DEVOTEES THRONGED temples at Dilezakpur and other localities of the city on Sunday night and Monday morning following reports that idols were drinking milk. Long queues were witnessed at temples as devotees offered milk to the idols. The news created mass hysteria in the entire district.
It was the second miracle reported in the last few days. The first concerned reports that seawater at Mahim in Mumbai had turned sweet.
Psychologists and scientists attributed the people’s reaction to ‘primitive mentality’ even in the age of information technology.
Talking to Hindustan Times, former head of the department of psychology Prof AK Saxena said it was duty of the media to foster the scientific temper, but it was highlighting superstitions. He said channels had created mass hysteria and were misleading the people. He said though India had a scientist as President, people had no scientific temper, even after six decades of independence.
Saxena said there were scientific reasons for the seawater turning sweet and idols drinking spoonfuls of milk. He attributed the so-called milk ‘miracle’ to surface tension.