Do you believe in magic?

This question was asked on air the other day. As it was on the BBC Asian Network, there was a huge response. One caller called in with a sworn statement of how an auntie was taken ill without any cause (virus maybe?), and when they threw away some flour and hair found in her hand bag, she was well again!

Then there was a doctor, who at a certain price will rid you of this ailment. And he said he had a degree from a certain university and was a “professional”.

In the Indian sub-continent these stories are a regular occurrence. People devote time and money to soothsayers and those who promise to change the course of your destiny. But there too the government is slowly acting, and a bill called the Maharashtra Evil Practices and Magic Act is in the process of becoming law.

But how about Asians living in a western country, in the 21st century, where we are considered enlightened and educated? It seems when it comes to superstitions, we like to keep up our traditions here too.

The government here has been making similar efforts to control this practice. Under the consumer protection regulation, a bill has been passed to replace the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951. Under the new act any mediums, personal healers etc, face prosecution if they can not prove that their clients get results.

Many Asians are well known for blaming the unknown for most misdemeanours. It is never the fault of the individual, but is either karma, black magic or evil spirit which has put the spanner in the works. And there are many fraudulent practitioners who benefit from it and reinforce these beliefs.

What really surprises me is the reinforcement of these unproven claims by the Asian media.

Most Asian glossy magazines carry pages and pages of advertisements for holy men and women who claim to right all the wrongs in your lives with a fee. The Asian television channels are the same, they have special programmes where viewers are asked to ring premium phone lines and tell their troubles.

These mystics are sometimes bearded and robed, and either have marked foreheads(if Hindu) or are bearded with prayer beads and have head gear if Muslim. They tend to give advice on diseases, marital problems, son or daughter wanting to marry out of the religion… in fact on anything!

So why does the consumer protection law not apply here? Why are the Asian television channels and the Asian media in this country not subject to the same scrutiny?

I have once before questioned the role of OFCOM, regarding the practices of the Asian channels.

They invite people to call in for big prizes at premium rates, what scrutiny is there that these are over-the-board? When the main broadcasters are penalised for such practices, why are these channels not scrutinised?

And what about the print media? Why is there no scrutiny of such unscrupulous advertisements? If it is due to political correctness, then it is harming the very people it is trying to protect.

It is time the regulatory bodies stepped in.