WITCH HUNTING AND THE responsibility OF MEDIA
Subroto Kumar Ghosh, Research
Scholar
University Department of Commerce & Business
Management, Ranchi University, Ranchi.
Mobile: +91 97714 73885.
Email: ghosh.com@gmail.com
_________________________________________________________________________
Abstract
The research paper analyzes the
phenomena of witch-hunting in Jharkhand within the context of violence against
women. Considering the case studies, in Jharkhand, it is found most of the
incidents have occurred in the rural areas and the victims of witchcraft allegations
have been mostly women from the marginalized, poor and ethnic communities. In
India, women from tribal communities and widows have been targeted. It is generally
seen that the causes behind this specific type of violence are superstition and
belief in witchcraft reinforced by the presence of people like shamans and
witch-doctors and their influence on illiterate (and often fatalistic)
communities. However, these are only the visible causes so the research paper
attempts to discover the other invisible (root) causes of witch-hunting in the
country.
India is a developing country but we
should also not forget that it still falls in the Third World Category where
illiteracy and superstitions are malignant cells and are prime causes for witch
hunts in the primitive parts. Interestingly, as we studied a variety of case
studies from across the world relating to witch hunting, it was noticed that
such hunts are reported even from most of the developed nations even now. This
shows that illiteracy or superstition, however important causes, are not the
only factors behind such hunts. In India the statistics of deaths on government
files do not tally with the reports from various Non Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) where the numbers are huge. This paper aims to analyze the global,
national and regional scenario of witch hunts and also critically analyze the
present role of media in reporting such deaths and what are the avenues where
it can extend its role to slow down such inhumane acts and finally help to put
a stop to it.
Background and statement of the problem
Violence
against women has been seen in many forms across countries and over the
centuries (Penn and Nardos, 2003). Gender-based violence is a serious problem
that women are facing, irrespective of their nationality, race, religion and
economic status. According to Amnesty International (2004): "Women from
different countries and continents, from diverse religions, cultures and social
backgrounds, educated or illiterate, rich or poor, whether living in the midst
of war or in times of peace, are bound by a common thread of violence- often at
the hands of the state or armed groups, the community or their own family"(www.amnesty.orglweb/web.nst)
In the words of UNIFEM (2003 :8) "at least one of every three women around
the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her
life-time with the abuser usually someone known to her. Women are at the receiving
end of domestic violence, sexual assaults, and harmful traditional practices
like genital mutilation, dowry murder, honor
killings, early marriage and human trafficking."
It is
difficult to estimate the exact number of incidents of gender-based violence
but it is estimated that the number is very high. In South Asia, violence
against women is a particularly relevant issue, which is also known to be
"the most gender insensitive region in the world" (UNFPA, 2003:1).
Women in countries like India suffer from and are exploited in various ways:
domestic violence, battering, rape, marital rape, incest, dowry-related
violence, female infanticide, sexual harassment, human trafficking for
prostitution and, last but not the least, witch-hunting.
In recent years, the media has reported many cases of witch-hunting incidents
in our country. "Witch craft is seen as a manifestation of evil believed
to come from a human source" (Kgatla 2003:5). Hence, accusations of being
a 'witch' refers to the alleged possession by an evil spirit in a women (or
much less often, a man) giving her supernatural powers to alter the course of
nature. Likewise, witch-hunting is a 'search' for suspected witches, who are
believed to use witchcraft to harm people. After being accused, they are
tortured and treated inhumanly by their communities and often by relatives.
'Witch-hunting' could be seen as one of the worst forms of cultural violence
against women. Although the world has made tremendous scientific and
technological progress, women in many suffer due to the prevalence of this
practice. Although the gruesome practice of witch-hunting, which was once
prevalent in Europe had ended in the 18th century, it still exists in some
regions of the 'developing world' (like South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa). It
is difficult to conclude when this kind of violence actually started in India
but even today, witch-hunting incidents come to light largely due to media
reports.
The
practice of 'witch-hunting' in different parts of India appears to be prevalent
among certain castes, tribes and places. For instance, in India, it is mostly
prevalent among the so called low caste Hindus and indigenous communities who
live in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar , Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
The
practice of witch craft is definitely condemnable and should be an offence
punishable under law. But, under no circumstances, should the citizens of our
nation bypass law and take law in its own hand and execute people drastically
without any opportunity for fair trial in the court of law and a chance to
defend themselves.
OBJECTIVES
1. To
trace the history of witch hunting.
2. To
take an overview of the global scenario of witch hunting.
3.
Critically analyze with statistics the scenario of witch hunting in India
4.
Critically analyze with statistics the scenario of witch hunting in Jharkhand.
5.
Study the role of media in context of witch hunting.
6.
Suggest ways in which media can extend its role to fight against the evil
practice of witch hunting.
INTRODUCTION
The concept of
witch hunting has its traces in past, may it be primitive age, medieval age, modern
age and now industrial age, the concept of witchcraft and the incidence of
witch-hunting has been witnessed. Witch hunting is considered as an infectious
disease which is slowly spreading to newer areas. The concept of witch hunting
initially aroused in Europe and till date it is being continued with tragic
consequences. In early Europe the woman who were against the church were
considered as witches, were regarded as one who brings misfortune and thus to
protect the society those woman were burnt. Later on women were held
responsible for all the calamities let it be famine, flood, and epidemic
diseases which caused death of livestock. And the only solution of coming out
from this dismay was by killing them who were responsible for it. Further it was
seen that incidents which could not be answered was thought to be the act of
women who were having supernatural power and gradually this concept was bedded
in the society and which still has mark able effect in society.
People
with super natural or extra sensory powers have been around from time
immemorial.
We are
all acquainted with stories of witches, wizards, magicians brought down to us
through comics, story books, folklores, dramas and through word of mouth from
one generation to another. A witch, in popular imagination, is one with a long
crooked nose, ugly face, wearing a dirty black gown and a cone shaped black
hat, rides on her broom and makes magic concoctions in a huge cauldron placed
on fire throughout the night.
Man,
in the most ancient time, was a pagan. He worshipped forces of nature. Some of
these forces were personified as Gods while others seemed feminine to them and
were personified as Goddesses. And there arose a pantheon of Gods and
Goddesses.
The
energy in this vast stretch of eternity that we term as God actually consists
of two parts the masculine and feminine which we term as the Father and Mother
aspects – the aspects of dualism. And, any person to possess supernatural
powers, has to have the knowledge of uniting these two aspects into one and
only then, they can rise into the 5th dimension – the dimension of having extra
sensory powers – which, if used for good causes can make one saint and if used
for spreading negativity, can make one a witch. But after the birth and spread
of Christianity the concept changed from polytheism to monotheism. And, for
monotheism to make its foot hold strong, the thunder bolt fell on the heads of
the pagans and most of these polytheistic worshippers were branded as witches
and witch hunting reached its pinnacle during this era. This only shows that
whoever opposed or had a difference of opinion with the powerful were branded
as witches and killed without any authentic proof of their being actually
involved in witch craft or not.
It is
quite natural for people to have extra ordinary knowledge through which they
derive powers which people use it either for good or for bad but after
witnessing the large scale executions and the fear of their being killed too,
people started to veil up their knowledge and stopped talking about dualism or
polytheism. Some people from amongst these masked groups were the alchemists
who created the Philosopher’s Stone; which when recently deciphered was
actually nothing but advocacy for dualism. Today, we would have lost this ancient
truth esoterically encrypted in the theories of the alchemists had they too
been branded as witches and killed. We would have lost artistes like Leonardo
de Vinci and Michelangelo had they dared to reveal their knowledge. So, fearing
that the knowledge would get lost, they kept messages coded in their works.
The
Greek oracles of Dodona or of Appolo at Delphi were gospel in their time and
guided the course of Greek and Roman history for several centuries. There the
virgin priestesses called Pythia were famous for their prophecies. But as the
rulers were becoming despotic and autocratic all they wanted to hear was good
things about themselves and could not tolerate negative prophecy. The then
Emperor of Rome, Nero killed the Pythia by burying her alive along with the
bodies of the temple priests after their hands and legs were chopped off. Pythia
was branded as a witch and killed because she forecast the ruin of Nero’s
empire. And with the death of Pythia, the whole of Roman Empire and the
glorious Egyptian civilization met with a catastrophic end.
Another
famous story is that of the Joan of Arc, a 19 years old French girl who was
burnt alive during the Hundred Years’ War by branding her as a witch and with
charges of insubordination and heterodoxy. Twenty-five years after her
execution, an inquisitorial court authorized by Pope Callixtus III examined the
trial, pronounced her innocent, and declared her a martyr. Joan of Arc was
beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920. This is irony at its worst.
It is
high time we realize that man does not genetically become a witch or a wizard.
There is no DNA or chromosomes found in the human body to create a witch. But
yes, it is scientifically proved that spiritual knowledge is gained through our
pituitary and pineal glands that are there in our brain; and the fact that they
act as antennas to interact with the cosmos around us, take powers from them
and spiritually uplift oneself. And it is up to the person whether they want to
use the derived power attained through manipulation of energy for self
enlightenment, cause of the society or destruction of the society. It is not a
myth that there exists people with mystical powers but it is inhumane to hunt
and kill them for the same.
All
along the courts of most of the kings from all over the world had specially
appointed people who had the power of prophecy and their advice was sought
before initiating important events. Even in Assam we had ‘Mongollotis’ who
would see the planetary arrangements and fix date and time of important events
that would take place. But, when these same set of people say something that
are pinching to the ears, we brand them as witches and get them killed just
like King Nero did to the Pythia.
The
practice of witchcraft is definitely condemnable and should be an offence
punishable under law. But, under no circumstances, should the citizens of our
nation bypass law and take law in its own hand and execute people drastically
without any opportunity for fair trial in the court of law and a chance to
defend themselves.
WITCH - HUNTING IN INDIA
India is a
land where the women are treated as symbol or are considered as a token of
their community, family, caste and all other diverse divisions. Where people on
one hand worship them in name of Goddesses on the other hand kill them
considering them witch. This practice of killing is not new for Indian society
rather it has its deep roots in history. Initially when the concept of witch
was discussed people thought of ugly women with a broom who can fly, who can disappear.
Now the concept has changed a bit, witch now denotes women who acquire
supernatural powers and are indulged in evil practices which are omen. It is
believed that they are associated to negative energy and for their betterment
and for enhancing their power they kill innocent members of society. The may be
called in different names as ‘Chudail’, ‘Dayan’, Tohni’, etc. but the zest is that they possess supernatural powers
which they use to hamper others. Therefore Witch Hunting is a process of
killing these people in order to protect the society from being harmed by them.
In name of witch hunting people kill innocent women, rape them, to acquire
their property and some time it is being used as a tool for vengeance.
Witch hunting is stigmatization of specific groups of people,
which mostly contains widowed women, women who are childless, old couples,
women of lower caste. Other than this many are targeted due to local politics.
It has been witnessed in tribal and rural areas that if wild spread diseases occur
or famine occurs which causes death of animals as well as human the allegation
develops on the most vulnerable people of the society for witch craft and then
violence. Witch hunting is more prevalent in 12 states of India which are
situated in like Jharkhand,
Bihar, Haryana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan and U.P. the governments most recent
report indicates that about 119 people were killed in the year 2012 in name of
witch hunting and around 1,700 women were murdered for witchcraft during
1991-2010. These data shows the recorded cases, there are many instances which
have never been recorded as due to the fear.
DEFINITION
AND MEANING OF THE TERMS, ‘WITCH’, WITCH CRAFT’ AND ‘WITCH HUNT’
The
Oxford Dictionary defines the term ‘witch’ as ‘a woman believed to have evil
magic powers.’ The same dictionary defines ‘witch craft’ as ‘the practice of
magic’ and ‘witch hunt’ as ‘a campaign against a person with unpopular views.’
In the
popular imagination, witchcraft is often associated with the infliction of harm
on people or property through the purported exercise of supernatural powers. In
sociological and anthropological terms, it can be described as a phenomenon
that is invoked to explain misfortune by attributing it to the evil influence
of someone, either from within or outside the community. Thus witchcraft has
historically been employed to bring about ‘the death of some obnoxious person,
or to awaken the passion of love in those who are the objects of desire, or to
call up the dead, or to bring calamity or impotence upon enemies, rivals and
fancied oppressors’. Ronald Hutton, for example, has identified five
characteristics generally shared by those who believe in witches and witchcraft
across different cultures and time periods:
(a)
Witches use non-physical means to cause misfortune or injury to others;
(b)
Harm is usually caused to neighbors or kin rather than strangers;
(c) Strong
social disapproval follows, in part because of the element of secrecy and in
part because their motives are not wealth or prestige but malice and spite;
(d) Witches
work within long-standing traditions, rather than in one-time only contexts;
and
(e) Other
humans can resist witches through persuasion, non-physical means (counter
magic), or deterrence including through corporal punishment, exile, fines or
execution.
Witches
are, in most cases women who are alleged use their evil powers to harm others.
In fact, however, many of those accused of witchcraft are simply vulnerable
women and children, the elderly or the mentally ill, and are sometime the
victims of an accuser's personal grudge. In many cases they are killed with
impunity.
HISTORY
OF WITCH HUNTING IN THE WORLD
Witch
hunting is, as relevant, a topic in present day context as it was hundreds of
years ago. The menace of witch hunting has been percolating down since yore and
did not even spare the most developed nations of the world.
In
1487, Kramer and Sprenger, published the notorious Malleus Maleficarum (the
'Hammer against the Witches') which, because of the newly invented printing
presses, enjoyed a wide readership. The book was soon banned by the Church in
1490, and Kramer and Sprenger censured, but it was nevertheless reprinted in 14
editions by 1520 and became unduly influential in the secular courts.
The
classical period of witch hunts in Europe and North America falls into the
Early Modern period or about 1480 to 1750, spanning the upheavals of the
Reformation and the Thirty Years' War, resulting in an estimated 40,000 to
60,000 executions.
THE
GLOBAL SCENARIO AT PRESENT
The
famous case of the death of Victoria Climbié, an eight-year-old Ivorian girl
who was tortured and murdered by her guardians, in 2000 in London, in
the name of witch hunt took the world by storm that witch hunts that too of a
child had happened in one of the most developed nation of the world.
The
name of Daniel Pelka who died in March 2012 in UK joins the roll-call of
official failure that includes Baby P (Peter Connolly), who died in 2007 from
dozens of injuries despite numerous visits by health and social services to his
home.
The
Telegraph of UK on 14.08.2012 reported how two parents who claimed their
kids were possessed by evil spirits have been jailed for seven years for
'shocking mistreatment', after one child sent a message in a bottle asking for
help.
Though
the practice of "white" magic (such as faith healing) is legal in Papua
New Guinea, the 1976 Sorcery Act imposes a penalty of up to 2 years in
prison for the practice of "black" magic. In 2009, the government
reports that extrajudicial torture and murder of alleged witches – usually lone
women – are spreading from the highland areas to cities as villagers migrate to
urban areas. For example, in June 2013, four women were accused of witchcraft because
the family "had a 'permanent house' made of wood, and the family had
tertiary educations and high social standing". All of the women were
tortured and Helen Rumbali (aged 40) was beheaded. Her assailants claimed they
had clear proof that Rumbali had used sorcery to kill another villager who
recently died of sickness: The victim's grave bore the marks of black magic,
and a swarm of fire flies apparently led witch hunters to Rumbali's home.
In Saudi
Arabia in November 2009, it was reported that 118 persons had been arrested
in the province of Makkah that year for practising magic and “using the Book of
Allah in a derogatory manner”, 74% of them being female. According to Human
Rights Watch in 2009, prosecutions for witchcraft and sorcery are proliferating
and "Saudi courts are sanctioning a literal witch hunt by the religious
police.
THE
INDIAN SCENARIO
The
‘Shining India’ that all of us talk about has many dark sides to it. We all
know the deterrents that pull back India from actually being successful in
world scenario and the most commonly pointed out problems are illiteracy,
superstition, low national income, low per capita income and the list goes on
and on. But this never ending list somewhere, at some point, intertwines and
culminates to become the cause for this menace called Witch Hunting.
Stories
of women beaten, poisoned, paraded naked or forced to eat human excreta are disturbingly
common in parts of India . Sometimes these witch hunts deliberately target widows
or women with property in an attempt to take advantage of them, but other times
they are rooted in religious beliefs. Others have said that as women gain power
in these communities, witchcraft is invoked as a way of keeping women in
subservient roles. Women are also the
victims of witchcraft accusations after refusing sexual advances from village men.
But other times, these women are simply scapegoats. Women who are widowed, infertile,
possess ‘ugly’ features or are old, unprotected, poor or socially ostracized
are easy targets. In the tribal belt of India, a spate of witch-hunts has
created headlines. In villages around the region, middle aged and elderly
single women are orchestrated as witches, leading to social stigma,
displacement, economic boycott, torture and even murder.
Year Witch Hunts
1990 Over 500 KILLED
2004-2009 137 WOMEN KILLED
1995-2009 Over 2500 WOMEN KILLED
A 2010
estimate places the number of women killed as witches in India at between 150
and 200 per year. The lynchings are particularly common in at least 12 states —
Jharkhand, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam and Bihar. These states
are recognized as areas where witch hunts are rampant even today.
A
February, 2010 article in Oneworld South Asia gives us an idea about the scale
of the problem of 'witch-hunting' in rural India:
‘Statistics
on witch-hunting crimes compiled by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) are
a cause of concern. The NCRB reported that in 2007, 177 cases of
witchcraft-related murders were reported from the above mentioned states
(Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra
and Orissa). Jharkhand had the dubious distinction of reporting 50 witchcraft-
related murders, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 33; Haryana at 30; Orissa with
28; Madhya Pradesh with 14, Chhattisgarh with 8 and Gujarat with only one
reported case.’
It has
been reported that 2,556 women were designated as witches and killed in India
between 1987 and 2003. In Bihar alone around 522 cases of witch hunting were
registered from 1991 to 2000. (Source -
twocircles.net/node/230815)
The
police records record 984 women being killed in 19 districts since 1991 to
2008. Among them 242 women were killed in Ranchi district, 178 in West
Singhbhum, 60 in East Singhbhum, 34 in Saraikela-Kharsawan, 127 in Lohardaga,
100 in Gumla, 39 in Simdega, 60 in Palamu, 18 in Garhwa, 10 in Chatra, 15 in
Hazaribagh, 16 in Koderma, 15 in Giridih, 6 in Dhanbad, 12 in Bokaro, 16 in
Deoghar, 11 in Dumka, 14 in Sahebganj and 11 women were killed in Godda
district.
Other
news reports say:
1. Between 2001 and 2008, 452 women were killed in
Jharkhand, according to a report by an NGO, Association for Social and Human
Activities.
2. While statistics regarding the magnitude of the problem
are scarce, according to unofficial estimates in the last 15 years around 2,500
women have been killed after being branded ‘witches’. “About 500 cases occurred
in Jharkhand alone in the past few years,” says Aparna Dwivedi, who heads the
Women’s Justice Initiative at the Delhi-based Human Rights Law Network, a group
that fights for social causes.
(Source:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110622/jsp/opinion/story_14144168.jsp)
3. In fact, when a law suit was filed by the NGO Rural
Litigation and Entitlement Kendra on behalf of nearly 1,000 rural women in
Jharkhand who were victims of witch hunts last year, the Supreme Court refused
to even entertain it. “A bench comprising then Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan,
Justice Deepak Verma and Justice T.S. Thakur refused to entertain the suit,
asking the petitioner to approach the high courts of the states,” says Poli
Kataki, a Delhi-based advocate who was part of a team of lawyers that filed a
PIL against witch hunting in the Supreme Court.
In a
country which ranks at 129 out of 146 in gender inequality index with a score
of 0.6, the highest in South Asia, each year an estimated 200 women are killed
as witches in rural India.
According
to the National Crime Record Bureau during the year 2000-2001 there were 253 cases
of Witch-hunting (126 cases in 2000 and 127 in the year 2001). Again between
2008 and 2012, more than 768 women have been murdered for allegedly practicing
witch craft. There is also research evidence suggesting that there has been a
disturbing rise in witch hunting cases in 2011. The rate of conviction in cases
of crime against women is the lowest in India (26.9 %) when compared to other
crimes and adding to this crisis is the fact that there is no specific law in
India to fight against witch hunting. Witch hunting cases are currently registered
under sections 302 (murder), 320 (grievous hurt), 351(Assault), 354 (Assault or
criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 364a (kidnapping
for ransom) and 503 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
THE
ROLE OF MEDIA
Media
is known as the Fourth Estate of our nation and so it is quite obvious that it
has a very important role to play in taking our democracy forward. The most
important role of media is to provide its audience with authentic, truthful and
factual reports of events that holds importance for them. Media has a moral
responsibility towards the society and its people who trusts their content. Though
Indian media is being criticized for flouting journalistic ethics, it has
successfully brought to light many cases of scams, kick backs, corruption and
the like through its investigative reports. The role that Indian media has
played in “development reporting” is also praise worthy. In context of witch
hunting, media, so long has only been reporting events after cases of lynching,
murders, tortures and other atrocities have occurred.
Some
suggestions as to how can media extend its role towards this effort would be:
1. Local media should do a detailed analysis of the cases
of witch hunting within its local ambit.
2. Team up with local police and bring to light the actual
causes of murders and lynching and highlight if personal agenda is found to be
the motive in the veil of witch hunt.
3. Team up with local NGOs and make people aware of the
real statistics of witch hunt related deaths.
4. Highlight the role of people and NGOs that are working
against atrocities on women, men and children in the veil of witch hunting.
5. Place informers and sources in places where witch
hunting is a common phenomenon and take their help to prevent such acts and
rescue the victims.
6. Television media should capture videos of the grim
developmental situation of such areas where witch hunting is a regular phenomenon
and bring the scenario to the notice of the government and other policy makers
to take action and start development work as soon as possible.
7. Media should feature campaigns against witch hunting
regularly, write human interest stories about such events – the myth, the pain
and the trauma that these victims go through, make people aware of such
inhumane acts, break the myth and mystery behind witches and educate people
through regular write ups and broadcast of
documentaries.
8. Radio has a good reach even in rural areas and this
medium can be tapped to educate the people against superstitions and related
evils.
9. NGOs should start Community radio stations in primitive
rural places and take an initiative to educate them on social issues and self
development.
10. Media should understand that to mobilize an angry mob on
the spot is not easy so as the famous saying goes, ‘precaution is better than
cure’ which means that they have to always remain alert so as to avoid any
untoward happening.
11. Local media should regularly do follow-ups on such
issues and see that the perpetrators of law are brought to book and the victims
are given justice.
12. Local media should do development reporting in these
areas and see that the government, NGOs and other policy makers are taking
initiative to uplift the standard of living of these people and also develop
their area of habitat.
13. Media should question the government as to why the data
and statistics maintained in their files are wrong and demand answers to their
questions.
14. Media should open old records of NGOs and question the
police as to why most cases of witch hunts are not registered with them.
15. Media should question the police as to why in most cases
perpetrators of law are not brought to book and punished.
16. Media should exert pressure on the government and police
to set up surveillance cells so that these areas are constantly under police
patrolling.
17. Media should give an opportunity for these primitive
people to voice their opinions and make them feel that they are part of this
developing nation and even their voices are heard and taken into account.
18. Those alleged to be witches, sorcerers, etc are usually
killed by a mob which is incited by family members or enemies. It is difficult
to pin down individuals from an entire mob unless someone gives evidence about
who committed the act. Since such killings are among clans and close-knit
communities, we usually don’t have witnesses. This weakens the police case and
does not result in a charge-sheet. Here, Media has to be more pro-active and
compel the police to take their investigative work seriously and deliver
results.
LEGISLATIVE APPROACH TO WITCH-HUNTING
There is no
specific and particular national level legislation that penalizes Witch hunting
hence the provisions under the Indian Penal Code 1860 can be used as an
alternative for the victim. The different sections invoked in such cases are
Sec.302 which charge for murder, Sec307 attempt for murder, Sec 323 hurt, Sec
376 which penalizes for rape and Sec. 354 which deals with outraging a woman’s
modesty.
Apart from the
provisions under Indian Penal Code different states have come up with different
legislation to tackle the problem of witch hunting.
·
Bihar though being most backward was the first state in India to
pass a law against witch hunting in the year 1999, which was named “Prevention
of Witch (Dayan) Practices Act.”
·
Jharkhand followed it and established “Anti Witchcraft Act” in
2001 to protect women from inhuman treatment as well to provide victim legal
recourse to abuse. Basically Section 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the concerned Act talks
about the punishment which will be granted if any one identify someone as
witch, tries to cure the witch and any damages caused to them. Whereas Section
7 states the procedure for trial.
·
Chhattisgarh government passed a bill in 2005 named
“Chhattisgarh Tonhi Pratama Bill”, which was established to prevent atrocities
on women in name of Tonhi.
·
Rajasthan government has also passed a bill “Rajasthan Women
(Prevention and Protection from Atrocities)” 2006,which makes it illegal as
well punishable for calling any woman as “Dayan” or to accuse a woman for
practicing witchcraft, which extends to three years of imprisonment and Rs 5000
fine.
·
Till now there is no specific laws enacted in Maharashtra
against witch-hunting and the sole reason behind it is opposition from some
religious groups who believes that the enacted law might take away their
ancient rites. Now after the incidents of witch-hunting has increased the state
government has planned to pass a bill to eradicate the social ills and human
sacrifice.
·
Among the states where witch-hunting is prevalent, some areas of
West Bengal like Purulia, Bankura and Birbhum comes under the ambit of those
states. Still the state government has failed to establish a separate
legislation to tackle it. Hence, there is a need of national legislation which
will have a binding effect over all the states in prohibiting it.
All these acts
not only prohibit one from directly hampering a woman but also punishes the one
who instigates other to harm them, to displace her from the house place and
property. At the same time it is punishable if due to torture a woman commits
suicide
Apart from
these state legislation there are other bodies established to prevent
witch-hunting and promote protection to women and to ensure those rights
necessary for them to live a peaceful life with dignity.
·
Partner for Law in Development (PLD) 1998, which is a group of
legal resource working for social justice and women’s right in India. It
considers women’s rights as an integral part of the society and hence protects
women’s right from getting violated through families, on basis of sexuality,
culture, caste, etc.
·
Other than this many NGO’s are working for preventing and
protecting women from the social evil of witch-hunting.one among those is Rural
Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, which had also filled a PIL in Supreme Court
relating to the abuse of women in name of witch-hunting on behalf of 1000 rural
women in Jharkhand who were victimised of witch-hunting.
·
Apart from these NGO’s and some local bodies working against
witch hunting, a bill “Prevention and Prohibition of Witch-Hunting” has been
drafted by members of Human Rights Defence International, which is still
pending. It aims at establishing national legislation relating to
witch-hunting.
The Indian
government has an obligation to protect women from discrimination on the basis
of gender and also provide basic rights and security granted by different
international treaties, covenant and laws.
·
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948, which
being international law provides protection against any discrimination and
promotes equality before law. It also confirms right to life and liberty to
every human being.
·
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),
India associated with it in 1979, which being an international body promotes
equality between men and women by ensuring equal rights to men and women in
civil as well as political sphere and prohibits others from subsuming anyone’s
basic rights. Article 7 explicitly mentions prohibition of cruelty, inhuman or
degrading treatment and by associating with the covenant it is obligatory for
Indian government to implement these rules.
·
In addition to UDHR and ICCPR, India has signed Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on 1993
and had agreed to eliminate discrimination and social cruelty against women. In
addition to it Sec.5 (a) of the concerned convention explicitly provides that
the states should take appropriate measures to modify the social and cultural
patterns of conduct of men and women.
Hence not only protection of women is obligatory but also it is
obligatory to affirm different actions which have been designed for ensuring
the enjoyment of rights in a positive manner.
CONCLUSION
Till date the
practice of witch-hunting is still prevalent in India. The reasons behind it
are lack of national legislation, lack of evidence and issuing of report,
ineffective implementation of established rules. Hence the problem can be
solved by strict enforcement as well as implementation of Anti-witchcraft law
which will also prevent witch-hunting practices, also by sensitizing of police
and welfare department and establishment of NGO’s who will work for
sensitization purpose. As witch hunting are more prevalent in backward areas to
raise awareness witchcraft can be added as a subject in school as it is
necessary to change the perspective of society and believe over superstition.
However it is very difficult to eliminate believes prevalent from centuries in
the society but we can try to eliminate by taking above mentioned steps.
Media
is truly a potential medium which, if steered through the right direction and
used strategically, the menace of witch-hunting can be dealt with in a
progressive way. It is true that today’s media is a corporate one and very much
profit oriented and it is high time they also realize their social responsibilities
and start giving back to the society that has given them their position and
status. It is true that we still have media houses that have devoted themselves
to social causes and they are the torch bearers in the context of media for
social causes and development. People living in cities and town would have
never known that such huge number of killings are regularly happening in the
primitive areas around them had media, from time to time, not reported about
them. The government sitting at the centre or even in the state capital would
also remain blind to such events had media not been there to bring such events
to light. But, now media should become proactive and be questioning and not
just narrating. They should take the onus on them to question the people in the
helm of affairs as to the present plight of the primitive people and make sure
the benefits of our ‘shining India’ percolates even to the primitive most
tribal of our country so that every Indian is free from the shackles of
superstition and can decide for himself what is right and what is wrong and
does not allow himself to be swayed away in the name of magic.
We
should come out from the general notion that all persons having super natural
or extra sensory powers are witches and the only way to get rid of them is to
purge them. Just like every tiger is not a man eater and this fact is
established by the books of Jim Corbett similarly all such people with
enchanting or miraculous powers should not be branded as witches and hunted
down.
Media
should unofficially take up the role of local corporations or ward officers and
take up the role for the welfare of the people by being the Sentinel of the
area. Now it is media who has to play the role of informing people and creating
social awareness against witch hunting and gradually put a stop to it.
REFERENCES:-
1.
Crime
in India 2012 Statistics, National Crime Records Bureau. Online at http://ncrb.nic.in/CD-CII2012/Statistics2012.pdf.
2.
Rakesh
k. Singh, “Witch-Hunting: Alive and Kicking”
3.
International
Law Memorandum: Jharkhand’s Obligation to Prevent Witch-Hunting.
4.
“India
needs national law against witch hunts and other superstitious practices”, 22nd June,
2011, The Telegraph.
5.
Contemporary
Practices of Witch-Hunting-a report on Social Trend & the Interface with
Law, 2013.
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http://tikulicious.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/witch-hunting-the-dark-indian-reality/Accessed on 29.08.13
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http://www.sacw.net/article2156.html
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hunt#Modern_witch-hunts
Accessed on 1.09.13
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http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/10/witch-hunts-png/2407221/ Accessed on 1.09.13
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http://www.cityam.com/article/too-many-children-are-being-taken-care-baby-p-witchhunters-are-blame
Accessed on 1.09.13
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9475266/Witchcraft-child-abuse-parents-whoabused-children-because-of-evil-spirits-jailed.html
Accessed on 1.09.13
20.
http://socialistworker.co.uk/art/16171/Media+witchhunt+over+Baby+P+puts+more+children+at+risk
Accessed on 1.09.13
21.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/mar/22/khyra-babyp-labours-response Accessed on 1.09.13
22.
http://humanexperience.stanford.edu/witchcraft
Accessed on 1.09.13
23.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc
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http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/profecias/esp_profecia01a.htm
Accessed on 1.09.13
25.
http://www.indiatogether.org/2010/jan/soc-witch.htm
Accessed on 26.09.13
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