Hindustan Times
Thursday, Maurch 24, 2005, Lucknow
Bengal moves to ban astrology on TV
Indo-Asian News service, Kolkata, March 23: WEST BENGAL is moving to fight a proliferation of television programmes on astrology and feng shui that promise anything from controlling fate to curing diseases.
An assortment of selfprofessed prophets, fortune-tellers, godmen, oracles, mystics and seers are seen on Bengali TV channels, and their programmes are believed to have a large following.
Viewers call into these interactive programmes to know their fate and future, and most of these asrologers rattle off what's in store for the callers.
“This hypocrisy has to stop,” said Nisith Adhikary, the law minister of the communist-ruled West Bengal.
These programmes on astrology and pseudospiritualism came in for sharp criticism this month after one of the popular godmen asked his followers on TV to confront rationalists and said their leader should be shot.
The sootsayer was arrested for publicly issuing death threats. After an investigation it was found that he sold rings worth a mere Rs. 15 for Rs. 5,000 as miracle rings to unsuspecting disciples.
The man, always dressed in saffron and wearing reams of beads like a traditional Hindu holy man, owns prime properties and even a small aircraft.
The incident prompted the state government to step in. Adhikary has for now urged the TV channels to stop airing programmes featuring godmen and astrologers.
“We are considering whatever legal measures there are to be taken. But we would like the channels to desist from airing such bogus programmes,” said Adhikary.
Officials say some programmes are ouright dangerous because these astrologers say discouraging things about prople's lives.
The government has warned that many of the godmen and oracles on TV ran the danger of being arrested because they were even prescribing “medicines and panacea” that had no scientific basis.
The astrologer community in the state has been rattled. While some are talking about a counter attack, others are blaming one another.
The government has warned that. it could even arrest those who assist in airing programmes of dubious godmen.
