Chandrababu’s Newfangled Scientific Theories

Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

In these times of scientific advancement, politicians in power do not seem to hesitate to back unscientific beliefs and superstitions for the sake of votes. In this context, the statements made with regard to science by two chief ministers, AP's Chandrababu Naidu and Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala, make for interesting reading.

Addressing the Science Congress, Vijayan dwelt on how science would be nurtured in the state of Kerala. His government would fight against the propagation of superstitious beliefs and practices, he said. Article 51 of the Constitution clearly seeks "to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform." It enjoins upon all citizens to do so, the Kerala Chief Minister said and added that those who preach superstitious beliefs should be opposed.

Around the same time, Chandrababu Naidu launched a programme called 'Suryodayam', and made a few quixotic statements. For instance, he said that the sun in India rose in AP and then in other states! Could this be true? If he had spelt out when the sun rose in eastern states, it would have helped. Chandrababu also stated definitively that worship of the sun was not a part of religion, but was a scientifc practice.

Worship of the sun has been there for centuries--it may be part belief and part science. In other words, there may be an element of scientific substance to it. However, what we need to see here whether a chief minister should advance his personal religious beliefs for political ends.

Chandrababu has now been preaching and promoting more superstitions than he ever has, in the past. His interest in and publicity of the pushkarams finally led to a stampede and deaths during the event. The fact that millions of people bathing at the same time can be unhygienic is something which hardly needs to be overstated.

Chandrababu claimed that worship of the sun would eliminate drought and would lead to the state's progress.

Does this have any scientific basis and should rulers preach in this illogical manner? It is one thing to conserve nature. Worshipping it is something else altogether. If conservation of our eco-system was a priority, 35,000 acres of fertile agricultural land by the Krishna would not have been turned into a barren waste filled with concrete highrises!

Where would there be any need for irrigation projects if the worship of rivers could help them flow with enough water? The underlying objective behind all this is to stay in power by perpetuating such blind practices among gullible people. Oddly enough, Chandrababu did not show this measure of desperation and promote such superstitious practices in the past.

He now compares the sun to justice Chakravarti--one who treats everyone alike and provides the same kind of benefits to all.While the Kerala Chief Minister spoke of scientific temper and the Constitution, the AP Chief Minister preaches that sun worship itself is scientific! In the final analysis, we will have to put up with Chandrababu Naidu, who has been propagating such beliefs among the masses, for as long as he remains in power.