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TamperingwithscientifictemperTheHindu

Today'sPaperOPINION
Tamperingwithscientifictemper
PeterRonalddeSouza

InearlyNovember,thePrimeMinisterannouncedthatanimportantinitiativetocelebratethe125thbirthanniversary
ofJawaharlalNehruwasthepromotionofscientifictemperamongchildren.Endorsingthisview,afewdayslater,
theHomeMinister,whoisalsotheconvenerofthecommitteetaskedtoorganisethecelebrations,laudedNehrus
leadershiproleinpromotingscientifictemperandinestablishingtheinstitutionsofscienceinthecountry.He
describedNehruasaRashtraPurush,highpraisewhichtheSanghParivarreservesforveryfew.Themessagefrom
thetwoleadersisclear:Indianeedstoinvestinscientifictemperespeciallyamongtheyoungifwewish,asanation,
tobeaproudparticipatingmemberoftheworldofscientificknowledge.Therewasnoambiguityaboutgovernment
intent.Indiawasonthethresholdofanewpushtowardsscientifictemper.
Issueofdomains
Someweekslater,theUnionCabinetMinisterforHumanResourceDevelopment,whichistheMinistryinchargeof
schools,colleges,universities,theIndianInstitutesofScienceEducationandResearch,theIndianInstitutesof
ManagementandtheIndianInstitutesofTechnology,andthuswiththeresponsibilityforthepromotionofscientific
temperamongchildren,wasreported,bythemedia,tohavespentfourhourswithanastrologerinRajasthan.
Whenqueriedaboutthenatureoftheconsultation,sinceitconcernedthelinkbetweenpalmistryandforecastingthe
shapeofthefuture,andaboutthemessagethispubliclyreportedconsultationwouldgivetochildren,theMinister
respondedbyaskingthemediatorespectherprivacy.Shetherebyintroducedanewelementintothedebate.Is
scientifictemperanattitudeforboththepublicandtheprivatedomainsorisitonlyforthepublicdomain?Isitan
attitudeofbeing,forthewholeperson,orisitonlyaprotocolforpublicactivity?Isscientifictemperopposedto
superstitionorcanitcohabiteasilywithsuperstition?Isastrologyascienceorisitsuperstition?Cantheevidencefrom
thepalmprovidetestablehypothesisaboutfutureevents,suchashighhumiditymeansthatitwillrain,orincreased
particulatematterinairwillproducerespiratoryillnesses?Isthereacausalrelation?
TheseareinterestingquestionsandIndia,followingthePrimeMinisterscall,willneedtodebatethem.Theurgencyof
thedebatewasemphasisedwhentheformerChiefMinisterofUttarakhandstated,innolessaplacethanParliament,
thatastrologyissuperiortoscienceandthatJyotishisasciencetomakecalculationslakhsofyearsinadvanceandthat
allothersciencesaredwarfedinfrontofastrology.Withthesetwocounterstatements,tothetwoofthePrimeMinister
andtheHomeMinister,thedebatehasnowgotveryconfusing.Canonemakecalculationslakhsofyearsinadvance?Is
scientifictemperonlyapublicandnotaprivatematter?Isastrologythemasterscience?
Nehruonastrology
PerhapsitisusefultogobackalittleandseewhatourRashtraPurushsattitudewastoastrology.InalettertoRam
SwarupSharma,theDirectoroftheIndianInstituteofAstronomicalandSanskritResearch,NewDelhi,datedJuly16,
1959,thePrimeMinisterwrote:DearShriSharma.Thankyouforyourletterofthe13thJulywhichhasreachedme.
YouhavereferredinthislettertomylackofbeliefinAstrology.Thisislargelytrue.Buteverykindofrealscientific
researchshouldbewelcomed,provideditisconductedonscientificlines.Myownimpressionisthatourforefathersin
Indiamadeveryconsiderableprogressinastronomicalcalculations.WhileIwelcometheeffortyouaremakingtohave
ascientificinquiryinthesematters,Idonotthinkitwillbeatallsuitableforthisbooktobededicatedtome.Iamsure
youwillappreciatemypointofview..Yourssincerely,JawaharlalNehru.
SharmawasresearchingSanskrittextstoseehowfarastrologyinancientIndiacouldbeseparatedfromastronomy.
Nehrusletterhasfourlessonsforourdebateonastrologyandscientifictemper.Thefirstishislackofbeliefinthe
claimsofastrologytopredictthefuture.Thatiswhyhedidnotwishthebooktobededicatedtohim.Tobehonoured
inabookonastrologywentagainsthisscientifictemper.Thesecondisthedistinctionhemadebetweenastronomyand
astrologyinancientIndiaandhisappreciationoftheancientadvancesofastronomy.Thethirdishiswelcomingofthe
useofthemethodofscientifictesting.Suchamethodisvalidforalldomainsofknowledge.Inspiteofhisdisbeliefin
astrology,hewasopentotheideathatitsclaimsshouldbetestedbythescientificmethod.Thiswasthenatureofhis
scientifictemper.Hewouldhavearguedthatifastrologyconstitutesasetoftestablepropositions,whichitclaimsto
be,thentheclaimthatamarriageconductedwhenMangalisenteringthefourthquadrantisdoomedtofail,madeby
astrology,issimilartotheclaimthatitwillraintomorrowafternooninChennaisouth,madebythemeteorological
department.Asciencemustbemadeupoftestablepropositions.Asciencehasresearcherindependentprotocolsfor
validatingitstruthclaims.Woulddifferentastrologersagreeintheirreadingofasinglehoroscope?Thefourthishis
taking,asPrimeMinister,apublicpositionagainstastrologyinspiteofthepublicsdeepbeliefinit.Heriskedalossof
politicalcapitalbutstillasthefirsteducatortothenationhehadtopromoteascientifictemper.Themessagefromhim
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TamperingwithscientifictemperTheHindu

wasclear.Astrologycannotcohabitwithascientifictemper.
ThefactthatastrologyisnotasciencewasmostdramaticallyestablishedbyPadmaVibhushanJayantNarlikar,Indias
mosteminentastrophysicist,who,alongwithNarendraDabholkar,SudhakarKunteandPrakashGhatpande,
conductedastatisticaltestonastrologicalclaims.InanarticletitledAnIndianTestofIndianAstrology,publishedin
theMarch/April2013issueofSkepticalInquirer,whichisavailableonthenet,Narlikardescribeshowasetof200
horoscopeswerecollected100frombrightstudentsand100fromstudentsinschoolsforthementallychallenged.
Takingallthepreoccupationsofadoubleblindprocess,astrologerswereinvitedtoreadthehoroscopes.Twentyseven
responded.Herearetheconclusions.OurexperimentwithtwentysevenIndianastrologersjudgingfortyhoroscopes
each,andateamofastrologersjudging200horoscopes,showedthatnonewereabletotellbrightchildrenfrom
mentallyhandicappedchildrenbetterthanchance.OurresultscontradicttheclaimsofIndianastrologersandare
consistentwiththemanytestsofwesternastrologers.Insummary,ourresultsarefirmlyagainstIndianastrologybeing
consideredasascience.
Wearenowcalledupontochoosebetweentwoincompatiblepositions:onethatseesnocontradictionbetween
astrologyandscientifictemperandtheotherwhichviewsthemasfundamentallyopposed.AStatementonScientific
TemperreleasedbyP.N.Haksar,RajaRamannaandP.M.BhargavaonJuly19,1981,statedthatitisanattitudeof
mindwhichcallsforaparticularoutlookandpatternofbehaviourandwhichadvocatesthemethodofsciencefor
acquiringknowledge.Itadvocatesforthefullestuseofthemethodofscienceineverydaylifeandineveryaspectof
humanendeavourfromethicstopoliticsandeconomicsScientifictemperisthusnotaprivatematter.Article
51A(h)placesonallcitizensthedutytodevelopascientifictemperandthereforewecannotbechaltahaiabout
theseeventssincesocialbehaviourisimpactedbyitandacultureoffatalismcreatedbyit.Wemustrallybehindthe
PrimeMinisterscalltospreadscientifictemper.Wemustrevivethedebateofthe1980sonthenatureofscientific
temper.ThePrimeMinistermustgiveushisviewsontherelationbetweenscientifictemperandastrology.Scientists
mustenterthedebate.
TheMangalyaanlaunch
ItisreportedthatwhenMangalyaanwaslaunchedthesatellitewhichIndiawasabletoplaceinMarsorbitinthe
firstattempt,theonlycountrytobeabletodosotheChairmanoftheIndianSpaceResearchOrganisation(ISRO),
Dr.Radhakrishnan,went,thedaybeforethelaunch,toprayatTirupatiforitssuccess.Whenasked,heisreportedto
havesaidthathedidnotwanttoleaveanythingtochance.TheMarsmissionwassuccessful.ISROdeservesadouble
roundofapplause.Theteamofscientistshadtoperformasetofcomplexcalculationsandmanoeuvrestoliftthe
satelliteandpositionitinsuchawaythatitcouldbeflungtowardsMarsusingnotonlyitsownpropulsionsystemsbut
alsoearthsgravity.Thisisscienceatitsfinest.Thecomplexcalculationsgaveaccuracyandconfidencethatthe
commandsofmissioncontrolwouldtranslateintooutcomes.Thetechnologythatthesecalculationscreated,andthe
predictionsmadeofplaceandvelocityoftheplanetandthesatelliteweresoaccuratethattheycouldplace,after
severalmonths,thesatelliteinMarsorbit.ThisisthetriumphofNehrusscientifictemper.Thepreviousnightof
prayerhas,however,introducedsomeuncertaintyintothecelebrations.WasitthepujaatTirupatiorthescienceat
ISROthatworked?Waschancereducedbycombinedpower?DidtheycohabittoplaceMangalyaaninorbit,or,
askedcounterfactually,iftherewasnopuja,wouldMangalyaanhaveenteredMarssorbit?Whichwasthecauseof
success?Thisisaquestionofscientifictemperandnotpseudoscientifictemper.
(PeterRonalddeSouzaisProfessorattheCentrefortheStudyofDevelopingSocieties,NewDelhi.Theviews
expressedarepersonal.)
ThePrimeMinistermustgiveushisviewsontherelationbetweenscientifictemperandastrology.
Isscientifictemperanattitudeforboththepublicandtheprivatedomainsorisitonlyforthepublic
domain?Isitopposedtoorcanitcoexistwithsuperstition?ThesearequestionsIndiamustdebate

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