Praising astrology, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said Indian “pundits” were capable of giving accurate astronomical predictions and it was not necessary to depend on U.S. observatories to seek information on lunar or solar eclipses.
He also said India possesses knowledge in the fields such as trigonometry and algebra that no other country can match.
Addressing the convocation at Lucknow University, the Minister said: “Many times our media is confused. They say that U.S. observatory has informed about lunar and solar eclipse on a particular date...they don’t ask any ‘pundit’. They [pundits] will open the ‘panchang’ [Hindu calendar] and tell you the dates of eclipse 100 years ago and also 100 years hence.”
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“Our saints had said that Earth existed 1.96 ‘arab’ [196 crore] years ago. Earlier, science did not accept this, but later it had to. Indian cosmological calculations are in tune with modern scientific calculations. I am surprised why Indian youths are so much in awe of west’s excellence in the fields of science and technology...Whatever they [west] are telling us today, our seers have said this long time back,” he said, and underlined contributions of Indians to astrology, science and mathematics.
Mr. Singh, who has been a Physics lecturer, asked students to focus on their “spiritual development” and imbibe traditional values.
“When knowledge is cut off from traditional values, it becomes disastrous. Civilisations which get cut off from their traditions and values do not survive for long. It was India which showed a big heart and gave message of “vasudhaiva kutumbakam” [the world is one family],” he said.
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Asserting that knowledge devoid of values is disastrous for society, the Lucknow MP also urged youths to shun “hi and bye” culture. “Today, youths say ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ even to their parents... Instead, they should touch their parents' feet as a mark of respect,” he added.