Parents in backward Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha have been persuaded to enroll their kids in ‘midbrain activation’ training programme that purportedly enables a child to read and write blindfolded.
Dubbing the programme as a gimmick and a ploy to extract money from gullible parents, rationalists demanded that law enforcement agencies take note of this.
Additionally, a few top government officers were giving credence to the programme by associating themselves to it by felicitating one of the girl students, who claimed to have learnt the skill of reading books while being blindfolded, they alleged.
According to Tapeswar Mahanta, a trainer with Glisten’s New Horizon Brain Development Company which offers ‘midbrain activation’ training in Keonjhar district, 40 students had already enrolled in the programme to read and write in the state of being blindfolded.
“It is special training programme to energise brain of a person. It is based on mystic science. We carry out specific exercise of brain. In a few sittings, a child can acquire unprecedented memorizing skill,” claimed Mr. Mohanta. The group is charging ₹15,000 per student.
The midbrain activation programme is currently promoted in Champua area of Keonjhar and Karanjia of Mayurbhanj district. Mr. Mohanta, however, claimed parents were showing interest in their programme all over the State.
“This is a trick to cheat parents, who are desperate to see their children excel in studies. If the programme was so beneficial, the government should assess the programme by experts basing on scientific theories,” said Raja Suresh, member of Humanist Rationalist Organisation, Odisha.
Mr. Suresh said the law enforcement agencies should take promoters of the brainless programmes to task and save parents from coughing off hard-earned money.
