with his inverted feet slanders and issues his decree against him. Nevertheless the determination and the commitment inherently embedded in his feet never halt ; they always remain in journey. The life of Megh Raj Mittar is a saga of an honest man struggling against the anti-people forces. History is a witness to the fact that with his strong and steady feet he has gone through the test of fundamentalists decrees, terrorism of A.K.47, and the threats of destroying him by those who claim themselves to be the masters of miracles. He has trodden the path of struggle for the people. He has unfolded the mysteries of nature. Megh Raj has inspired the suffering masses to lead the illuminated life like that of dawn. He has roamed about from village to village so as to get the first hand experience about the sufferings and pains of the masses. He has strong reservation for the pseudo sympathizers of the people. Therefore, he has brought a number of people out from the darkness of superstitions. About four thousand mentally perturbed people have got cured due to his efforts. These people were entrapped in the grid of mental halluciations. Mittar has also solved the three hundred cases of brick/stone throwing in the houses, burning and tearing of clothes, missing of precious and valuable articles included gold and silver ornaments from the houses.

After doing his B.Sc., B.Ed. and M.Ed., Megh Raj Mittar has been serving the Education department since 1970. His more than thousand students have followed his path of educating the superstitious and untutoured masses.

He is the editor and founder of the journal named Vigyan Jyoti (Scientific Light) which is very much popular among the people for its scientific views and ideology. For the last three years this journal is generating rational thinking among the general masses.

Mittar has also authored fifteen books about science, and over five lakh copies of his writings are in the book racks of the Punjabi people. No literary organization so far has such a long catalogue to its credit. Among his writings the most popular are ‘Dev Purush Har Gaye’, ‘Dev, Daint te Roohan’, ‘Raushani’, ‘Tarkbani’, ‘Vigyan Jyoti’, ‘Vigyan Ate Pra-Vigyan’, ‘Bhootan Pretan Naal Yudh Kiven’, ‘Kan Kan Vich Vigyan’, ‘Made Taun Manukh Tak’, ‘Tarksheel Dimagi Kasratan’, ‘Dimagi Vikas Kiven Karien’, ‘Nanah Tarksheel’, ‘Tarkwad Ki hai’ etc.

To Hindi he too has contributed while writing books like ‘Raushni’, ‘Tarkbani’, ‘Kan Kan Men Vigyan’, ‘Bhooton Ka Shikaar’, ‘Vigyan aur Pra-Vigyan’ etc. These books have been appreciated in every province of India. He has treasured in his personal file about thrity thousand letters appreciating his works and activities.

As an excellent orator and prolific writer, he has addressed to the thick gatherings & hence has made a large number of people become the followers of reason and logic.

Megh Raj has been honoured by a large number of pro-people organizations. A number of mementoes decorating his drawing room speak about his endevours of preaching science and reason. Under his guidance and leadership about a dozen theatre and juggler groups, have been stripping off the masks of miracles and charismas since a pretty long time.

During last three years Jalandhar T.V. Station has telecast thrice his interview so as to make science popular among the masses.

The Punjabi vernacular dailies like Ajit, Punjabi Tribune, Desh Sewak publish his articles from time to time. Under the caption of Bhoot Pretan Nal Yudh (Fight against the ghosts), Megh Raj regularly wrote for three years in the columns of ‘Ajit’. Punjabi Tribune has also published his writings about cosmos, earth & evolution under the title of Taraksheel Kehende Han. This is daily vernacular has also published a series on Kan Kan Vich Vigayan (science in every atom)

From time to time Megh Raj Mittar raises his committed voice against tittle- tattles, rumours, gossips ; and for the promotion of scientific thinking and ideology a number of pamphlets, papers and posters are distributed by him.

Along with his students Mittar not only organizes but also encourages science exhibitions.

He is a sensitive personality. Who wishes to be a soothing shade over the heads of those travellers who tread the hot sandy paths. He also wishes to lead humanity to the construction of healthy society. He is a matchless contribution to the field of making science a popular discipline among the masses.

Dr. I. D. Gaur

(Lecturer of History Punjab University, Chandigarh)