IGNORANCE: SHALL NOT REIGN

Dhenkanal; 06/09/25
Ignorance Shall Not Reign

A Ceremonial Reflection for Truth and Unity
With Prologue by Dr. Subash Chandra Dash
On behalf of Ram Tulsi Seva Foundation

🌿 Prologue:
In every age, humanity stands at a crossroads—between the light of understanding and the shadow of ignorance. When minds are closed and hearts are hardened by hearsay, even the noblest truths are buried beneath the weight of rumor and fear.

We have seen how unexamined beliefs can lead to violence, how unread books are condemned, and how voices of reason are silenced not by argument, but by blind obedience. This is not the path of dharma. This is not the legacy we must leave.

Let this poem be a ceremonial offering—a vow to awaken minds, to protect the dignity of thought, and to build a society where truth is sacred and humanity is indivisible.
Poem:

> In halls where silence trembled, and justice sought to speak,
> The questions rose like incense smoke, solemn, slow, and meek.
> “Why did you strike?” the judge inquired, “What truth did you defend?”
> “I do not know,” the voice replied, “I followed to the end.”

> “What did he write?” “I cannot say.” “Have you read his word?”
> “No, I was told.” “By whom?” “By those whose voices I heard.”
> “And did you seek the truth yourself?” “I never learned to read.”
> Thus ignorance, not knowledge, sowed the root of every deed.

> O nation, rise from slumber, let not the dark remain—
> Let knowledge light the pathways, ignorance shall not reign.
> For every silent truth ignored, a deeper wound is made,
> And every soul misled by fear walks blindly with a blade.

> Let us teach with open hands, let questions be our guide,
> Let temples, schools, and homes unite where wisdom shall reside.
> No creed shall cloud compassion, no rumor stain the mind—
> In truth we find our freedom, in learning we are kind.

> So let this be our offering, our lamp against the night:
> To read, to think, to understand, and walk in shared delight.
> For every child we teach to seek, a future we reclaim—
> A world of peace, a world of light, where ignorance shall not reign.