Archives

THE OBSERVER

The Oldest English Newspaper in South Asia
Founded 4.2.1834
P. O. Box 1217,
35, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha,
Colombo 10, Sri Lanka.
Telephone: Editor - 94-1-429226; Fax: 94-1-429230

Seeing stars

What is all this fuss about what the stars didn't foretell ? From the time elections were invented in Sri Lanka (then good old Ceylon) politicians have been going in droves to the 'devales' beseeching all the deities in the pantheon for their support to get to the top of the greasy pole. Of these God Skanda or the Kataragama Deviyo is, of course the most popular but the other deities do have a look in somewhat like characters playing bit roles in a film or extras in a crowd scene. Needless to say these deities can't please all the politicians. Some have to lose but that doesn't prevent the politicians in believing in the gods or going to them for favours.

It is the same with the astrological forecasts. At every election predictions are made of the triumph and success of this party or that but more often than not they are based not on the conjunction of the stars or planetary configurations but on the political predilections of the astrologer concerned or the patron who backs him. Again not every political party can win the elections. Somebody has to lose but this doesn't prevent people from believing in the stars.

In the present case a man whom Mr. S.B. Dissanayake has produced at a press conference has claimed that a popular astrological newspaper has been 'lying' in favour of the PA Government from 1999 and concocting stories predicting PA victories. The point however is that concoction or not the stories have been true.

The stubborn fact is that the PA has won whether the forecasts were based on astrology or bunkum. The moral of the present imbroglio therefore is that whether the stars foretell or not there are people who believe that there is a divine hand which guides political destinies although it is the more ballot box which delivers the result.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager