Soothsayers fail to read their own fortune

Auckland is increasingly becoming home to saffron-clad Pujaris (Priests) of the devious kind, dispensing their services as astrologers. Most, if not all, are from India.

They delve in the ancient art of fortune telling, palm reading, witchcraft and spiritual healing, minting money from the simple and gullible.

Some of them, daubed with ashes, heavy dots or streak of vermilion on forehead sit amidst the pictures of a pantheon of Hindu Gods, preying on the ignorance of people.

Their business is brisk and these dens of thieves have multiplied so fast that it is not difficult to locate them in suburbs where Indians abound.

Wolves in lambs’ garb

The attire of the practitioners sets them apart from others, looking holy but possessed with the heart of the devil. Many clients have returned with wisdom determined not to fall into their traps again, although such wisdom would have come at a high price.

The practitioners, certain that there would be no reprisal, continued their tricks.

The sting operation by Campbell Live (TV3) on April 1 was truly an eye-opener for New Zealanders to know more about these cheats, who engaged in intense advertising in the Indian media. Indian Newslink did well in the programme, with its Editor coming out openly against these fraudsters.

Fear is the most potent weapon in their armory that brings their victims to their deadly embrace. Their diagnosis is broad and relevant to most people: financial woes, employment difficulties, depression, concern about the future and black magic.

They offer to remove these afflictions upon payment of a fee that could range from $500 to $5000; in some cases, up to $30,000. People, who are in dire straits, become victims.

Hindu religious scriptures do not prescribe or serve as a base for such practices.

However, the practitioners know that attesting religion to such practices makes it easier for them to penetrate Hindu followers whose search for God in any form (cow, elephant or a human being) is legendary.

Pictures of Hindu Gods embellish their practice chambers. They keep the traditional lamps lit and the powerful aroma of burning incense sticks make their victims feel that they are in the presence of God.

The practitioners are clever, cunning and calculating, easily discerning the minds of their victims. They make their moves with the sagacity of the wolves, as the victims melt under their mystical spell.

A no-good exposed

If the practitioners could foresee and forewarn, they failed to know about the Campbell Live sting operation.

If the practitioners do not know about their own fate, how can they tell about that of others?  These greed-driven people are heartless and ruthless.

A year ago, Bangalore based Shakuntala Devi, a world-renowned mathematician visited New Zealand to dispense her services as an astrologer. She left the country in haste as criticisms and accusations against her for extorting money rose.

Indian Newslink logged numerous criticisms and complaints from distraught clients, claiming that after reading palms or horoscopes she charged $500-$700 per customer to remove “black magic” from their lives. This newspaper reported the plight of many victims in its April 1, 2009 issue.

Shakuntala Devi was no ordinary person. She held the world record for calculating faster than a computer and, reportedly, owned homes in UK, US and India. She was held in respect and admiration but is now loathed in many countries for engaging in such devious activities. Certainly, it would be imprudent for her to return to New Zealand.

Alien to Kiwis

Such activities may be normal and acceptable in India but are totally alien to the Kiwi culture and are rightly abhorred.

The Government should introduce appropriate mechanism to protect its citizens and ensure that such practices are prohibited. Those engaging in such activities must receive deterrent punishment.

It is also the responsibility of community leaders to ward off such people who amass wealth through deceit and deception and tarnish our image.

In a multiracial and multicultural society like New Zealand, each community must maintain a balance with the dominant culture, expunging the vices and evils that are alien to its core values.

Campbell Live has done a great service to the people of New Zealand – Indians in particular by exposing the activities of these devious characters.

Rajendra Prasad (Email: raj.prasad@xtra.co.nz) is our columnist with strong views and issues that affect the country, the society, the community and humanity in general. His articles are exclusive to Indian Newslink. Read related story on Page 3.

We welcome readers’ opinions at editor@indiannewslink.co.nz

Astrology, described as a ‘Perfect Science,’ has been practiced in India for thousands of years. Based on the movement of nine planets that come under the Earth’s Path, they are said to influence all living beings. It is only in recent years that Astrology has sadly become a ‘free-for-all.’ It was not certainly meant to hoodwink the innocent and helpless.