Witchcraft-bane for Jharkhand tribals

Sanjeev Shekhar

Ranchi-

Albeit the rising incidents of witch craft or black magic in Jharkhand has become the major socio-economic issue, what is confounding that the tribal leaders, politicians and a section of non-government agencies have either failed to rake up the issue at the appropriate platform or have remained dumbfounded on the matter.

Except for the Free Legal Aid Committee (FLAC), a non-government organization (NGO), which has on and off made an attempt to draw attention of the masses towards the cause, concerned agencies or authorities have done ‘precious little’ pertaining to the issue. Consequently, the figures of killing under the pretext of black magic have shot up in the past six years.

The official figure claims that 189 women were killed between 2001-2006, while the FLAC has a different story to narrate. According to the NGO, around 412 women have been killed in between the aforesaid period (2001-06); thereby putting the figure to 82 women killed every year due to social evil.

Figures are not important. It’s necessary to trace the motive behind such killings and curb the practice by taking stern action against the culprits, stated the noted author and a social activist, Dayamani Barla. She said that Witchcraft Prevention Act 1999 was formulated was back in 1999 during the undivided Bihar. The Jharkhand government in 2001 adopted it.

“ I squarely blame the administration and the government machinery for not implementing the law after its enactment. While the law is licking dust, the administration has preferred to sleep over it,” Barla alleged adding such practices are common as property angle is attached to the widow.

The firebrand activist did not mince words in stating that the organizations working at the village level or block level to create awareness about the issue have been more interested in running their ‘projects’ than to work for the betterment of the tribals. “These organizations are fulfilling the ‘quorum’ of their stipulated time period project. At the end, the impact in the minds of the general masses is minimal or almost nil. What is required is action against the culprits and powerful law to curb the menace,” she held.

Apparently unaware about the seriousness of the issue, some of the tribal leaders and social activists expressed to take up the matter at higher level. “We never thought about it. We’re putting this matter on priority in our forthcoming meeting to tackle the situation,” said Joy Baxla, the convenor of the Swashashan Shasaktikaran Manch.

He candidly admitted that this is a social evil and fall out of superstitious beliefs in the absence of proper education, awareness and understanding. For this, social mobilization is required than stringent measures of law at the panchayat and gram-sabha level, Baxla stated.

Ratan Tirkey, another noted social activist advocating the cause of tribal, was frank enough to admit that they have not been able to rake this issue. But now they will. Tirkey said, “the age old-practice of witchcraft has become the necessary evil even in the contemporary times. The latest was the brutal beheading of the lady by her husband in Mosabani in East Singhbhum district, which sent shiver down everybody’s spine. We’ll approach the Right to Information (RTI) for a comprehensive report on the matter by any bonafide agency.”

He lashed out at the different organizations, who are getting government and international grant for conducting different programmes like ‘nukkad nataks’ or organisaing the seminar on the issue of witchcraft. “These people have got so much money but the end result is almost negligible and the age old belief of black magic still dominates their minds,” Tirkey said.

Sanjeev Shekhar,
Journalist/Consultant/PR