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Sports |
Cult a result of need for better life
I JOIN the people in commending the
villagers of Transgogol and the Madang police for capturing the
elusive Steven Tari.
Whilst the capture is a massive coup against cult practice among
our people, there are no guarantees that other similar practices
around the country will be completely eradicated. Tari’s is a much
more severe version of other similar activities that have been
practised for sometime in PNG.
For example, leaders of the Samzau cult movement in remote
Finschhafen are currently facing police charges in Lae for
unlawfully soliciting cash from its members.
I come from an area where a certain brand of cargo cult was widely
practised until recently.
I grew up watching and experiencing my poor people being used as
slaves by two men and their aides in return for promises of
truckloads of goodies that have never arrived to this day.
My experience from all these senseless activities has led me to
believe that cargo cult activities are a passive expression of our
people’s craving for a better life.
These activities are a manifestation of a dire lack of government
services like schools, hospitals and roads which have led people
to believe that cargo cult activities can improve their lives.
One way of overcoming such practices is to demand better health,
education and infrastructure development services from our elected
leaders and public servants, starting with the general election
this year.
David Kitchnoge
Port Moresby
 
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