“Everyone loves a witch hunt as long as it’s someone else’s witch being hunted.”[1]
-Walter Kirn
Witch-hunting is a superstitious practice that leads to the persecution and death of hundreds of women in India every year. This practice is prevalent in different parts of the country to various degrees. Mostly single women and widows become targets of this least talked about violence on women.[2] Witchcraft is a century-old belief among people in many countries of the west as well as the east. In India too, this belief has been prevailing since the medieval period. In early-modern Europe and North America also witchcraft accusations often surfaced at times of great tension. Witch panic in England took place even during the last civil war.[3]
The witch is called a ‘daini’ in local parlance; and believed to cause the ailment to people, destroy crops and other livestock, etc. She is usually identified by an ‘Ojha, ‘bez’ or ‘deodhani’ (all names for witch-doctors); and either banished from the community or killed.[4] Sometimes the designated family of the witch is levied a hefty fine by the community leaders, by which she may be pardoned of her ill deeds/intentions against the fellow villagers. The process of identification of the witch is specified by the witch doctor by looking into the symptoms of the patient. The alleged recipient of witchcraft is usually seen suffering from symptoms like fever, cough-cold, delirium, or hysteria.[5]
Witch-hunting is a violation of human rights particularly in the context of women in the state. The increasing, as well as alarming incidents, have shocked the conscious quarters. But, hardly proper steps have been initiated except for a few undertaken by a few social workers like Birubala Rabha as well as a few voluntary organizations.[6]
What does it involve?
Witch-hunting involves some kind of ‘systematic persecution of an individual or a group of people; who may be believed to be associated with a malignant act or intent against the society in general or against certain sections of the society. The entire process of witch-hunting is backed by certain ‘myth making’ or floating certain gossips about the witches, their characteristics, and their nefarious activities. Most witches are the members of the society where a malignant effect is believed to have occurred. They are viewed as dangerous for society as a whole and the people become united in terms of alleging; and persecuting the targeted witches.[7]
As a conclusion, we can say that witch-hunting began long ago, but today doesn’t really exist such as it was before, but it didn’t disappear, it evolved and continued in other forms. The problem of witch-hunting is rooted in our traditions. The problem evolved over time and now it is not that frequent in major parts of the country. These problems are needed to be resolved soon.
Footnotes
[1] Walter Kirn (Twitter) <https://twitter.com/walterkirn/status/ 24674585563631616> accessed on Aug 13, 2015.
[2]JoyaChakraborty and Anjuman Borah, ‘Witch-Hunting in Assam: Strategizing Alternative Media for Women Empowerment and Overcoming Superstition’ (2013) 3(2) Journal of North East India Studies< http://www.academia.edu/ 3312381/Witch_hunting_in_Assam_Strategising_Alternative_Media_for_Women_Empowerment_and_Overcoming_Superstition> accessed on August 15, 2015
[3]Nabajyoti Dutta, ‘Social Mobilization Against Witch-Hunting: An Account Of Assam’ (2015) 3(1) International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature <http://www.impactjournals.us/download.php?fname=2-11-142104 4184-3.%20Humanities%20-20SOCIAL%20MOBILIZATION%20AGAINST %20 WITCH%20-%20%20NABAJYOTI%20DUTTA.pdf> accessed on August 15, 2015
[4]JoyaChakraborty and Anjuman Borah, ‘Witch-Hunting in Assam: Strategizing Alternative Media for Women Empowerment and Overcoming Superstition’ (2013) 3(2) Journal of North East India Studies < http://www.academia.edu /3312381/Witch_hunting_in_Assam_Strategising_Alternative_Media_for_Women_Empowerment_and_Overcoming_Superstition> accessed on August 15, 2015
[5]Ibid.
[6]Nabajyoti Dutta, ‘Social Mobilization Against Witch-Hunting: An Account Of Assam’ (2015) 3(1) International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature < http://www.impactjournals.us/download.php?fname=2-11-1421044184-3.%20Humanities%20-%20SOCIAL%20MOBILIZATION%20 AGAINST%20WITCH%20-%20%20NABAJYOTI%20DUTTA.pdf> accessed on August 15, 2015
[7]Deepshikha Agarwal, Understanding Politics Behind Witch-Hunting <http://serialsjournals.com/serialjournalmanager/pdf/1435296696.pdf> accessed on October 15, 2015
Written By: Abhishek Khare Advocate
Read more blogs @advocatetanwar.com