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I Witnessed a Witch Hunt in India

witch, hunt, India, women's rights, human rights abuse, orato.com

Witch hunting is still an issue for women in the eastern states of India.
In the last 15 years, more than 2500 Indian women have been killed in the name of witchcraft. According to FLAC, 670 of these women were murdered between 2004 and 2005. '
By Citizen Correspondent Dr.Arpita Sutradhar
Date Posted: 05/27/06
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Witch hunting is a huge issue in the eastern states of India, such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa and the neighboring areas of Maharashtra, which have large tribal populations with traditional beliefs about witches. Indian newspapers periodically publish reports about women who, after being accused of witchcraft, have been beaten to death, had their houses expropriated, their heads shaved or had strings of shoes hung around their necks. Yet, nothing seems to stop these abuses. Not even the pressure of NGOs, such as the Free Legal Aid Committee (FLAC),based in Jamshedpur (the steel city of Jharkhand) whose efforts prompted one state –Jharkhand- to pass an Anti-Witch Hunting Act in 1999, has fully eradicated the problem. In the last 15 years, more than 2500 Indian women have been killed in the name of witchcraft. According to FLAC, 670 of these women were murdered between 2004 and 2005. It wasn't until 2005, when I witnessed the persecution of Budhaniya Majhi, that the true horror and injustice of this modern-day witch hunt really hit me. Here's the story.

As a journalist for the past ten years, I thought I had seen it all - from corruption to cast wars, until one day a chance visit to a remote village in Angara Block, on the suburbs of Ranchi, the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand, made me realize I wasn't done learning about the human capacity for evil.

I went there along my friend and research scholar Ganga Nath Jha. He had heard that a witch hunting trial would take place and the journalist in me was very curious to witness that.

The morning mist was just lifting as our jeep bumped along the muddy trails of Angara, a suburban area of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, home to over 30 ethnic tribes, such as the Santhals, Mundas, Oraons, Ho, Kharia and Kharwar. Superstitions and tribal practices amongst the villagers abound in Jharkhand. Women are still not free to pursue a basic education, resulting in deep-rooted fears and ignorance in the society.

The air was cold and penetrating, as if it were anticipating what Ganga and I were about to experience. We arrived just on time for the "jan adalat" or "public meeting." Slowly, the village center filled up with men. There were no women around. People gathered in small groups and talked among themselves in their own dialect. After a while a middle-aged man who looked like an important person in the village called everyone to attention. Suddenly, there was a hushed silence and everyone turned to stare at a woman who was being dragged in by two men.

I couldn't help but stare a woman who I would come to know as Budhaniya Majhi. She appeared extremely fragile and far from looking evil, a simple village girl.


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I live in Jharkhand and this

By ray, July 22, 2007 at 08:15

I live in Jharkhand and this is just one of the many incidents that happen to take advantage of the poor, unaware people living in remote areas.
and yes i've heard about these witch hunting many times..where women ranging all ages... suffer but to read it like this ...in a story form ..it really shakes us from inside ..touches us soo deeply...the feeling of helplesness..but above all raises the question..what could be done???
its really unfair that women suffer and most of the time these cases do not come into light.
but yes all we can do is to spread awareness not just in villages but in cities too ...so majority take a stand against this.

How awful for this poor

By twiztedtexan, December 22, 2006 at 08:01

How awful for this poor woman. I lived in the Middle East for a year and I remember all sorts of strange customs regarding bad luck and devils. Too bad that woman couldn't come to the US and start a new life here. She and her child are two people who really deserve it..

Love will find a way.