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Thursday, July 24, 2025
TopicSuperstition

Topic: Superstition

Snakebites kill more Indians than malaria, dengue. Blame the urban-rural divide

Snakebites in India are mostly brushed away as a rural, poor-people problem. While the numbers are staggering, the bigger story is wrapped up in mythology, superstition, and abysmal public health infrastructure.

Ananya Panday is the latest star to flaunt her ‘guruji’. It signals India’s crisis of faith

Seeking spiritual guidance is nothing to be frowned upon. But the masses flocking to babas should also be read as a symptom of a larger problem—India’s crisis of faith.

‘Those directly involved sentenced, rest let free’ — Narendra Dabholkar’s family on murder case verdict

11 yrs after murder, Pune court hands life sentences to 2 accused, acquits 3 others. Family says they 'welcome' court’s decision & justice has prevailed, but will challenge acquittals.

7-yr-old drowns at Haridwar, cops say parents ‘repeatedly dipped him in Ganga to cure him of cancer’

The child’s parents and aunt have been held for interrogation, the SHO of the Har-ki-Pairi police station Bhavna Kainthola said.

Black dolls on trees, ‘goddess footprints’ — Maharashtra anti-superstition law barely used in 10 yrs

Anti-superstition activists attribute this to frequent changing of govts, and lack of will on part of every administration. Very few cases lodged, conviction rate also dismal, they add.

Dhirendra Shastri, miracle-maker of MP, is only getting bigger after rationalist challenge

Forced to run from Maharashtra by rationalists' open challenge to prove his 'chamatakar', 'godman' Dhirendra Shastri is back among his believers in Bageshwar Dham. Bail to cancer cure, devotees are flocking him for everything.

VS Astrology is running a campaign against looting

VS Astrology is running a campaign against looting and superstition for many years. The founder, Dr Gaurav Gite says that there are no superstitions in real astrology.

Temple posters, orders to priests: How Telangana district is fighting ‘auspicious’ caesareans

In April, Karimnagar collector issued instructions to doctors & priests against needless surgery. Hope is if 'auspicious date' perk is removed, parents will opt for natural birth.

If you predicted a better 2021, you didn’t take away the one lesson from Covid

Here we are, a few days into 2021, and nothing has become magically better than 2020.

State anti-superstition laws not enough. India needs a central law, focus on victim not crime

Cases of witch-hunting and human-sacrifices are part of systems of oppression that have been culturally and religiously legitimised for centuries.

On Camera

India’s ancient knowledge could save the future of AI. Build with wisdom, not just engineering

Each billion dollars we spend on GPUs and AI hardware is akin to planting more neurons in the simulated brain we are building. And this brain is expanding — quickly.

India-US set to ink mini trade deal soon, reach understanding on agricultural & dairy products

Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.

During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan likely used NATO-style aerial tactics taught by China

The Chinese are said to have hired ex-fighter pilots & air force operators from NATO countries over the past several years to help them fine-tune their operational & flying capabilities.

Strategic partner one day, tactical nightmare the next: India’s learning Trumplomacy the hard way

Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.