The Kerala Yukthivadi Sanghom (KYS), a forum of rationalists in the State, has lashed out against the practice of astrology and has come up with a challenge for the astrologers.
The challenge comes in response to a ‘weather forecast’ by a popular astrologer in a Malayalam daily, which the sanghom termed was anything but scientific.
Patron of the sanghom, U. Kalanathan told reporters here on Monday that the weather predictions made by the astrologer were so trivial that anyone could make such predictions.
He claimed that astrology was a pseudoscience and should not be mistaken for Astronomy, which is a pure science.
He criticised the astrologer who claimed that Meteorology experts could never predict anything correctly and pointed out that it was Indian weather experts who correctly predicted the cyclone Phailin in Odisha.
Mr.Kalanathan said that publishing astrological prediction by newspapers amounts to cheating, which is a legal offence. He urged the media to refrain from doing so and thus encouraging superstitions.
The sanghom also called upon astrologers to accept a challenge set by them, to prove themselves right.
“We will provide them five birth dates of six persons with proper time of birth as well as place of birth. They just have to find out the gender of the person as well as whether they are dead or alive,” Mr.Kalanathan said adding that the astrologer who predicts correctly will get a cash award of Rs. one lakh.
Interested astrologers could contact the sanghom on 0496-2202212, he added.
