User:JK Nair/Dinkoism

Dinkoism (മ: ഡിങ്കോയിസം or ഡിങ്കമതം), is a social movement that has emerged and evolved on social networks organized by independent social activists in Kerala, India. Although adherents describe Dinkoism as a genuine religion, it is generally seen by the media as a parody religion. This religion celebrates Dinkan as their God in an attempt to promote awareness of the fallacies and practices of traditional religions.

Dinkoism (മ: ഡിങ്കോയിസം), or the Dinkoist Religion, is a social movement that emerged and evolved on social networks organized by independent welfare groups in the Indian state of Kerala. Although adherents describe Dinkoism as a genuine religion, it is described in the media as a parody religion. in the state of Kerala by a group of rationalists, with the intention of ridiculing "the absurdity of blind religious faith." There are plans for the community to "actively involve themselves in politics." A report in the New Indian Express suggested that Dinkoism is gaining members through Facebook.

The religion supposedly purports to worship the great Dinkan, a comic book creation. Dinkoists celebrate the fictional mouse character as their "God" for the supposed purpose of exposing the fallacies and practices of traditional religions. Dinkan is a "comic superhero mouse" which appeared in 1983 in a no-longer active childrens' magazine called Balamangalam.

While the concept of Dinkoism has been spreading through social media, the movement has organized events in which real people turned up at protests. For example, when the film Professor Dinkan appeared, Dinkoists held a "mock protest" outside the front of the home of an actor's restaurant as a way of taking a "gentle pot-shot" at the idea of religion in general. In April 2016, 25,000 Dinkoists gathered for a convention called a "Dinkamatha Maha Sammelanam" to "present their rights as a minority community," according to one report. Dinkoists have received threatening messages as well as opposition from believers of other religions.

The idea behind Dinkoism is to expose the absurdity of most religious beliefs through exaggeration. Dinkoism has all the trappings of the organised religions it parodies – a holy book, devotional songs, priests, faith healers, and symbols. It caricatures the vocabulary, rituals, and iconography used by established religions. Like most other competing religions, it even has a militant arm called Mooshikasena to counterattacks from other religions. Dinkoists are especially outspoken against godmen, and practices like faith healing, polygamy, child marriage, patriarchy, and oppression of women. Dinkoists sarcastically get offended by any reference questioning the divinity of Dinkan or their 'Holy Book' Balamangalam.

The first major convention on Dinkoism was held in the northern Kerala city of Kozhikode. While the organizers were expecting a moderate croud in the hundreds, they were surprised when thousands of followers turned up, and many had to be turned away. Dinkoism has followers worldwide such as in the American city of Chicago, as well as official Dinkoist chapters established in Germany, Mexico, and the Middle-East.

Origin
According to a report in India Today, the mock religion was established in 2008 by rationalists in Kerala, India, who were perturbed at the strength of organised religions, which, they felt, had led to rising intolerance and the weakening of rational thought. Dinkoists, as the advocates of Dinkoism are called, adopted as their deity, a character called Dinkan from a comic series in the children’s magazine Balamangalam. Noting Dinkan’s birthplace to be in Kerala, Dinkoists explain why Kerala is known as ‘God’s own country.’

History
Dinkoist scriptures mention about the presence of a ‘flourishing’ Dinkan civilisation in Kerala as early as 18,000 years before the birth of Jesus. Also, the ancient Kerala folks enjoyed benefits of advanced technologies like aeronautics and electronics, say the scriptures. New age Dinkoists have accepted Balamangalam as their holy book. They claim that the religion is as old as 65 million years.

Superhero God Dinkan
Dinkoists revere as their God, Dinkan, a mouse who grew up in Pankila Forest, somewhere in Kerala, India. He was a naughty mouse, who wasn't disciplined. During one of his escapades, Dinkan was abducted by aliens from an unknown planet. They conducted experiments on him which ended up giving him superior strength, enhanced senses and the ability to fly. Somehow Dinkan found himself back in Pankila Forest and he decided to use his powers for the well-being of animals in the forest. According to Balamangalam, Dinkan helps those in distress – he comes to the rescue of every creature who calls out his name aloud.

Dinkan wears a yellow body suit, a red cape and superhero-style red underwear worn on the outside. Dinkan doesn't involve in day-to-day affairs of we human beings. He is too busy with more important stuff. This removes the focus conventional religions have given on human life, i.e., "we are at the centre of the universe" attitude. In practice, Dinkan doesn't answer our prayers. In this sense, Dinkan is like Nature - brutally indifferent. Additionally, Dinkan won’t create fear in you, mislead you into fake promises, heal your diseases or hate you.

Dinkan is omnipotent (Balamangalam 2:33) omnipresent (2:35) omniscient (3:12) and one who doesn't care (absolutely doesn't) about what you do with your life (5:12, 6:14, 31:31). He has got more important things to do than to send people to hell. He is usually busy with the functioning of black holes, neutron stars, whole groups of galaxies and such. So, you pray to him at your own risk. There are a lot of instances in the Balamangalam where he has helped out children in distress who called out his name, though. So prayers may not entirely be pointless.

The Holy Book
Dinkoism is the only true religion on earth which was revealed to us first in 1800 BC through the Holy Scriptures in Dinkapuranam and then more recently through the definitive holy book, Visuddha Bala Mangalam (VBM), which is a children’s magazine that carried the comic series Dinkan from 1983 to 2012. The character representing Dinkan was created by writer N Somashekharan and artist Baby, and the series was published by the Kottayam-based Mangalam group of publications. Dinkoists believe in the truth of Balamangalam without any external evidence, just because the book says so. VBM reveals to us that the only true religion in this universe is known to other intelligent species as well (1:12).

The truth in this religion is known to those who study its holy texts. No other religion mention dinosaurs, except Dinkoism (see VBM 13:34-42).

Convinced by the popularity of Dinkan, the publishers of Mangalam have decided to revive the children’s magazine Balamangalam shortly. In its rebirth, Dinkan will be its main feature.

Besides Balamangalam, Dinkoists have another holy book called the Dinkapuranam. Here, Dinkoists attempt to use science to counter superstitious beliefs and the irrational teachings of other religions.

Dinkoist Quotes
വളഞ്ഞു പുളഞ്ഞു ബൈക്ക് ഓടിക്കുന്നവൻ ശവപ്പെട്ടിയിൽ നീണ്ടുനിവർന്നു കിടക്കും

Philosophy
The idea behind Dinkoism is to expose the absurdity of most religious beliefs through exaggeration. Dinkoism has all the trappings of the organised religions it parodies – a holy book, devotional songs, priests, faith healers and symbols. It caricatures the vocabulary, rituals and iconography used by established religions. Like most other competing religions, it even has a militant arm called Mooshikasena to counter attacks from other religions.

New age Dinkoists developed some guts to woo more followers into the belief by pointing out some of the major social evils associated with popular religions on the planet. Dinkoists are especially outspoken against godmen and practices like faith healing, polygamy, child marriage, patriarchy and oppression of women. Dinkoism asserts that Dinkan is the One True God and the only path to Salvation; and that all other gods are false. Dinkoists claim that it is the most ancient religion and that all other religions took shapes from the offshoots of Dinkoism.

Dinkoism is a totally women-friendly religion. Dinkoist women and girls can wear anything, do anything and live the way they want. No restrictions, no matter what weird thing you do, Lord Dinkan doesn’t have much time to creep into your personal life. Racism is not a part of Dinkoism; you can study what you want, go reach the heights of your dreams, marry at the age you want, do things which are totally restricted for girls and women.

Practices
Dinkoists sarcastically get offended by any reference questioning the divinity of Dinkan or their 'Holy Book' Balamangalam. The backstory and professed ideology of Dinkoism has grown organically over the years. Supposed verses are quoted on the fly with fake passages to Balamangalam. Most people found it very attractive since it has nothing to do in day-to-day life. Like traditional religions, Dinkoists also lay claim to various miracles of Dinkan in the form of writings and signs of Dinkan in food items, cow markings, vegetables and clouds.

Rituals
During Dinkoist meetings, it is customary to conduct the 'Chakkayeru' ceremony. Dinkoists stand around a jackfruit, and throw paperballs at it. This is done as a symbolic protest against the jackfruit, which, upon falling on Mittumuyal the rabbit, killed it. Mittumuyal was a staunch devotee of Dinkan.

The religious food for Dinkoists is Tapioca (or Cassava). It is customary to place three or four full tapiocas in the form of a tripod/quadrupod at Dinkoist convention venues.

The most auspicious sound in Dinkoism is an extended burping sound that goes "Eehmmmm....." According to legend, Dinkan, after a full meal of cassava, let out a long burp, and immediately realized that sounds could be made by the mouth.

Miracles
Dinkoists believe the world was created when Dinkan got bored with eating cassava and laughed out loud. That laugh apparently created time and space, and everything since then.

Another story on the creation of the universe goes as follows. Dinkan was living in a burrow dug out of nothingness (not even temporal space) before time. He was bored and wanted a way to kill time. It was then that he realized the ultimate truth. To kill time, you have to create time. Then he laughed in mirth and the universe was created in a big laugh (later known as big bang) through his sense of humor. That was the beginning of space-time as we know it.

Gatherings/Conventions
The first Dinkoist Convention was held at the IMA Hall in Kochi, Kerala, India, during the last week of February, 2016.

The first Dinkoist Conference was held in the northern Kerala city of Kozhikode, on March 20, 2016. While the organizers were expecting a moderate croud in the hundreds, they were surprised when thousands of followers turned up, and many had to be turned away since the hall hosting the conference at Mananchira Maidan was too small to accommodate everyone.

Prominent Followers
Joseph (filmmaker) Quote: 1) Dinkoism could offset the rising religious fanaticism and intolerance in the country.

Prashanth Nair (Kozhikode district collector) Quotes: 1) No worldly cause or vice had led to the scale of death and destruction that has been wrought in the name of God over the centuries. 2) Dinkoism is a good way to express the absurdity of blind religious belief. 3) Dinkoism is a religion where you learn to take things lightly and become tolerant to things that you don’t appreciate otherwise. 4) Dinkoists use humour to send the message. Humour is something that everybody appreciates. Therefore, it makes sense to promote this religion.

Around the World
Dinkoism has followers around the world. In the US, Dinkoists have established a chapter in Chicago. In a mock documentary, Amy Watson, a member of the Chicago chapter, explains what Dinkoism is about and describes it as the most women-friendly religion in the world. Additionally, there are official Dinkoist chapters established in Germany, Mexico, and the Middle-East.

One follower in the US, Parthasarathy, acquired a special licence plate in the name of Lord Dinkan for his car, paying California motor vehicles department $48. He said he hoped that Lord Dinkan's blessings will make 2016 a very auspicious year that will bring him and his family health, wealth and happiness.

Prayers
Dinkan does not demand prayers or offerings but his followers have created an array of songs. These are generally seen by the media as parodies of popular devotional melodies.

Greeting
Dinka-Dinka! Dinkalooya! Masha-Dinka! Dinkaya Namaha!

In Popular Culture
The 2016 Malayalam movie Leela by director Ranjith features actor Biju Menon saying 'Ente Ponnu Dinko...'.

Malayalam movie actor Dileep recently outraged the rodent followers by deciding to act in a movie, 'Professor Dinkan,' which takes the name of Dinkan rather disrespectfully.

In Global News
Dinkoism has been discussed in worldwide media as listed here:

UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYDuLs7UQaY&feature=youtu.be

France: http://mobile.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2016/04/08/en-inde-les-athees-croient-a-la-petite-souris_4898731_4497186.html