How do you conceive God?
Anwesh: The concept depends on the one defining it. For some, the Almighty can be pantheistic, for others it can be deistic. If you ask an orthodox Muslim, it can be the presence of omnipresent, while an orthodox Christian may talk about the judgment day. It is subjective in nature and depends on the definer. I don’t believe in God as it is understood in the conventional sense.
Your book is related to God, beliefs and faith. How do you see atheism?
Anwesh: It has been a misnomer to elaborate atheism. We don’t have terms for people who disbelieve in astrology or believe in fairy tales, but the concept of god is so involved with culture and has an emotional effect on people that we have termed it atheism. I don’t think it is healthy because it lets an individual to form a group panel.
Is spirituality possible without religion?
Anwesh: We can separate spirituality from religion. To be spiritual we don’t have to believe in a supreme power. Spiritual, for me, is something that brings in a sense of awe. It could be painting or music and I even advocate for meditation. All that I am saying is that you don’t need a divine intervention to be spiritual.
What is your take on creation of universe?
Anwesh: To say “God created the universe” simply closes all the doors. It stops the ability of an individual to seek answers and there is no scope for discoveries. It’s intellectually lazy to believe in God. In the long term, I’m an optimist who believes we can find answer to questions that haven’t found answers yet.
What would you say on you being acknowledged as a young writer?
Anwesh: People have told me that I’m too young to write about the topics that I’m writing about. I don’t think that’s true. I want them to confront these uncomfortable ideas that are considered taboo. Like they say “age is just a number”. Mozart, John Lennon and Paul McCartney started music very young. Colonel Sanders started KFC when he was 63. Weren’t these folks too young or too old? I don’t think so. If you have an idea and you think you can articulate it, just do it because it’s never too early or too late. It’s always the right time.