Witchcraft: Rowell ask society to suggest law

SHILLONG, AUG 19: Meghalaya deputy chief minister- holding law portfolio- Rowell Lyngdoh suggested to the society to come up with specific suggestions to the government to frame laws to end victimization of people who are branded as witchcraft practitioner and then killed.

Lyngdoh told reporters on Monday, “If society feels that they can give us suggestion as to what sort of law is needed to put an end to such incidents, we are ready to examine.”

The suggestion to members of society from Lyngdoh came after three persons were lynched to death by an angry mob at Smit village for allegedly practising witchcraft.

Lyngdoh, however, said enough laws are in existence in the country to dealt with such beliefs but at the moment people at first should educated themselves against such menace. He informed such practised is not confined only to Meghalaya but throughout the country by way of honour killings and others.

Asked if there is a need to pass anti-superstitious law in Meghalaya assembly, Lyngdoh said, “  I don’t know if anti superstitious law is possible as it is only a belief.

Earlier, the Meghalaya Peoples Human Rights Council (MPHRC) had asked the state government to enact a special anti-superstition law in a bid to contain harmful superstitious believe in witchcraft that leads to violence and killings.-By Our Reporter