From Chain Letters to SMSes and E-mails

When I was young (not that I am OLD - if life begins at 40, I am only 9 years) I used to receive post cards asking me to not break the chain and write letters to 12 or 20 or 16 people if I wanted so and so god or goddess to smile on me, or else it would spell doom for me if I broke the chain, these letters said. God Fearing Indians would immediately sit down to write such letters to various friends and most of them would continue the chain except some like me who would break this chain.

If hell has descended on me because of this, I know not, and I CARE not! But now things have changed. Do you think I mean to say people have become less superstitious?? NO rey, that is NOT what I mean. What I mean is people no longer write letters, they send sms or emails. "If you forward this email/sms to 21 people, you will get good news by evening, if you don't, great misfortune will befall you". "Oh really?" "which god has sent you as his agent,may I ask?" People have started using technology extensively, they are definitely moving ahead with times, but they are still not able to get out of the beliefs that they have grown up with. We say we are progressing. "How" is one question people are unable to answer. Having malls and multiplexes does not a modern country make, modernity can be achieved only when we break the shackles of age old beliefs.

Don't, please don't send such letters/emails/sms to people and subject them to this dilemma of "to break or not to break the chain". Nothing will happen to you if you break the chain. I am sure no god is peeping from his abode to find out if you have broken the chain so that he can punish or reward you accordingly. if you trust him, you should trust his benevolence and not get carried away by such gimmicks, and if you don't believe in him, there is even otherwise no question of reward or punishment by him.