To dispel fears surrounding a lunar eclipse, hundreds of people, including pregnant women and children, ate food while watching the eclipse on Friday night.
They were responding to a call by the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), the Manava Bandhutva Vedike (MBV), the Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane (JMS) and different groups of Lingayats and Dalits.
“The fear being spread around eclipses has no scientific basis. The proponents of superstitions want innocent people to be terror-stricken so that they can easily exploit and rule them. They don’t allow common people to watch and enjoy the beauty of nature’s wonders,” Shreeshaila Guli, president of BGVS, said.
K. Neela, State vice-president of JMS, criticised news channels in particular for spreading terror among people with regard to a lunar eclipse.
“In the past, the panels meant for discussing eclipses on television shows had have a balanced composition of both rationalists and astrologers. This time, however, most television channels joined hands with so-called astrologers to spread superstition and terror among people,” she said.
Defying the general notion that pregnant women should not watch the eclipses, two pregnant ladies attended the event and spoke on the occasion.
They called upon the people not heed the myths and unscientific arguments around the eclipses.
As the eclipse began, the atmosphere became emotionally charged with people enthusiastically watching the moon turning red.
Bisilu Beladingalu, a cultural troupe, presented melodious songs that called for fighting superstitions and developing scientific temper.
They left the place by 2 a.m. on Saturday.