Awareness meeting on superstition, moral policing

A Correspondent

Doomdooma, June 27: Ellora Vigyan Mancha (EVM) Doomdooma Branch, with active co-operation of Tinsukia district administration, organized an awareness meeting against superstition and moral policing at the staff club of No.8 pucca line of nearby Raidang Tea Estate on Sunday with president Jhikananda Borgohain in the chair. The chief speaker, Dr Deepak Baruah, president of Tinsukia Branch EVM, explained to the tea labourers about how one could donate one’s eyes and body after death and blood in emergency cases during one’s lifetime.

Tilak Kalita and Niranjan Munda spoke on superstition and about the ill-effects of consuming illicit liquor, haria and ganja. The meeting was also addressed by retired teacher Giridhar Nanda, social activist Jatan Tanti, teacher Krishna Tanti, postgraduate student of English, Subarna Patnaik, teacher Anita Mahanand and Asha worker Sonmoni Karmakar. They cited various examples of superstitious beliefs prevalent among the tea tribes. The EVM members, besides dwelling on superstition, appraised the simple tea-workers about the dangers of moral policing and advised them not to take law into their hands if they saw any suspicious person loitering in their locality. Rather, they should hand the person over to tea garden authority or inform the police to take necessary steps.