SHILLONG, Jan 4: Former MLA of West Shillong, where an idol of Goddess Kali was vandalised, Paul Lyngdoh has expressed shock over the act terming it condemnable, even as he emphasised that the issue must not be given a “communal or religious colour”.
It may be recalled that miscreants had reportedly vandalised the idol at Bhoothnath Kali Mandir, Mawbah, on the intervening night of January 1 and 2.
“While decrying the act, I feel it is imperative not to give the incident a communal or religious colour as the area has become infested with drug peddlers, addicts and such nefarious elements. Street lighting has become dysfunctional and the area has sunk to the level of a mega slum,” Lyngdoh, who is the working president of UDP, said in a statement here on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the Shillong All Faiths Forum (SAFF) has denounced the incident.
Representatives of all the faith communities under the SAFF have unanimously expressed displeasure over the act.
The SAFF exhorts all the leaders of different communities and organisations to be on alert to curb any repetition of such acts and at the same time try to identify those who are crying out in need of lawful support, guidance and counselling, the forum said.
“These will promote harmony and respect in the communities. We also appeal to the authorities to make extra efforts in securing these locations in and around the city which are crime-prone zones,” the SAFF added.
On the other hand, ICARE (The Society for Informed, Conscious and Responsible Existence) too has expressed concern over the incident. “We sincerely believe that no one in their right frame of mind would go out to hurt the sentiments of any faith or creed and it is our sincere belief that this is the work of some unbalanced person, probably one who no longer had no control over his or her senses or was under the influence of some intoxicant or the other,” the organisation said in a statement.
“The location of the idol is in an unfenced, unguarded compound, open to all sorts of people and according to reliable sources, it is an area where unruly and raucous elements usually gather at night to indulge in unsavory activities,” it added.
In this context, the organisation has requested citizens to keep their calm and not allow elements with vested interests to sow the seed of social discord over the issue while letting the police and the district authorities to conduct an investigation into the matter and take action as per law.
The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang (BGP), Meghalaya Chapter, has requested the concerned authority to look into the matter seriously and expedite the investigation process.
“We urge the state government and the local MLA to make sure that such incidents of idol vandalising should not happen in future as it hurts the sentiment of the citizens living in the state,” the BGP said, adding that the incident is truly a case of “pure hooliganism and thoughtless vandalism”.
Acts such as these portend communal hatred and religious fanaticism, the group said while adding that the perpetrator(s) should be appropriately dealt with by the authorities.
