SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, April 26: A recent data released by the Jharkhand police showcases with proof that even a deadly pandemic and a subsequent lockdown cannot affect the hold of superstition amid people.
Witch-hunting is one such practice, still prevalent in the developing nation that claims to have been educated and westernized.
A ‘witch’ denotes a woman that acquires supernatural powers and is indulged in evil practices. They are believed to be associated with negative energy and it is said that they kill innocent people for their betterment and for enhancing their powers.
“However, the main reason behind a woman or man being declared a witch usually is greed for land, and in some cases, even the women themselves, that might have been an object of desire for a powerful man in her village,” say officials at Mahila Police Thana, Upper Bazaar.
As per data released by the state police showcases that even the pandemic was unable to deter such people who murdered 21 people in total between March 2020 and February 2021.
On the contrary, in the time between March 2021 and February 2022, a total of 21 people were killed.
Notably, the time between March 2021 and February 2022, the lockdown was comparatively more relaxed as compared to that last year. However, prior to the lockdown and Covid 19, total murders due to witchcraft accusations count up to 26.
When compared, the largest numbers of deaths have taken place in West Singhbhum, wherein, between March 2019 and February 2020, a total of 14 out of 26 people were murdered.
However, between March 2020 and February 2021, out of the 21 people murdered 6 and from March 2021 to February 2022, out of 24 persons murdered, only 2 were murdered in West Singhbhum.
On the other hand, Khunti may be considered the close second, wherein between March 2020 to February 2021, 3 out of 21 were murdered, while from March 2021 to February 2022, 6 out of 24 were murdered.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand’s Additional Director General of Crime Investigation Department (CID) Prashant Singh cites better policing as one of the reasons behind the increase in cases. At the same time, he gives credit to the awareness program run by the Jharkhand government for reducing the cases of witch homicide.
Singh said, “It is true that such incidents happen in Jharkhand. However, statistics show that there has been a decrease in murder cases year after year. The police are sensitive to these incidents. Every police station Women’s Help Desk has been set up in India. Every effort is made to help women from all levels. Jharkhand is aware of these matters and we are seeing better results.”
According to Singh, such cases are a result of ignorance, and lack of education among other reasons. The practice of Bhagat and Ojha is very much seen in the villages of Jharkhand. People take advice from them for minor to major ailments and worshiped them. This is where things like witchcraft become more powerful for the common man.
The state government conducts awareness campaigns to curb the cases of witchcraft. Under the ‘Prohibition of Witch Practices Act 2001’, propaganda is set against this evil practice in the entire state. Street plays and other promotional methods are being adopted for this. For this, the government even had a fund of Rs 1 crore 20 lakh in last year’s budget.
However, the Association for Social and Human Awareness (ASHA) has been working on these matters for a long time. Its founder Ajay Jaiswal says, “The awareness campaign is not having the effect as much as it was thought. There is not much reduction in such cases. These matters will not stop until people take up the responsibility to fix them. For instance, if such an incident happens in any village, then it is the responsibility of the Sarpanch to find a solution, instead of torturing a woman.”
