SHILLONG, MAY 3: Close on the heels of an attack by villagers on a businessman whom they suspected that he was practicing witchcraft in Mawryngkang village, a two days regional seminar called “ A study of Myth and Reality” got underway at Art and Cultural auditorium to separate mystical beliefs from reality.
The seminar was organised by the state art and culture department, and saw the participation of 15 eminent resource person from all over the region.
India’s Northeast is a hub of mysterious, legendary tales and also superstitions. The forefathers had pass on to the present generation such tales and emphasis is made to preserve the cultural identity of a place, but at times it also give rise to unwanted action that defies logic as superstition like the one that took place in Mawryngkang village when the villagers vandalized the businessman burned down the businessman house give rise to unwanted and uncalled for actions on the part of the believers.
Taking part in the seminar NEHU pro vice-chancellor Prof B Myrboh, who graced the occasion as the chief guest, said, “Education is the ultimate solution to tackle such menace even as he termed such beliefs as myth and figment of imagination. He said, “Lets deal with it scientifically.”
Myrboh emphasized on the need to spread awareness not only in the urban areas but in every nook and corner of the state and felt that education matters in teaching the customary myths from the reality and said that education must percolate down to common man especially in the tribal communities.
Myrboh also called upon the state government to play an important role to ensure that education reaches the remotest corner of the state.
Writer Sweetimon Rynjah who also took part in the seminar said superstitions still is still finding a place even in the modern world, especially in the cultures of many tribes in the northeast and Meghalaya.
Rynjah said, “Reports on instances of mob fury stemming out of the their superstitious beliefs confirms that superstitions rule the mindset of the common people instead of rationality.”
Another writer and poet Prof Streamlet Dkhar said that there is a conflict between myth and reality which needs to be cleared. But she questioned, “ Who will prove the myth from reality?”
Dkhar was however clear that no cultures teaches us destroy people’s lives and properties adding, “It is unwise to kill or torture someone just because of our superstitious beliefs.”- By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours