You are going through the e-magazine (e-zine) THOUGHT & ACTION, an official journal of Superstition Eradication Committee, Maharashtra. The Committee is popularly known as ANiS, an abbreviation of Committee’s name in Marathi i.e. Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samitee. We are actively functioning in Marathi speaking areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa. ANiS is bringing awareness in the society against blind faith, superstitions, and outdated traditions, which numb the minds of the innocents and lead to exploitation of individuals.
We reach people through our Marathi magazine which was started as monthly issue right from 1989 onwards. There were inquiries from sympathizers who can’t read Marathi and also from non-Marathi speaking areas about a magazine to know method of working and activities undertaken by ANiS to eradicate superstitions. As such the first issue in print version of this English magazine was brought in April 2001. Print version was subsequently discontinued in Jan 2006 and e-zine was started from April 2006 onwards. We hope that this journal will fulfill this need.
Readers of e-zine may be wondering about the sanity of this organization in venturing to publish a journal, though of 40 odd pages that too on quarterly basis. Unlike many other newsletters, we intend that the journal should serve as a mouthpiece to express and communicate the strong feelings of the readers on various aspects of life in general and aspects related to superstitions in particular. The readers are invited to contribute the articles, briefs and short-notes taking into consideration of the limitations of the number of pages and periodicity of the journal. We hope that the journal will serve as a platform for such discussions, which will be of great help to ANiS to plan its activities in future.
The magazine depicts the plans, thought process, success and failures of the activities undertaken, in-depth analysis which will definitely of interest to our readers. Though the sphere of activities of the organization is confining mainly in Marathi speaking areas, ANiS is well aware that there is a lot to be done to remove the slavery of mind and the movement should spread in other states and nations too. The solidarity of like-minded organizations is very much required since opposing forces are mobilizing their resources to achieve their aims and goals even by using unfair means. ANiS hoped this journal will serve as a platform for communication between various rationalist organizations spread all over India and the world so that an action oriented programs can be undertaken whenever necessary.
We are covering in this journal briefly about the news, views and reviews on the activities and plans undertaken by ANiS as well as articles on rationalism, humanism, scientific temper, pseudo-science, etc. We intend to include in this journal brief reports on the activities, which may serve as a model to replicate even in other places. Unless the program has an element of innovation, there will not be any mass appeal. As such the report of such innovative ideas will influence other activists to initiate the programs with certain minor modifications. We also intend to include a few articles, which will critically look into the programs undertaken by ANiS and their impact on the society in general. The articles discussing finer aspects of the areas of our interest will also find place in this journal. We hope readers will appreciate our efforts.