Astrologers, godmen should be regulated, say social activists

Given that astrology is a flourishing business and some godmen have gained immense popularity, a social activist duo Thursday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to consider government regulation of the activities of astrologers and godmen.

In a letter to the prime minister, social activists Amitabh and Nutan Thakur contended that India has a very large number of astrologers and godmen or religious entities exerting great influence, and since these services also often come at a price, the government must consider them akin to professional entities.

The two social activists have said that astrologers and godmen could be regulated, just like professional practitioners in fields like medicine, engineering, dentistry, law or architecture, to "safeguard the interests of common people and stop the entry of imposters and cheats".

"It is for this reason that we have asked for the formation of two separate professional bodies at the national and regional levels, respectively, for such activities to act as regulatory and controlling authorities," Thakur told IANS.