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Dr Abraham. T.Kovoor was free thinker, rationalist and psychiatrist,
from Kerala, South India who later spent his life in Sri Lanka. He was
the president of the Rationalist Association of Sri Lanka where he and
Dr Carlo Fonseka held regular meetings at Thurston College, Colombo.He
came to the conclusion that there was absolutely no objective truth behind
such claims and beliefs in all types of alleged psychic, para-psychological
and spiritual phenomena based on his intensive scientific researches for
over half a century.
He was one of the first and the only scientist among psychical researchers
in the world at that time to be awarded a doctorate for his research by
the Minnesota Institute of Philosophy of U.S. for his thesis on psychic
and para-psychic phenomena.
My former scout leader Mr .C. Pathmanathan, former teacher of St.Benedict
College, Kotahena used to attend his meetings and told me how Dr Kovoor
used to distribute the so-called "Holy Ash" in the same manner some self-appointed
Hindu gurus do. "Sathya Sai Baba" on of those Gurus from Karnataka, India
, whose performance of "Holy Ash" distribution among his followers was
considered to be very miraculous.
His assertion was that all those whoclaim to possess psychic, para-psychic
and spiritual powers were either hoaxersor mentally deranged persons suffering
from Cryptesthesia.
He said, " nobody has and
nobody ever had supernatural powers. They exist only in the pages of scriptures
and sensation-mongering newspapers. "
Dr. Kovoor's main aim was to enlighten people and teach them to goby
reason and scientific verification.
He was born at Tiruvalla in Kerala, (SouthIndia) on 10th April, 1898
as a son of a Syrian Christian Priest.His father was Rev. Kovoor Eipe Thomma
Katthanar, the Vicar General of the Mar Thomma Syrian Church of Malabar
He completed his basic education at the Syrian Christian Seminary in Keralaand
his higher education along with younger brother Dr Behanan Kovoor,who was
at Yale University and United Nations , at the Bengabasi College, Calcutta,
where he specialised in Botany and Zoology.
He was the only scientist in Asia took part in an expedition to the
Indian Ocean along with other scientists at the invitation by the " Ernst
Haeckel Ecology Center" of U.S.A
Dr Kovoor was very much attached to the rational teaching of Buddha.This
may have been of the reasons why he lost his Christian faith and tradition
and as he gradually matured he became a free thinker and adopted rationalism
as his philosophy.
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In recent years a new type of hoaxers have cropped up in India in the formof incarnations of one or other of numerous gods of the Hindu pantheon.Intelligent crooks of that country have found a new method of amassing wealthwith the least effort. They get hold of a person who is clever atsleight-of-hand tricks, and brand him as an „avathar“. A lot ofcock-and-bull stories about the miraculous genesis and divine powers of thegodmen are published in books and newspapers. Whenever this imitation of godappears in public, his agents offer him flowers and prostrate before him. Asmost gullibles have the habit of doing exactly as others do, the thousands ofcredulous spectators too prostrate before the miracle performing charlatan.Money pours in lakhs to be shared by the juggler and his agents. It is indeed atragedy that among these crafty god-makers are some of the highly qualifiedscientists of that country Although the acts of these hoaxers are as criminal as those of robbers,cheats, smugglers, blackmarketers, pickpockets and thieves, governments arereluctant to prosecute them because their practice is sanctioned by mostreligions. In a democracy where the majority of people are blind believers inreligions, these hoaxers can carry on their trade of cheating with impunity: Iflegal action is to be taken against them, the first person to be prosecuted willbe the Pope, the earthly representative of Christ, for cheating his gullibleflock by making them believe that the wine they are given during the HolySacrament is blood of Christ. This is a fraud that can be proved by subjectingthe Sacrament Wine to chemical test. It was to convince the ignorant masses that there is absolutely no truth inthe claims of these hoaxers that I have been challenging them staking all I haveto demonstrate their powers under fraud-proof conditions. I am aware that my various challenges, staking large sums of money, areliable to create a false impression in the minds of the public that I am afabulously rich man with plenty of money to throw about for cheap publicity. Iam also aware of the dire consequences of these challenges. If there is oneperson in the world with supernatural or paranormal powers, I will eventuallyhave to end up in a“ Home for Destitutes“, but I was, and still am,fully confident that I will not be losing a single cent by these challenges,because nobody has, and nobody ever had, miraculous powers although we read inscriptures and sensation-mongering newspapers numerous stories about peoplepossessing miraculous powers. That is why I am keeping these challenges opentill my death or till I find the first winner. None of the hoaxers who claim supernatural powers will dare to take up mychallenge for fear of their fraud getting exposed under scientific tests. Theonly person who was foolhardy to deposit Rs. 1000 as proof of his earnestnessto face my challenge, was, strangely enough, not one of the charlatans, but ahighly religious person who blindly believed in the supernatural and themiraculous. Dr, G. Venkata Rao, a medical doctor of Bangalore, who was credulous enoughto believe that his Guru Raghavendra Swamiji of Mantralaya, Andhra Pradesh, hasdivine powers, paid Rs. 1000 as earnest deposit, and finally lost it! Dr Rao foolishly believed that a person could obtain divine powers bychanting the mantra "Om Raghavendra Sharanam" daily 100 times. Beingan extremely gullible person he also belied the cock and bull Story the sacredash, honey and flowers come out like fountain from the eye of a 6 year-old child in a village in Mysore district.
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Shri V.A. Menon from Bombay ,who had known Dr Kovoor well and brought out his writings as a book ,wrote " Dr Kovoor had been a terror to those who cheat innocent and gullible masses in the garb of holy men or miracle performers. His fervour to wipe out superstition from the face of earth , and establish a humanitarian tradition makes Dr Kovoor one of the noblest personalities of the twentieth century. "
He wrote with great skill and wonderful sense
of humour.The variety of material gives a real insight into the intensive
research and thoughts of this outstanding rationalist.He was able to prove
many things that people believe wrong. His earnest hope was that his efforts
would be helpful in weeding out many of these charlatans that have been
spreading darkness , false and superstitious belief among people , and
weaning out the credulous and simple-minded masses not only from Indian
Subcontinent but also from the rest of the world their foolish and naive
beliefs in the supernatural and the miraculous without scientific verification.
I personally cannot remember any other person
other than Mr E.V.R. Periyar and Mr J Krishnamurti who has done so much
to enlighten the people in Indian Subcontinent where superstitious belief
very common among people including in my family in this century.
I feel privileged for having read some of the writings of this extraordinary man and regret that many people in India are not familiar with his writings. I really appreciate his philosophy of rationalism and grateful for his service to the mankind.
| Since 30 Jan 1998 |
Later, getting
wiser-probably after testing the claim of the miracle Childhimself at my
request-he wanted his deposit returned. Much against my wish, Ihad to decline
his request as it-was against the conditions of my challenge.