Page 3 - English Tehelka Issue 3&4

Editor’s Note

Evolution fiasco: Raising

doubts over Darwin’s theory

Thousands of scienT isTs egregious observations. Though the Human Resource
in India have signed an online and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has now
petition protesting against the asked his junior to desist from making comments on
foot in mouth comments by the such issues and has clarified that there was no plan
Union Minister of State for Human to organise any national seminar to prove Darwin
Resource Development who wrong, the damage has already been done. It is a
recently publicly questioned the scientifically established fact that the tremendous work
scientific validity of Charles Darwin’s and insights of Charles Darwin, who propounded the
theory of evolution and called for changes theory of evolution, laid the groundwork for the now
in educational curricula. He had observed that Darwin’s universally accepted scientific doctrine. It is also true
theory of evolution of humans “is scientifically that for centuries, man believed that the earth was
wrong” adding that “nobody, including our ancestors, in flat, until knowledge developed individually through
written or oral, have said they saw an ape turning into a various scholars in different societies, who deduced
man”. It is an outrageous statement that can’t be ignored that it was spherical. There is not much doubt about the
because couple of days later, the minister proposed shape of the earth now. It is unfortunate that there is
holding an international seminar on the subject a growing tendency among politicians who assume a
suggesting that Darwin’s “Origin of Species” needs position of power to make sweeping statements that
to be changed in curriculum of schools and colleges. often strain the credibility of scientific fact among
The minister’s remarks have come at a time when audiences with the hidden motto of showing that they
India is already battling a rising tide of pseudoscience are erudite, polymaths though in reality they might be
by some politicians. Some time back an astrology phantasmagorical. Those in authority should imbibe
workshop that was planned at the prestigious Indian before opening their mouths on a subject that is alien
Institute of Science in Bangalore was cancelled after for them, what noted Philosopher and Author Thomas
an uproar. Carlyle said: “Speech is great, but silence is greater”.
The comments provoked an outrage from the
scientific community which has launched an online
petition asking the minister to retract his claims. The
petition has collected more than 3,000 signatures
from eminent scientists. Top scientific institutions
issued a joint statement, condemning the minister’s (charanjit ahuja)

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Volume 15, Issue no. 3 & 4, 1-28 february 2018, released on 16 february, number of pages including cover 68
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Add Final.indd 5 12/02/18 6:42 PM 3 Editor'sNote.indd 3 12/02/18 3:17 PM