Author Name : Kanishka, Ambedkar university Delhi
Introduction
In India witch hunting is about black magic ,some supernatural power in people that is considered very dangerous and violating in nature . Also witchcraft was also performed in horror movies that also made a big impact in society .Some horror stories became a reality ,especially women who are considered a witch in Indian society having some supernatural powers to control people and events , that cause disease and kill people are being lynched thrashed and raped across countries. It is also identified as gender violence gender violence is broad concept that includes gamut of violation ranging from intimate partner abuse to rape or gang rape in a public transport system or a brick klin in a village .like indian society follows cultural custom from the past few years such as purdah system restricting movement, female genital mutilation, inhuman practice of burning the bride ,child marriage. Violence against these types of violence women is deeply entrenched in our social society. Gender violence exists and recurs everywhere .The phenomenon of witch hunting, shedding right on its historical origins , socio cultural underpinnings and the legal framework in india .hunting become a gruesome reality ,particularly in rural areas , where innocent women face persecution ,torture and even death on accusation of practising witchcraft.
History of witchhunting
The first case was found in 1886 .a soldier wife ,named kunkoo was ill. She was not go to doctor for treatment but there were some believers in witchcraft washed the lady and tell her that put her hands in boiling and swung for days witch hunting although not unique to India, has manifested differently in various parts of the world .also in ancient times ,where reference to witches ,sorcerer and black magic can be found in methodological and historical texts . Some beliefs in supernatural power and magic deep roots in Indian culture which has contributed to the perpetuation of witch hunting. Some societal norms leading to the persecution of individuals labelled as witches .
Social and cultural factors
Gender violence and discrimination: witch hunting is predominantly targets women, often elderly or socially marginalised, who are accused for practicing witchcraft, the gender dynamics at play the intersection of witchcraft and patriarchy.also superstitious and belisf system : deepseated superstitious, relience on traditional healers, unfear, for the unknown contribute to the sustenance of which hunting an exploration of these beliefs, their role is perpetuating violence will be undertaken. Socioeconomic factors : which hunting is often linked to disputes over land property or resource that Socio economic factors need to the branding of individual as a wishes , is essential for understanding the root cause of these practices.Witch hunting of an involves the active participation of communities making it a collective .
Structural injustice
Witch Hunting cannot be understood in isolation from caste class and gender. Most victims are women at the margins , Dalit, woman, tribal woman widows, single Mother’s, many own small patches of land or dare to speak out against village hierarchies in deeply patriarchal feudal setting the acquisition of which craft become are told to silence to displace to punish.
Human rights response must go beyond criminal law. It must address the underlying socio-economic structure that allow such violence to fester that includes poor access to healthcare, lack of human literacy, limited property rights, the complete absence of legal awareness in affected communities. It includes the very institution meant to protect often police are indifferent. Survivors are pressured into compromises with their attackers and quotes when they act move slowly too slowly for someone who has Lost everything.
Human rights are replaced by silence
Witch hunting is attack on multiple fundamental right .It guaranteed to the Constitution of India.right to life article 21, the right to equality, article 14 and rght to live with dignity And integrity Of india . These articles supposed to be guarantees that the state protects the money.But in case of witch hunting the law too often away arrives too late. Witch hunting is and systematic violence.Is it social ostrescism it is gender base violence. It is more violence in many cases. It is torture individual. The universal declaration of human rights to which India is signatory reforms in article 3 that everyone has the right to life Liberty security of person in reality, women in parts of India still live in fear that a fever occurred or a land dispute could lead to them being tied to a tree and beaten for being a witch .
Human sacrifice & laws of witch
In an article said that hunting is a barbaric practice rooted in superstition and patriarch remains prevalent in Jharkhand despite legal prohibitions, while the practice primarily targets women, particularly those who are elderly unmarried widowed childless belonging to marginalised communities, male family members relatives are also affected. Victims of hunting are often blamed for causing misfortune , such as crops , failures , disease , and untimely , for a family member. These Acquisitions are frequently used to settle personal scores often driven by land disputes or other grievances. A significant role in perpetuating these practices.Even though several states , including jharkhand has the lack of awareness and resistance from local communities alone , with complicity of influential figures such as tribals , allows witch hunting to continue with impunity.
The national crime bureau reports that 2500 women have been key following acquisition of witchcraft since 2000 the prime in India report 2022, nearly 85 witchcraft related murders in India in 2022 alone. The most affected states include Jharkhand Odisha Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Vichar, recording the third highest number of 100 related murders in 2022 while state of jharkhand 12 search murders in 2022 , marking a sharp rise from just 3 cases in previous year .
Ethnic Violence & Human rights violation in Manipur
Kerala issue : two women were allegedly abducted.We haded and buried as a part of which craft rituals according2021 and NCRB report three states in india chhattisgarh ,madhya pradesh, telangana accounted for forty nine out of sixty eight register cases of which craft in the country.
Bihar and jharkhand
Bihar became the first state to introduce a law on the matter in 1999 .The state prevention of witch practice act 1999 says it is intended to provide for the effective measures to prevent the witchcraft and identification of the woman as a witch and their oppression mostly prevalent in tribal areas and elsewhere in tribal areas and elsewhere in the state of bihar and to eliminate the women torture humiliation and killing by the society
Chattisgarh
The tonahi pratadna nivaran adhiniyam came into force in 2005 Tonahi another word is witch .
Odisha ,Rajasthan & Assam
Similar provision also exists in states like odisha rajasthan and assam. Assam is the state that most recently came up with a law against witchcraft in 2018 .
Witch hunting in Assam
It explores the causes of which hunting in Assam from 2006 to 2018.over 1700 women died in Assam due to rape , dowry and witch hunting. In most of these cases , women were branded as witches by villagers and forced to leave the village and live in isolated places . Modernization could not reach those sections of the society who indulge in such heinous things .
Case study:-
A gunia and his wife are decapitated in alleged practice of witchcraft .
Keoonjhar is one of the most backward districts of Odisha and is dominated by tribal population, located in auto Ahil, one of the most inaccessible blocks of the district.the undulated hills , dense valleys and presence of why animals obstruct the development in the village, the geographical condition of area makes it difficult for official to reach out to the village, agriculture is the main resource of income for the people, which is merge, considering the lack of resources practice of traditional methods in agriculture has resulted in low production year after year every people, every year people lose crops due to irregular erratic rainfall. The place there is poverty and hygienic source of drinking water.People collect their voters from dirty water bodies which have very unsanitary conditions that result in epidemics of many voter-borne diseases. In this village there is swapna dehury
Lived with his wife they belonged to schedule tribes community yawn his livelihood as a daily wage laboratory Mining mining and forest areas.He also possessed a small agricultural land where he grew grew crops in rainy season, sometimes Swapna engaged himself in Puja’s mantras and advise others about their good & oral deeds in the form of karma.Soon he became a popular guniya occultist in nearby villages.This practice supplementary their family income too.
Dhenu padhan 51 another villager lived with his wife . He belonged to the same tribe .He worked as a daily labourer .He always worried about his son who was critically ill due to an unknown fever that had remained incurable even after several years .A tragic double murder case due to superstitious beliefs ruined both of the families .teachers ,ward members and villagers shared their views .that murders occurred in bhalladiha in March 2013 due to blind faith and witchcraft . An old days practice, Krushna guru Puja was being performed in the village. The Puja was believed to eliminate issue prevailing in the village and find solutions for the same, according to the belief on the day of Krushna guru Puja, someone got possessed by spiritual power, usually a goddess and he and she indicated the name of the honey involved in any I will practice. Dhinu suspected Swapna to be the cause of his son’s illness. He also suspected Pulla pullami hand in it on the day of the tragictory Incident.They know organised a krushna Puja deduce the reason for his son illness as a luck would have it.The poses goddess spelt Swapna’s name, dheenu was made the belief that both Swapna and pulami, but the course for his son misfortune enraged.He rushed the Swapna house and started thrashing from now with a wooden came.Luckily, their Ramesh was not at home when pulami tried to intervene.She also had to face consequences.The couple begged for the mercy , but had no effect on dhenu .but dhenu did not stop and dhenu slashed pulami throat with the sharp weapon .Swapna became unconscious in shock but that did not stop dhenu who mercilessly beheaded him after killing the couple dhenu fled into forest .Swapna relative banamali informed the police who recovered the bodies and arrested dhenu and he convicted and handed over rigorous imprisonment of 14 years .
Conclusion
Historically witchcraft has been a social evil widely practiced out of the ignorance and ancient beliefs system. It is totally based on gender violence. Also its practice of black magic or sorcerer in evil souls are called upon performing rituals by authorities as forces of devils or impure souls through religious scriptures .Women were also targeted as witches . Many women suffer from these things every day .It is a societal effect and cultural effect in Indian society .
About the Author
