His mother would tell him that they worshipped Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali so that they would become prosperous, and his grandfather who had read the Hindu holy book Gita told him that Lord Krishna would save him if he was ever in trouble. As he grew older, he says he became aware that "religion and caste differences were being used by politicians and religious leaders to fool people and prey on their weaknesses". He tells me he hasn't visited a temple in almost 20 years and argues that the money spent on temples, mosques and other religious institutions would be better spent building schools and hospitals.