Stop promoting myths at institutional level : MP Bimal Rathnayaka

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP Bimal Rathnayaka today (19) urged the Government to take steps to ensure that myths are not promoted at institutional levels and to draft Government policy based on science.

By Sandun Jayawardana

Participating in the Committee Stage debate of the Budget, Mr Rathnayaka claimed that there was a tendency at present to propagate both science and myth together.

“You have science being taught in schools, but when it comes to sitting for the Ordinary Level exam, teachers and principals ensure that students avoid the inauspicious time (Raahu Kalaya) when signing the admission. School officials have no right to make propagating myths official policy in this manner,” he stressed.

He mentioned that he had become aware of an incident in the Kilinochchi district where a mother took out a loan of Rs 50,000 from a micro finance company and used Rs 35,000 of that money to purchase a lucky charm for her son.

Politicians and the media are also guilty of propagating myths, he remarked, appealing to the Government to ensure that Government policy is drafted only on scientific basis and prevent the propagation of myths at institutional level.  

The Expenditure Heads of the Ministry of Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development as well as the Non Cabinet Ministry of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology and the Non Cabinet Ministry of Science, Technology and Research are being debated in Parliament today.