The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Fighting superstitions with people's science

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 25, 2006
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Fighting superstitions with people's science

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Former Director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) P.M. Bhargava said that a people's science movement was the best way to tackle irrational beliefs and superstitions that were the biggest hurdles to development.

Addressing the tenth State-level convention of Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV), which was involved in the spread of science among people, here on Sunday, Dr. Bhargava said homoeopathy, vaastu, numerology and astrology were examples of the irrational beliefs of people.

He said ayurveda and unani had a scientific basis but not homoeopathy.

He deplored the huge expenditure being incurred on reconstructing houses for the sake of vaastu. The practice did not exist in foreign countries. Yet, people lived there happily.

Dealing with numbers

Numerology was popular with every Government as they looked for auspicious days to start any programme, he added.

One cannot remove superstitions without the involvement of people, he said adding that the first people's science movement in the country was led by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy said the JVV had a role to play in finding scientific answers to people's problems. K. Ashok Rao, founder member of Delhi Science Forum, spoke.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section