Yathaaroopa
Yathaaroopa (Real Vision), is a Sinhala language Live Magazine
program on Rupavahini, which has broadcast since 2016 August on most
Thursday nights for 2 hours from about 22:20. Episodes posted on Youtube
and linked below are about 1.5 hours each as adverts are excluded.
It is produced by Suminda Thilakasena and resulted from discussions
held with few of us of the Sri Lanka Rationalist Association (Founded
by Abraham Kovoor in 1960).
The motivation is to have a program to discuss Science and to
Scientifically investigate mythology to expose frauds which have no
reality.
Traditional superstitious beliefs are faithfully adopted and
practised like a religion by a majority of Sri Lankans from all walks
of life. Astrology is sacred in Sri Lanka and governs the affairs of
State by uneducated politicians, and the lives of the ignorant public.
I am told it is now the second highest ranking for a magazine program
on Rupavahini. Despite the very late hour of broadcast, Yathaaroopa
has a growing audience. Based on call-in (+94-011-2505315) and
write-in (Yathaaroopa, Youth Program Unit, Rupavahini Corporation,
Colombo 7, Sri Lanka) to program, most are rationalists who are glad
to connect with other like minded individuals. As the program is
unfortunately not repeated it does not seem to reach many who should
be educated. It is available on
PeoTV playback for 46 hours. It is posted on the
Rupavahini website, discussed on
FaceBook, and archived on
YouTube, as individually linked above.
Episodes in series are listed below in reverse chronological order
with latest on top
Participants are listed from left to right as seen seated on Video.
They are sometimes introduced in opposite order.
Season 2
Moderator: Nalin Priyadarshana Herath
Season 1
Moderator: Samitha Prasanna Arachchige
Interviews
Rupavahini has progressed enormously since 2008/09 when a weekly
prerecorded Sinhala Magazine program series called "Rationalist
Investigations" was abruptly terminated after I explained
scientifically, the falsity of Astrology. Management said, that should
not be done without an astrologer present to defend their view. They did
not see the humour when I asked for just 5 min on the daily morning
Astrology programs that used to be broadcast on Rupavahini, like on
most TV channels even now. The new chairmen of Rupavahini, appointed
after the change of Government on 2015 January 8th cancelled astrology
programs. Astrology had been publicly ridiculed with the defeat of the
Mahinda Rajapakse Government which held Presidential elections 2 years
early based on astrological advice.
The program on 2017-04-06 was called the 32nd program but only
31 have been posted with and to that date on Rupavahini site, Need to check
if there is a missing program not posted.
Watching Yathaaroopa programs on Rupavahini site is not easy as unlike
Youtube it does not allow you to navigate within the program.
Finding specific Program on Youtube is not easy, as it does not return all
in a chronological order, finds repostings, other programs etc.
Part of problem is caused by the use of multiple English spellings
yathaaroopa yatharoopa yatharupa yathaarupa for sinhala
"යඨාරුප".
Pity that Rupavahini web developers don't seem to understand the need
to describe the topic of Discussion and give a list of participants
on their webpages, or their YouTube or Facebook Posts.
I have done so on this web-page for the Six programs in which I
participated. I will try, when time permits to do same for others.
If someone volunteers and sends me a computer file with the
topics and participants of the other 34 Yathaaroopa programs it will
added and acknowledged with thanks on this webpage.
I just don't know how to find links to old facebook posts to be able to
link directly to discussions on each specific episodes. Please help.
I have also linked above Media Reports online on Yathaaroopa,
that I know about.
If you have other links please E-mail me the URL or Date and Newspaper.
Finding URLs for old Sinhala Newspaper articles is not easy. That is also
why they need to be linked from this site.
The Yatharupa program was broadcast on National Television Rupavahini
from 2016 Aug 8th to 2018 March 29th, on almost every Thursday Night
from about 10:00PM to Midnight. A total of over 70 episodes in 20
months. Dr Kavan was on about 12 of them confronting Astrologers.
However, President Maithripala Sirisena has displeasure with this
program and has said that as a government media the SriLanka
Rupavahini Cooperation should be promoting the Astrology rather than
criticising. He ordered
the authorities of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation to cancel
yatharupa ( meaning reality) program.
Comment in
Sinhala by Dr Kavan Ratnatunga at the Final Special Episode stressing
the need for more Science programs in Sinhala to educate the general
public away from beliefs in Myths.
I hope you find it useful and help improve it by sending comments
to kavanr @ gmail.com
