The authorities in Sri Lanka have arrested a popular astrologer who predicted that the president will be ejected from office, police say.
Chandrasiri Bandara announced last week that the government would flounder in September and October because of political and economic problems.
The opposition have condemned the arrest and warned that the country is heading towards a dictatorship.
Astrology is taken seriously by numerous Sri Lankan politicians.
Inauspicious
Police told the AP news agency that Mr Bandara told an opposition meeting that the prime minister would take over as president on 9 September and the opposition leader would become prime minister.
He was arrested on Wednesday night to investigate the basis of his prediction, police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera said.
Mr Bandara made his forecast despite the president's high approval ratings following the defeat of Tamil Tigers rebels in May, bringing an end to nearly 26 years of civil war.
"The CID (Criminal Investigations Department) is questioning the astrologer," Mr Gunasekara said. ...
"The crime which Chandrasiri Bandara committed was publishing an astrological column which was adverse to the government," said opposition United National Party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake.
So convinced are Sri Lankan politicians over the accuracy of astrology that many have their own personal seers who decide the auspicious times to launch any new initiative.
President Rajapaksa has declared himself to be a believer, telling foreign reporters earlier this year that he has often consulted a favoured astrologer for advice on what time to make speeches or to depart for trips.
via BBC NEWS | South Asia | Sri Lanka astrologer is arrested.
Time warp back to the Dark Ages. Intuitive advisors can be useful, but there is no magic involved, no insight to be had from the motion of the planets about human events. (Unless you count the motion of the Earth around the sun and the resulting seasons which do influence our behavior due to changes in the weather... ) Bandara and other astrologers should get credit for ideas and advice without attributing them to some Namby Pamby hocus pocus Mumbo Jumbo.
3 comments:
This article made me laugh - an astrologer arrested for making a prediction. You don't need an astrologer to see India is heading toward a dictatorship. It's been doing that for a while now.
I was a friend of a Hindu priest several years ago. And, he wanted to do something for me ... I can't remember what it was, perhaps to predict my future or something. Whatever. I thought he was going to use some special ability or power to help me. Instead, he pulled out an astrology book, which anyone can buy in India and started going through the tables in the book to help me out. And, this priest was well respected in his community. He performed ceremonies for local businesses etc.
But, he explained to me it is not "astrology" per se, it is not the tables in the book so much as how they're used and by whom they're used. Like a crystal ball or reading palms they're only crutches, if you will, that allow a medium, sensitive, psychic or a priest to focus on a particular problem, question or search for a solution. By looking at astrology too closely, by examining it in detail, one might miss how their used and by whom.
An astrologer from Argentina, http://WWW.ZODIACGUILLE.COM is predicting right now that a country from Asia with the letter “M” is going to have a huge change (I guess it is Myanmar) because the leadership of a sick man under Aquarius Sign is going to explote in his umbilical part of his body. He also said that the country will be GOVERN further under the sign of a GEMINI person. Apart from this, Zodiacguille said that an old name is coming back for happiness of his people.
Then, the argentine horoscope man sent a message to Sri Lanka Goverment begging to liberate the arrested Astrologer Chandrasiri BANDARA saying " Please, MERCY Dear President Mahinda Rajapakse for him, because his relate is maybe a mistake..."
The Argentine Astrologer said: "If it is neccesary to travel to Sri Lanka I may go on behalf of all the associated astrologers world wide. Chandrasiri is press astrologer so the roles are acceptable and maybe there is a mistake".
This Astrologer Don Zodiac Guille also predicted the civil-military destitution for the President Zelaya in Honduras, but he also predicted that the President will returns to power.(Dorys Dodier from Madrid – Spain
MexDF.Independient.Press report:
A week ago, the very well known TV future teller was arrested by Colombo city sri lankan Police because he preticted the President of the Nation would be removed from the Government of Sri Lanka.
Without giving details of statements, the argentinian horoscope man also added in his homepage, wwww.zodiacguille.com, two URLs, one corresponding to Mr. Chandrasiri Bandara and, of course, the other: Sri Lanka President´s oficial site.
"Up to now, I couldn´t log in Chandrasiris´blog; it seems "stars" aren´t helping..." he joked. "but to President´s site is quite interesting and easy to contact His Excellecy ..."
Many astrologers all over the world are on "esoteric" expectation about the Sri Lankan Government decision. To finish, Don Zodiac Guille said: "I would respectfully like to have a look on the Mundane Astral Chart already built by Mr. BANDARA because the Police want a logical explanation about those political predictions on President Manida Rajipakse´s destitution".
Don Zodiac Guille ended saying :"Astrology is a millenary social practice...so we have to moderate our concepts when a Country Chart is going to be published specially if the land situation is difficult"
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