No supernatural elements at play: Youngsters

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 17

Braid-cutting incidents have caused residents to panic, especially those belonging to the lower strata of society. They reportedly believe that a victim falls unconscious on seeing a cat and a “witch” cuts the hair. However, college and university students believe that such tales are nothing, but superstitions. They said the myths were creating fear among the vulnerable population. The Tribune Correspondent spoke to students and this what they have to say:

Such tales are rumours spread by the uneducated population. A few miscreants are behind such incidents. The media has been giving it undue coverage which has caused people to panic. Recently, an aunt told me that an alien was chopping the hair of women. I am not scared of anyone. —Gursimran Kaur

I do not believe in ghost theories at all. We are educated, but still tend to believe in such superstitions. A gang may be involved in the braid-cutting incidents to create fear among the innocents. Rather than glorifying the incidents, we need to avoid such stories.  —Simran Kaur

Such stories are pouring in from the lower strata of society because they are more vulnerable. They believe in ghosts and superstitions. If a ghost was involved, why it would restrict to just hair chopping and cause no other harm? We should not believe in rumours. —Rasneet

I feel that the incidents are being planned by persons with a backward mindset and want women to remain restricted to their houses. We can believe that a gang is masterminding the incidents, but there are no supernatural elements at play. —Ankush

We should take the initiative to educate those who are easy targets. The superstitions are looming over the rural areas and the uneducated population. The media is giving undue coverage to the irrelevant issue just to gain a few TRPs. —Pragya

I got to know that an insect is responsible for braid chopping. It may be believed that the insect is attacking the population in unhygienic surroundings. But ghosts chopping the hair cannot be believed in any way. —Akash Garg