Arunachal Pradesh: Should Superstitious beliefs be allowed to convert ‘Haunted’ CM’s bungalaw into Guest House?

On the fateful day of August 9, 2016, former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul allegedly committed suicide in less than a month after the Supreme Court unseated him and reinstated his rival Nabam Tuki.  Mr. Pul's body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a bedroom of the Chief Minister's official bungalow, which he had not vacated.

The bungalow, situated at Niti Vihar area in the state capital, has earned moniker of 'haunted' building after former chief minister Kalikho Pul committed suicide on August 9 last year.  Barely two months later, a staff of the bungalow was also found hanging from the ceiling of an adjoining room there. Two chief ministers, Dorjee Khandu and Jarbom Gamlin, who had lived there, met with untimely deaths.

"We are converting the bungalow into a state guest house. A decision has been already taken," deputy chief minister Chowna Mein recently said.   Mein said that as people consider it a 'haunted' building, the government would also organise some rituals in order to dispel doubts and hesitations. "I think we will have to carry out some rituals in order to remove the doubts and fears," Mein added. The construction of the state-of-the-art building which was started during 2007-08 was completed in the year 2009-10.

It may be mentioned that the present Chief Minister Pema Khandu stays at his private residence.  A Guwahati-based Vaastu expert, who had also inspected the bungalow during Nabam Tuki's tenure had found some "errors" in its lay-out and had suggested certain changes including shifting the water-source from the existing south-west location to the north-east. The impact of the buzz about the evil spirits has been such that Chief Minister Pema Khandu is in two minds about moving in.

Irked with the state Cabinet decision to convert Chief Minister's Bungalow as State Guest House, People' Party of Arunachal (PPA) on Thursday strongly opposed the move. Lashing out at Pema Khandu government, PPA President Kahfa Bengia termed the decision as whimsical. In a statement Bengia said, "Such a decision cannot be taken whimsically without taking the people of the state into confidence".

"Before taking such a major decision, Chief Minister Pema Khandu must make 60 pages (Mere Vichar) written documents left behind by late Kalikho Pul public," he rued. He further questioned why state Chief Minister Bungalow should be declared as State Guest House purely out of superstitious fear. PPA further threatened to launch series of agitation in the state followed by Delhi Chalo agitation.

TNT News with inputs from Agencies

Image: Internet sources