It is a fact that many organizations of different religtions
have been conducting Meditation Prayers claiming that diseases can be cured by
Meditation Prayers. The Meditation Ce ntres opened by them for this purpose are
functioning at several places in our state. Many organizations connected to
Christian and Hindu religions are in the forefront of conducting Meditation
Prayers. They propagate that if the patient is affected by a disease
partcipatiion in these Meditation Prayers can cure the disease. The main people
that advocate such a theory is the Pentecost Section of Christian community. Be
that as it may, in the past there were many incidents wherein patients belonging
to this section of Christian religion were not given proper medical aid and
instead the relatives were conducting prayers while the patient was in a
serious condition. In certain cases when the neighbours had come to know about
it they have informed the police and with the help of police the patients were
admitted to the hospitals much against the wishes of the relations.
It is wellknown that a number of Meditation Centres belonging
to Christian community had sprung up throughout Kerala who are regularly conducting
Mediation Prayers lasting for a minimum duratiion of two weeks or so and
spreading all sorts of stories about people getting cured of even dreadful diseases
through such Mediation Prayers. Moreover, in certain Meditation Centres they conduct
Meditatiion Prayer programmes for those who is not able to have child.
Ironically, many a well educated people fall prey to such propaganda and
participate in such programmes unmindful of the futility of the same.
In this connection it is opportune to cite an episode that
took place in the year 1998. One of my friends who happened to be working in
the same organization with me had to remain under treatment on getting affected
by cancer.He had undergone treatment for the same during different intervals
and used to attend the work in between for some time. Nevertheless, his disease
could not be cured. Then some of his relations had advised him to go to a
particular Meditation Centre owned by Christian community to which he belonged.
Accordingly, he had observed Meditation Prayer for almost three months or so at
that Meditation Centre. It is the practice of that Meditation Centre to
hold a public programme wherein the
devotees who had observed Meditation Prayer on completion of their Meditation
Prayer, will narrate their own experiences and my friend had also participated
in such a programme and while narrating his experiences during the Meditation
Prayer programme, declared openly that his disease has been cured completely
and he is going back as a very happy person. Subsequently, he resumed duties;
however,he could not continue working for more days as he had fallen very sick
resulting in his hospitalization and he passed away within a few days time.
It is seen that these Meditation Prayer Centres spread all
sorts of stories through their publications or otherwise about persons who were
affected by diseases like cancer getting cured completely due to Meditation
Prayers which to say the least, are travesty of truth..
It is also pertinent to mention here that a relative of one
of my friends who had gone for Medtation Prayer programme had fallen in a big
utensil in whch coffee meant for those
participating in Meditation Prayers was being boiled and died as a result of
severe burns received. If Meditation Prayers had the effect of curing any
disease, that devotee who was observing Meditation Prayers programme would not
have sustained burn injuries due to his falling in the boiling coffee not to
speak of meeting his death.
Recently famous Malayalam film actor Innocent who had fallen
prey to cancer who had to undergo treatment for a few months had disclosed that
when the news of his getting affected by cancer had spread, many organizations
belonging to Christianity had approached him offering to cure his disease
through Meditation Prayers which he refused. He had also declared that if a
person gets affected by a disease Meditation Prayer is not the cure for that
and he/she has to undergo treatment for the same. Nevertheless, everybody is not
like Innocent who had bluntly refused to trust the people who claimed that they
can cure his disease through Meditation Prayer. It is but natural that a person
who is affected by such diseases as Cancer
on losing all hopes of recovery is attracted to such Meditation Prayer
Centres in the hope of getting cured.
It can thus be concluded without mincing any words that this
kind of propaganda on the part of Meditation Prayer Centres claiming that
dreaded diseases like cancer are cured by observing Meditation Prayers is aimed
at making people superstitious. Needless to state, it is the duty of every
citizen of our country to fight against such superstitious propaganda and
social evils and expose the futility of these Meditation Prayers in the
interest of the nation.
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