6/30/05 It does’nt pay to be a witch in Jharkhand!
It does’nt pay to be a witch in Jharkhand!
Hazaribagh (Jharkhand): Can witches survive in India. Not if they hail from Palani village in Jharkhand. For here, those identified or suspected as witches are thrashed black and blue with the connivance of the local police.
A recent visit to the Patratu Police Station bears testimony to this mindless form of human abuse. Three women were beaten by the villagers at the police station in Hazaribagh District.
All three sustained severe injuries after the Gahar Manjhi branded them as witches.
“I told them I am not a witch but they beat me like anything. They did not even give me water. They believed that I was a witch. I pleaded before them to spare me but they were not ready to listen to me,” said Pushni Devi, one of the victims.
“They ordered me to sit in a big pan , I refused. Then they took a thick stick and beat me with it,” said Sugni Devi, another victim.
The police have arrested two people while seven others are still absconding.
“We received the information that there will be a meeting between the villagers in Palani village. We went there and came to know that somebody has been declared a witch. She was beaten by the villagers. Villagers were against it and were protesting,” said Girish Pandey, Inspector, Patratu Police station.
Police is conducting raids in the village and its neighbouring areas to arrest the absconding people.It needs to be pointed out that in the last one year more than 500 women have been killed in the name of witchcraft.
A lot of efforts have been made in recent times to create awareness but none have been effective enough to root out this social menace.The police and the NGO’s feel that creating awareness could help in this regard.
There is scarce development, education or modern amenities in most of the nearby villages. As a result the villagers are steeped in superstitions and have lived under the spell of “ojhas” or witch doctors for centuries.
In most of the cases, the practitioners of witchcraft as well as their victims are women. They are especially vulnerable because of the society’s bias against the weaker sex, which is reinforced by popular myths about witches.
(ANI)
Hazaribagh (Jharkhand): Can witches survive in India. Not if they hail from Palani village in Jharkhand. For here, those identified or suspected as witches are thrashed black and blue with the connivance of the local police.
A recent visit to the Patratu Police Station bears testimony to this mindless form of human abuse. Three women were beaten by the villagers at the police station in Hazaribagh District.
All three sustained severe injuries after the Gahar Manjhi branded them as witches.
“I told them I am not a witch but they beat me like anything. They did not even give me water. They believed that I was a witch. I pleaded before them to spare me but they were not ready to listen to me,” said Pushni Devi, one of the victims.
“They ordered me to sit in a big pan , I refused. Then they took a thick stick and beat me with it,” said Sugni Devi, another victim.
The police have arrested two people while seven others are still absconding.
“We received the information that there will be a meeting between the villagers in Palani village. We went there and came to know that somebody has been declared a witch. She was beaten by the villagers. Villagers were against it and were protesting,” said Girish Pandey, Inspector, Patratu Police station.
Police is conducting raids in the village and its neighbouring areas to arrest the absconding people.It needs to be pointed out that in the last one year more than 500 women have been killed in the name of witchcraft.
A lot of efforts have been made in recent times to create awareness but none have been effective enough to root out this social menace.The police and the NGO’s feel that creating awareness could help in this regard.
There is scarce development, education or modern amenities in most of the nearby villages. As a result the villagers are steeped in superstitions and have lived under the spell of “ojhas” or witch doctors for centuries.
In most of the cases, the practitioners of witchcraft as well as their victims are women. They are especially vulnerable because of the society’s bias against the weaker sex, which is reinforced by popular myths about witches.
(ANI)
posted by Aestrea Raven at Thursday, June 30, 2005
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