Protest against TV program (in support of rebirth) “Raaz Pichhle Janam ka” on NDTV Imagine
Click here to sign the Petition
In the award winning film ‘Nayak’ by the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray, the protagonist asks his friend – “do you think there is an afterlife? Do you believe in re-birth?” the friend laughs and says “even if I am born again, I won’t be the same Jyoti living in the same era! So how would I know and how does it matter? Do what you wish to do in this life itself”. The hero, played by the legendary Uttam Kumar brushes of his inhibitions and goes ahead with his dream of becoming a film star.
With wonderful touch of humor and common sense Ray lays bare the basic reason for not believing in re-birth and for not dwelling on such imaginary and wasteful exercise.
We find in this 21st century, a national TV channel tagging the suffix ‘imagine’ frequently presenting utter non-science in the name of imagination—ghost stories and made up stories of ‘miracles’. But the current one about previous life and its revelation through hypnotism takes the cake.
Let us come to the social point of view. To make people believe in previous life and re-incarnation is not only nonsensical, it is damaging. The idea was made up by rulers and priests to control the less fortunate. To make people feel guilty for the possible sins committed in their previous life is the dirtiest of tricks played by our ancient forefathers. The poorest of the poor born in so called “low caste” had no other option but to remain “low caste”. They could only dream of a better future in their next life by being timid, docile and utterly un-ambitious in this life. So, two-thirds of the poverty stricken masses of India never revolted.
Our memory, our dreams and aspirations dwell in our brain cells. With death our brains too are destroyed – burnt or decomposed in the grave. So scientifically, no memories or thoughts can survive after death, except through our writings, work etc.
Life is beautiful, precious and full of possibilities. Modern man with global exposure has learnt it now. So any attempt towards regression even in the name of entertainment is criminal.
We strongly condemn the TV show “Raaz pichley janam ka” (A program in support of rebirth) as unscientific and damaging for the viewers. We call on all the viewers who think like us, to protest by signing this appeal.
Click here to sign the Petition
The Science & Rationalists Association of India
& Humanists’ Association
Please link to this page
Related posts:
17 Responses to “Protest against TV program (in support of rebirth) “Raaz Pichhle Janam ka” on NDTV Imagine”
Leave a Reply
This is being discussed on RichardDawkins.net. there are concerns that the petition is trying to censor free speech. the aim of the petition should be stated more clearly.
discussion can be found here:
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/4869
NDTV Imagine is cheating in the TV show. For that reason they have not accepted challenge of Prabir Ghosh (General Secretary, Science & Rationalist Association of India): “We challenge the revelations connected to ‘previous life’ as shown in the program ‘Raaz Pichhle Janam ka’, and demand immediate discontinuation of the show.” For more details please visit http://www.srai.org/challenge-to-ndtv-imagine-program-raaz-pichhle-janam-ka . The aim of the petition has been cleared on January 1.
Thanks to everyone who posted comments. I am Prabir Ghosh’s son. Good to see a healthy debate. I find some members are against the idea of censorship of the superstitious show being aired on NDTV Imagine. It is not a question of censorship. It is a protest to take something off air which is harmful for the society. Will you not protest if a naked model goes up on a billboard in front of your child’s school? Will you not want it removed, since it may be harmful for the school kids? Someone commented, if you don’t like it, just ignore it. Good. So let’s allow hired killers to advertise in newspapers about their services and ignore their ads as we are not interested. Sounds fair? Someone commented, from now should we start protesting against ghost stories? Ghost stories do not pretend to be true. They are fiction. This particular show pretends to be reality. It is being aired as a ‘reality show’. They call audience from their SMS to their studio, and hypnotize(?) them in front of a studio audience. The ‘hypnotized’ person narrates his memory of his/her past life, and parts of that are reconstructed. It is a fiction show which is being aired as a reality show. It is spreading misconception about life after death. That is why we need to protest and get it taken off air.
The whole idea of re-birth is quite bizarre, disturbing and exploitative. Essentially, life as we know it, is self contained. As such it is difficult enough to deal with, without resorting to insane speculations relevant
to separate personalities, implied guilt, and separation of the essential self fto deal with any weird notion allegedly permeating the cosmos.
Paul Murchison Australain author (Who is This God) Zeus Publications Qld.
reposted from dawkins.net, originally by ‘a non e-moose’:
Anindya
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but contempt for superstition peddlers, but I don’t think you have a right to demand they accept every challenge that is given them. For example if Richard Dawkins had to accept every challenge for debate he was handed, he’d be debating 24-7.
Pinaki Ghosh
If a decision to remove the show were taken without being grounded on a consistent legal framework, it would by definition be an act of arbitrary censorship, regardles of your opinion of the show. With the number of times I have railed against censorship, it would be incredibly hypocritical of me to support it this time just because it happens to be against something I disagree with.
I don’t know about india, but in most countries there are laws about public nudity (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_indecency), and murdering people (maybe it would be good if killers advertized their services; they would be easier for the police to track down).
What I think you should be doing is lobbying for stricter laws against profiteering from selling untruths as truths, through entertainment or otherwise. Look into what such laws already are in place and if they do exist you need to refer to them explicitly in the petition.
In the meantime, use public debate (which obviously you already are) to educate people, it is a very powerful tool as well. If someone is exposed to nonsense and realizes why its wrong, it does more to develop critical thinking than never having been exposed to nonsense (that said, of course you should not seek to promote nonsense).
Please watch this visual of the show in discussion (Raaz Pichle Janam Ka). They call this a ‘reality show’ (!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6anFovEuqA
bob,
For your information i want to say that, Rationalist Prabir Ghosh & his association named “Science & Rationalist Association of India” have defeated hundreds of guru, godman, fakir, faith-healer in last 25 years. He is the author of 13 Bengali-language best sellers. Don’t think that he have enough time to challenge everyone who advertise miracle event, Astrologer, Ghost Story Writer(As you have said) & prove that they are fraud. He is working at his age of 65 to make people aware about fraud claim & superstition. When such an International Icon Like Prabir Ghosh Throwing open challenge & say that NDTV Imagine is doing fraud then it should not be neglect by them. You should remember that this debate also come in the website of International icon RECHARD DAWKINS. If NDTV IMAGINE not accept Prabir Ghosh’s challenge so it prove that they are fraud. Because it happens many time in past years that many people claiming that he/she can do miracle, can tell future or can change our future by stone or whatever have not accept Prabir Ghosh’s challenge to prove there claim.
Think one thing, What is there(NDTV IMAGINE) problem to accept Prabir Ghosh’s challenge and prove that they are showing right thing ? If they are showing right thing & not doing fraud then they will sure win the challenge. If they win, they will get 25 LAkh prize money. So why they are not comming to accept challenge ?
Anyone who think about this, can understand this. If you think with your own mind then you can also understand this….
raaz pichele janm ka a stupid programe.it must be band
isn’t it unethical to scare people telling them about the wrong things they might have done in previous life? After all nobody knows if there is rebirth or not!
Kakoli Sarkar
Even if someone talks in his sleep how does it prove afterlife? My dada (elder brother) also talks in his dream — he fights with lions, plays football, drives a figher plane and so on in his sleep. He kicks and shouts in his sleep. Does it imply he fought with a lion in his earlier birth? What nonsense!
Ashis maity
hey,,lets not confine yourself to bookish knowledge..wider your spectrum,,there are whole lot of things that are beyond human control..n for which you dont find answers..infact Raaz pechle janam ka is medium through which people can actually heal their pain that is spiritual..ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLING THIS CHANNEL AND PAST LIFE REGRESSION FAKE..there are trained professional who conduct dis //..its all about discovering..
Very good work by Prabir Ghosh & SRAI.I supporting SRAI & I too protest.More, Want no any publicity of SUPERSTITION as like ‘previous life’ and any other superstitions as per article 51A/h Fundamental Duty of the Constitution of India.Want to implementation of laws to stop publicity of SUPERSTITIONs if claimed subject is not proved by claimant.Please go on PRABIR & SRAI.
The channel sensationalised the show for TRPs(and was hugely successful).What it shows can’t prove existence of reincarnation.So we do not have any proof of what happens when a living entity dies.But if a person can get relief from any phobia nurtured because of some unknown reason by hypno-therapy as is quite evident from participants’ opinion on last episode of the programme that they have overcome their phobia since the hypnotic session,that is welcome.As we can’t accept any theory without proof so also we should not reject anything just because our knowledge can’t substantiate it.We should be open in our mind without being superstitous.
If Mr.Pinaki Ghosh is so concerned about the authenticity of the program “Raaz Pichhle Janam ka”; why don’t he go there, also ask for someone he trust to be present & bring the truth out over to the people, once and for all.
@ Rationalist. Not sure I understand what you have to say. ‘Go there’, go where? To the show? It is been withdrawn already.
well, the show is bogus, the anchor is just good for nothing, the particiapnts r fake…. n the most surprising element is the doctor, Mrs. Tripti Jain, who claims that she can actually take people to their past lives…. n even some celebrities visited 2 or 3 lives back…. utter bullshit…. thanks Prabir sir n team….
one more interseting thing to note is that, in this birth, if a man is scared of heoghts, he died of that fear in the previous birth, if someone is afraid of fire, she died of fire in her previous birth, if someone is scared of water, he/she was drowned in her previous birth…. what nonsense…grow up India…