Is there anyone who has seen an apocalypseIJ The answer, perhaps, will be in negative. However, nine families in a remote village in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya have been waiting for the ‘doomsday’ for last two years after a preacher told them about futility of having wealth as the world will come to an end anytime.
The nine families of Nongthliew village under Mairang Block in West Khasi Hills District have isolated themselves from others in the village and resigned from their jobs and taken out the money from bank accounts and waiting for the ‘end’. They have also stopped sending their children to schools and stopped accepting items under Public Distribution System, said village headman Spotting Mawlong.
“The families have secluded themselves from us. There is no communication with others and their behaviour have changed. When we inquired about this, we found that they have been told by a preacher about two years back that the world will come to an end soon and they are waiting for the end to come,” said Mawlong.
What is more shocking is the fact that the nine families includes two Government employees and three teachers, supposed to be educated enough to work against these kinds of superstitions rather than believing them. The nine families are all Christians, the headman said. “The families have withdrawn money from their banks, refused to accept PDS items including kerosene and rice and threw away the Electors’ Photo Identity
Cards (EPICs) as they firmly believe that the end of the world is imminent,” he said. “The families have even refused to go to Church despite intervention of village elders and church members,” Mawlong added. “I am told about such a happening. However, I am yet to get a detail report from my officials,” said West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner S Kharlingdoh while reacting to the shocking incident.