Friday, February 20, 2009

Ponari's Sacred Water

Since early this month, our news media has been reporting a story about a 9 years old boy i.e Ponari, who lives in the village of Balongsari, Jombang, East Java, and able to cure sick people by dipping a stone he hold in his hand into their pail of water.

At a time when conventional medical treatment is very expensive yet often not effective, low cost alternative healing that promise quick recovery has attracted thousands of sick people, that they are willing to queue for a long time every day so that Ponari can dip his hand and stone on their water.

In this regards, the Chairman of the National Commission for Protection of Children Seto Mulyadi has remind Ponari's parents that they should protect Ponari's rights as a child i.e. go to school and play. And Ponari said that he wants to go to school.
But according to Tempo, Ponari is still absent from school, in stead he has been curing many Police & Army officers and government officials as well as their families.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the Ponari phenomenon is caused by the bitter facts of life where medical treatment is very expensive yet uncertain result. Therefore, if there is not change in condition, such practice of superstition would always exist in our country.

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