Very entertaining story.
http://rationalistinternational.net/article/2008/20080310/en_1.html
On 3 March 2008, in a popular TV show, Sanal Edamaruku, the
president of Rationalist International, challenged India’s most
“powerful” tantrik (black magician) to demonstrate his powers on
him. That was the beginning of an unprecedented experiment. After
all his chanting of mantra (magic words) and ceremonies of tantra
failed, the tantrik decided to kill Sanal Edamaruku with the
“ultimate destruction ceremony” on live TV. Sanal Edamaruku agreed
and sat in the altar of the black magic ritual. India TV observed
skyrocketing viewership rates.
Everything started, when Uma Bharati (former chief minister of
the state of Madhya Pradesh) accused her political opponents in a
public statement of using tantrik powers to inflict damage upon
her. In fact, within a few days, the unlucky lady had lost her
favorite uncle, hit the door of her car against her head and found
her legs covered with wounds and blisters.
India TV, one of India’s major Hindi channels with national
outreach, invited Sanal Edamaruku for a discussion on “Tantrik
power versus Science”. Pandit Surinder Sharma, who claims to be the
tantrik of top politicians and is well known from his TV shows,
represented the other side. During the discussion, the tantrik
showed a small human shape of wheat flour dough, laid a thread
around it like a noose and tightened it. He claimed that he was
able to kill any person he wanted within three minutes by using
black magic. Sanal challenged him to try and kill him.
The tantrik tried. He chanted his mantras (magic words): “Om
lingalingalinalinga, kilikili….” But his efforts did not show any
impact on Sanal – not after three minutes, and not after five. The
time was extended and extended again. The original discussion
program should have ended here, but the “breaking news” of the
ongoing great tantra challenge was overrunning all program
schedules.
Now the tantrik changed his technique. He started sprinkling
water on Sanal and brandishing a knife in front of him. Sometimes
he moved the blade all over his body. Sanal did not flinch. Then he
touched Sanal’s head with his hand, rubbing and rumpling up his
hair, pressing his forehead, laying his hand over his eyes,
pressing his fingers against his temples. When he pressed harder
and harder, Sanal reminded him that he was supposed to use black
magic only, not forceful attacks to bring him down. The tantrik
took a new run: water, knife, fingers, mantras. But Sanal kept
looking very healthy and even amused.
After nearly two hours, the anchor declared the tantrik’s
failure. The tantrik, unwilling to admit defeat, tried the excuse
that a very strong god whom Sanal might be worshipping obviously
protected him. “No, I am an atheist,” said Sanal Edamaruku.
Finally, the disgraced tantrik tried to save his face by claiming
that there was a never-failing special black magic for ultimate
destruction, which could, however, only been done at night. Bad
luck again, he did not get away with this, but was challenged to
prove his claim this very night in another “breaking news” live
program.
Millions of people must have uttered a sigh of relief in front
their TVs. Sanal was very much alive. Tantra power had miserably
failed. Tantriks are creating such a scaring atmosphere that even
people, who know that black magic has no base, can just break down
out of fear, commented a
scientist during the program. It needs enormous courage and
confidence to challenge them by actually putting one’s life at
risk, he said. By doing so, Sanal Edamaruku has broken the spell,
and has taken away much of the fear of those who witnessed his
triumph.
In this night, one of the most dangerous and wide spread
superstitions in India suffered a severe blow.
Black magick has no base,out of fear that created by mind power 
