Witch- hunting: Alive and Kicking

The legacy of violence against

women
 Some Shocking incidents.
On March 11,2010 , a dalit couple was killed in
Jorapur village in Palamu district. Three people
who had their faces covered bragged into their
house at night and took the couple away. Later
their bodies were found about 33 km away
from their house.
On 20 August 2010, a dalit woman was brutally
thrashed after dragging her to a tree and tying
her.
 Introduction
• Witch-hunting is a infectious disease and is slowly
spreading to newer areas. The practice of witch-
hunting/killing is present in the number of states in
the country. It generally happens where there is no
economic development, no access to basic health
care and education. In this kind of atmosphere
people tend to develop superstitious beliefs and
anything bad that might befall on the villagers like
bad crop, diseases, sudden death tend to be
considered as the work of ‘witch’.
 Is this justified?
• It is women, especially dalit or adivasi, who are
branded as witches. The accused women are
subjected to both physical and mental torture. The
result is either flee or be subject to humiliation,
torture and death by the hands of the villagers.
These helpless women are hounded and punished
by being stripped naked, paraded, hairs burnt, faces
blackened, noses cut off, teeth pulled out, forced to
eat human excreta, all this in open places and finally
they are made to lose their mental balance.
 Statistics on witch-hunting crimes

State 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Jharkhand 52 50 29 26 26 19 26 21

Chhattisgarh 15 8 10 9 11 9 4 14

Orissa 23 28 36 25 22 26 39 30

Andhra Pradesh 23 33 26 75 24 37 23 20

West Bengal 4 0 1 5 8 9 14 13

Madhya 17 14 13 13 14 26 24 13
Pradesh
 Superstition not he only reason
Other reasons.
• Rob women of her property.
• Easy way to break a strong woman to call her
witch and punish her.
• Helps to preserve caste
structures(chastisement reserved for
individual woman applies to entire caste).
 The Specialists in this diagnosis
• Ojahas or witch doctors
 Toothless laws/bills/acts
• Bihar – The prevention of witch practices Act
1999.
• Jharkhand – Anti witch craft act.2001.
• Chhattisgarh – Tonhi Pratarna Bill 2005.
(Prevention of Atrocities on women in the
name of Tonhi)
• Rajasthan – Anti witch craft Bill. 2006.
 Punishments
Section 3: Identification of witch
• Whoever identifies any person as
Witch(Daain) and does any act towards
identification either by words, actions, or
manner shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 3 months or
with fine of Rs.1000 or both.
Section 4 : Damages/Causing harm
• Any person who causes any kind of physical or
mental torture to any person by identifying
her as witch whether deliberately or
otherwise shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term of 6 months or a fine
of Rs.2000. or both.
 Section ; 6 Witch curing
• Whoever does any act of so healing allegedly
or purportedly and of curing any woman said
to be witch by doing any kind of ‘jhadphook’
and thereby causing any type of physical or
mental harm or torture shall be punished with
imprisonment of 1 year with a fine of Rs. 2000
or both.
 Toothless laws.
• In reality these laws have prove unable to provide
for effective preventive, curative, or punitive
measures for women who have been labeled as
witches. The crimes are increasing. There are no
steps for the effective implementation by the
government. Some cases the FIRs are not
registered at all due to social pressure. There are
no provisions for providing rehabilitation, relief or
compensation for these women.
 Suggestions
• Strict enforcement of the law.
• Sensitization of police and welfare departments and NGO
for prevention.
• Launching campaigns against superstition.
• Organizing women groups
• Setting up a special cell. At state and district level.
• Identification of women survivors and their
rehabilitation.
• Introduce the subject in school text books- for
awareness.