Here is
the summary of news item published in “DHARITRI” and SAMAYA” O/D,
on 5.7.07 and 6.7.07 respectively.
Kamakshyanagar: 4/7-
It is alleged that a school named Janata U.P.School at Kangeila of Jagannathpur
Panchyat in Kamakshyanagar Block of Dhenkanal district has been troubled
by ghosts. Mr.Priyabrata Samal, a student of 7th class got possessed by a ghost on 2.7.07
at the school during the first recess. He exhibited the syndrome of
epileptic fits with headache. Later he was sent back to home and then
to the nearby PHC. The doctor of PHC referred the case to S.C.B. Medical
college hospital,Cuttack. The parents returned back from PHC and approached
a local tantric (in local language “Gunia”) to bewitch the ghost.
In the night the boy got a blood-vomit. However, the next morning he
died on the way to S.C.B.Medical college. On the same day i.e. on 3.7.07
another student Sanoj got possessed and exhibited same syndrome as Priyabrata.
So he was also taken to a “Gunia” and after an exorcise he felt
well. On 4.7.07 another two boys named “Sonu” and “Ranu” got
possessed and exhibited the same symptoms. Another boy of class VI Shaktiprasad
got possessed after Sonu and Ranu. All the boys were bewitched by two
local Gunias and they got cured. From 5.7.07 onwards no student came
to school.
It was
reported that some Gunias have exorcised ghosts and witches from different
persons of the village in different time. After exorcise, the
Gunias hammer iron nails on the trunk of nearby trees with some hair
thrown by women after combing. The first boy, Priyabrata, who died,
had pulled out one such type of nail from a tree at the back of the
school to use it for hanging of his school bag on a desk. By this way
the ghost got into his body and he died.
The matter
was discussed at the monthly meeting of ORS. Since students stopped
coming to school, it was a serious matter for the educational
Administration of the district. Incidentally, the district project,
co-ordinator of Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan, Dhenkanal Mr.Gangadhar Sahu,
(OAS-I) is a rationalist and promoter of Scientific awareness programmes
in school curriculum. ORS contacted Mr.Gangadhar Sahu and action
plan was prepared to conduct a scientific awareness programme at the
alleged haunted school. On 11.7.07, Mr.Sudhansu Dhada,Secretary
of ORS, visited the school along with Mr. Gangadhar Sahu. Before arrival
of this team the Sub-collector of Kamakshyanagar Mr.Babaji Charan Das,
D.I. of schools Mr.Umesh Pani, local Sarpanch,village education committee
members, Mother –Teacher Association members, local various elected
representatives of people, teachers of nearby schools and villagers have
reached at the school. They all were well informed in advance. The local
Media persons were also invited to the school.
After the investigation and interview
of headmaster, one assistant teacher two students, one girl
student, one Gunia, and other persons separately, the Scientific awareness-cum-Miracle
exposure demonstration was conducted by Mr.Sudhansu. The Scientific
awareness explanation was given on the basis of courses of study on
rationalism prepared by himself. Explanations of illusions, delusions,
and hallucinations with placebo effect, cryptaesthesia effect
and psychosomatic effects were given with many demonstrations. The public
were invited to ask as many as questions they like. The concept of Tantra
was de-mystified with seven important classifications such as Killing, Healing, Hypnosis,
Invoking, Aphrodisiac, Fascination and Agriculture. The Mystery and Fraud
behind the so-called ghost, witch, apparitions etc were explained with
psychological, physiological mechanical and chemical process. The concept
of deceptive feeling was explained with relation to bio-chemical process
of perception. Revelation of truth through Direct Perception, Evidence, Example
and Conjecture were explained. Features of communication such as imposition
of opinion, confusion between example and evidence, Diversion of attention, Theory
of occurrence and probability etc were explained. Several types of examples
of so-called Miracles were demonstrated. At the end of the demonstration,
some nails and hair were pulled out by Mr.Sudhansu from the trees which
were hammered by Tantriks (Gunias) as a part of exorcise exercise and
were taken with him. These have been kept with Prof. Dr.P.K.Rath, President
of O.R.S. at psychology Department of Utkal University. The whole exercise
at village Kangeila was telecasted by “Aajtak” on 20.7.07 at 10.30
PM.
Sd.
Sudhansu Sekhar Dhada,
Secretary ORS.
(Now students are
coming to school. They are now not afraid of ghosts, rather they take
it as a matter of joke. Doctors suspect of Brain Tumour as cause of
death of the student.)
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