"Auspicious" times for Rationalism in India!

Astrologer who predicted his death fails

On 20th October, millions of people all over India spent hours in front of their TV sets. They were closely watching a frail and tired looking old man with a blue turban sitting unmoved inside a Hanuman temple at the entry of his house. Punjilal Malavia (75), village astrologer of a discrete village in southern Madhya Pradesh, became a one-day hero beamed live all over India by regional to top national TV channels, as he had predicted his own death between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on 20th October 2005. For many people, this was "reality TV" at its existential best and they watched the spectacle with the curiosity and excitement of a World Cup cricket match. Bookmakers offered odds of 30-1 on Punjilal's death. A section of the village folk used the opportunity to celebrate the holy hour of the astrologer's last triumph with prayers, drumming, chanting and singing. For them, it was the ultimate proof that our fate is written in the stars, and it occurred at the most suitable moment: in the middle of the season of Hindu religious festivals, on the day of Karwa Chauth, the festival dedicated to married men's long life.

Punjilal Astrologer (left) who predicted his death

A major section of the Indian population believes, since times immemorial, that their lives are determined by astral constellations, and an army of astrologers does anything to keep this belief alive, as it grants them money, respect and immense power.. Many people select their spouses solely on the basis of fitting horoscopes. Marriages, surgeries, business contracts and even meetings of top politicians are scheduled according to the timetable of "auspicious" hours. The education program of Indian Rationalist Association gives considerable attention to eradicate this superstition.

The astrologer who predicted his death survived, much to the disappointment of a great part of his audience and millions of TV watchers. But when the drama unfolded in the early morning hours of a holy day, rapidly gathering considerable religious passion, there was only one man, who publicly insisted that this was nothing but a publicity stunt.

Sanal Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, appeared in Star TV's 10 o'clock news and "predicted" that nothing was going to happen, absolutely nothing - if possible suicide or murder attempts on the astrologer's life were prevented. And if he died by any chance, there had to be a post mortem, he demanded.

Over the day, Sanal Edamaruku was a much focussed special guest in several top TV channels including Star TV and the combined five channels of Sahara TV and spoke in various programs in Hindi and English to a large number of viewers all over India. He spoke about the wrong claims of astrology, its lack of any scientific base and the common tricks used by astrologers to pretend success and betray the gullible. And he reminded at some of the earlier spectacular failures of top astrologers, exposed by the rationalists. [See "The Great Astrology Challenge"].

Thanks to the astrologer's gimmick, the TV viewers in India couldn't have been more receptive to the voice of reason. The great story deflated by the hour, and there was finally not too much of surprise, when Punjilal, surrounded and screened by a couple of watchful police men, kept looking pretty much alive, while the clock ticked dramatically towards the hour of his predicted departure. By 4 p.m., a local doctor checked the "dieing" astrologer and found him in perfect health. As drums fell silent, camera teams started packing up, embarrassed astrology-defenders in TV studios searched for words of excuse. Astrology had failed miserably - yet again.

And as the media uses to strike while the iron is hot, Sanal Edamaruku can be seen in several interviews and talk shows these days, tackling a case of "rebirth" in Star TV and countering prominent astrologers in NDTV and Headlines Today.

These programs featuring Sanal Edamaruku are still to come:

• "Money Mantra" in NDTV's "Profit" channel on Friday (21/10) at 5 p.m. and Saturday (22/10) & Monday (24/10) at 7 a.m.
• The Final Word" (talk show with Vir Sanghvi) in "Headlines Today" on Sunday (23/10) at 9.30 p.m.