Dr P M Bhargava has called for an unqualified apology from the homoeopaths for their ‘uncivilised behaviour’ of ransacking his office on Monday. “It does not make sense to engage into a debate with barbaric and uncivilised people whose behaviour crosses all limits of decency,” he said. He was reacting to statements made by senior homoeopaths at a press conference asking him to come forward for a public debate on the efficacy of homoeopathy.
Following is the full text of a press release issued by Dr Bhargava on Wednesday:
Reports have appeared in some newspapers on July 9 about a press conference convened by homoeopaths of Hyderabad and other organisations to contradict my statement made to the press on July 7 that homoeopathy is totally unscientific and unproven.
Leaving aside the fact that the various claims the homoeopaths and their supporters have made in the reports are totally unverified, unsubstantiated, contrary to all established scientific norms, facts and data, and even absurd, such as the statement that “action of the homoeo medicines was being measured by Beta Analysers and NMR” (I wonder if they know what these techniques are all about and what they do), I have only one comment to make. If the learned homoeopaths were so sure of the validity of their system, why did they resort to uncivilised, uncouthly and barbaric act of vandalism in my office, threatening my colleagues, and trying to hurt (kill?) me on July 9, a happening that was covered by virtually all the newspapers of Hyderabad.
In science, truth is not proven by vandalising, or by use of force or threat, or by taking votes of uninformed people. Scientific truths are established by the use of the scientific method (of which the homoeopaths seem to be blissfully ignorant) and discussion within a framework of logic and reason.
The homoeopaths have called for a debate with me, which is something I have been asking for decades but with no response from the homoeopaths. However, for any debate to be meaningful, certain well-recognised norms must be adhered to. Debates are not settled by throwing stones at individuals as they did at my office on July 7.
I would be happy to have a debate with the homoeopaths, provided they tender an unqualified apology for their uncivilised behaviour which has drawn flak from all quarters, and they pay for the damage done to my office following their act of vandalism. It does not make sense to engage into a debate with barbaric and uncivilised people whose behaviour crosses all limits of decency.