Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Indian people and the total solar eclipse

On 22nd of July, 2009 a vast part of northern India and few of its neighbouring countries observe the very unique and heavenly celestial activity in the sky - it is a total solar eclipse. Everybody knows India is a country which bears lots of superstitions based on the religions and believes. No bad in it to be superstitious as long as it is not making any harm to the other people or the reputation of our country to the outside world. Today mankind has reached in such a position standing on which point it is very usual that people are becoming day-by-day more nurished by the scientific understanding and thinking. India and the Indians also not in the exception list in this point of view. Though, I know and I agree that still the dark cloud of superstitions are exsists in Indian comunities, but I equally well aware of the fact that people bearing a scientific mind is also not in less numbers in India. So the fact is in Indian society, a balance of supersitious and non-superstitious (or the believer of scientific understandings) persons exists. But here also India is not exceptional case. In my life time I saw lots of superstitious people and religion all over the world. One cann't believe how far the western people (because they are so-called more scientifically advanced nationals) in some cases are superstitious. So my point of saying is that there will always exist a certain percentage of superstitious people in one country region or in one society. As long as religion is there superstitions will also be there. But the only difference is that the percentages of superstitious and non-superstitious people will vary from country to country. If the society has good educational profile then they are believed to have less superstitions and there minds are more scientific. In today's context, may be the percentage of non superstitious people in India roughly 40%. But with a population of more than 1.1 billion that 40% matters a lot.

Now-a-days I am living in Nicosia, Cyprus. Today morning (during breakfast time) I was in front of my TV set and viewing the news from CNN. They covered the enthusiasm of people from different Aisan countries associated with this rare celestial activity of full solar eclipse. I was surprised seeing the unnecessary contrast in coverage of CNN journalists. They covered in china rural region people came outdoor with their IR-protective goggles, camera, telescope to see this rare incident and the same fact in other countries like Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc. On the other hand they covered this incident in Varanasi only where people are offering flowers and other things to the god and godesses, praying by singing religeous songs, etc. etc. It is pretty annoying, this is not the only picture in India in that rare day of full solar eclipse. There are so many different scientific organizations are looking for getting vital information associated with this phenomenon. Indian Airforce today had arranged two Mig fights (which flew from Agra and Gwalior) with high resolution cameras and photographers and also packed with a team of scientists and discoverers from ISRO and other institutes and scientific organizations. The main goal is to get pictures and set up observations to get a good view and understanding of this rare phenomenon from stratosphere level of earth's atmosphere. Also in my small village town (my birth place) one scientific organization arranges all the things so that people can see this rare incident. I believe in cities of India people are very much well aware of this natural phenomenon scientifically. We read in our science books during our 6th or 7th standard about this natural phenomenon and its cause and occurance. But how those CNN journalists avoid those part to telecast their news? Is it fare? Modern India is not a place of only superstitious believers.

Dear CNN journalists, know India, then do coverage. Varanasi is not India it is a part of India. Do not make a fake journalism under CNN banner. "You" are providing false story suppressing the real fact! This is against the ethics of journalism. BE HONEST!!

1 comment:

  1. Ore bbaba....tumi to reporter hote parte bhalo.....Sudhu sudhu chemistry nie somoy nosto korcho....

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