In a bid to create awareness against witch hunting and superstitious beliefs, Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in collaboration with Angeekar Films screened Aei Maatite, a feature film which deals with the said subject and raises awareness against the menace, at several rural areas in Golaghat district recently.
During the five-day campaign launched by NRL and Numaligarh Sodhanagar Sakha Sahitya Sabha, special shows of Aei Maatite were organised at Mahuramukh, Bahikhowa village (Bokakhat), Betoni village (Sarupathar), Furkating and Numaligarh.
Madhuchanda Adhikary, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Communications, NRL, said that nearly 10,000 people were covered in this drive which elicited a positive response with many villagers contacting the organisers and wanting that more such screenings of the film be organised at other interior places, where such deadly practices are still going on.
“In many of the places, where the film was screened, there were no electricity connection at all and the show was conducted by running generator sets,” she further said.
Speaking on the special shows by NRL, Aei Maatite’s Director Sitanath Lahkar said: “As the film is based on witch hunting issue, which is affecting people in rural areas and smaller towns, we were particularly interested to take the film to as many places as we can. It is really encouraging to see that a big corporate entity like NRL has come forward to screen the film in some remote parts of our State with the sole motive to make people aware against superstition and create scientific temperament in the society. This expresses the social commitment of the company. NRL Sahitya Sabha branch deserves high appreciation for implementing the project in association with the company. We wish that more such corporate houses will come forward in the coming days that are surely going to make a difference on the ground.”
In Aei Maatite, the first Assamese feature film on witch hunting, director Lahkar, mainly talks about the witch hunting problem in Assam and how a section of people are practicing witchcraft keeping in mind their own interests.
The film has a very strong message against witch hunting, upholding the value of scientific temperament and human life. Witch hunting is not based on any reason at all and is shrouded in the darkness of superstition, which is to be overcome by society, itself.
