Scientists seek divine help to fight quakes

NEW DELHI: Seismologists will soon be looking to the heavens and the planets for guidance to forecast earthquakes quickly and accurately. As a Delhi-based astrologer Lacchman Das Madan "warned" of a devastating earthquake in India within 38 days from June 10, 2004, members of the scientific community, burying all scepticism have resolved to join hands with astrologers, "without any prejudices", so as to help save millions of lives and property from catastrophic disasters.Madan had predicted several major earthquakes, including the January 26, 2001 Gujarat quake which killed over 20,000 people. At a seminar-cum-workshop with astrolgers and scientists held recently, the two strange bedfellows shared a table to pool their expertise to alert governments to impending earthquakes and natural disasters. After analysing and matching the seismic data recorded before several earthquakes in the country including that in Latur (1993) and Gujarat with the planetary configurations during the same period, it was resolved that astrological principles could play a pivotal role in sythesising and assimilating the knowledge of multidisciplinary science of seismology, geology, astronomy and atmospheric sciences for forecasting earthquakes. According to J L Thussu, a former director of the Geological Survey of India, "since scientists with advanced technologies have failed to predict earthquakes or other calamities, we are trying to find out how astrology and geology can be correlated to predict earthquakes." V C Tiwari, a geologist with the Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology opined that "it is important to study the correlation to know the effects of planets on earth". Union Minister of Human Resources and Development Murli Manohar Joshi, who faced flak a year ago for suggesting that astrology should be included in school curriculum, observed that "it was scientific fundamentalism" to rubbish warnings put out by Indian astrologers. "Ancient Indian astrology does have the tools to roughly foretell the time and sometimes even the exact date and time of an earthquake," he said. "Why be a science fundamentalist? All Indian astrologers are saying is 'I have a natural disaster prediction -- take it or leave it.' It is now up to the scientific community to be open to inputs from astrology," Joshi, who was also a professor in physics, said. During the seminar, organised by the Astrology Studay and Research Institute, an attempt was made to integrate ancient Indian wisdom with modern knowledge. Expressing his willingness to share informaiton with the scientists, Madan lamented that "it is a matter of regret that people ignored my warnings (of several earthquakes.) Our inputs can help governments blunt the keen edge of earthquakes," Madan, who initiated the seminar 'Predicting Earthquakes and Calamities', said. He dismissed the general notion that astrology was to frighten people, "intead it is to forewarn people". He warned of atleast eight to ten highly devastating earthquakes between July 2005 and January 2006. Also, "I can tell you that according to my calculations earth will face serious and violent convulsions in about a period of one month from July 29. "Earth and mars are drawing together for their closest approach in some 60,000 years on August 27, 2003. Apart from that, the entire planetary configurations are likely to become hostile to the world from August 29," he said. Madan also claimed he had predicted that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi would meet a "violent end" three months prior to his May 1991 assassination by Sri Lankan rebels belonging to the LTTE. He had also predicted in 1969 that Atal Bihari Vajpayee would lead the country.