PRACTICE AND PERCEPTION OF WITCHCRAFT;
ARE WE INHABITANTS OF STONE AGE OR 21ST CENTURY ?
Article 51A[H] of Indian constitution:-"it shall be duty of every citizen of India to develop scientific temper ,humanism and spirit of inquiry and reform."
According to the National Crime Record Bureau data, since 2008, 768 women have been murdered for practicing witchcraft. Their numbers are adding up each year. A Zee Research Group (ZRG) analysis shows that states like Karnataka and Chhattisgarh that reported zero and eight murders respectively in 2010 due to witchcraft has shown a disturbing increase in just one year. While Karnataka reported an increase of 77 cases in 2011, Chattisgarh increased from eight to 17 cases in 2011.
Superstition defines societal mindset against women in many forms, Ranjana Kumari, President of center for social research, Delhi says, “India has a patriarchal society and women here are tortured in the name of many myths and taboos. Crimes relating to witch-hunting are basically committed against the women by family members along with the village authorities and so, the State’s responsibility towards the victim is highly necessary but unfortunately the rising torture trend show that the government has actually failed to act against this heinous crime.”
Ignorance on mental disorders and other physical ailments further feeds into puritan mindset. “It is really very unfortunate that women who behave differently due to their mental health or hormonal changes are often taken as culprits of witchcraft's and thus, face tremendous tortures,” she adds
ZRG analysis shows Odisha, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, traditionally unsafe states for women, lead in crimes under the category of witchcraft.
Adding perspective on how a woman is always misunderstood and used for selfish ends, Professor Bula Bhadra, a sociologist from Kolkata says, “We see that women who stay, are widow or estranged are the favorite targets for the culprits who kill women in the allegedly for witch-hunting as society believes that women who are self-sustained have no right to live and so, all their property and belonging should be easily snatched from them by giving an excuse of witch-hunting.”[Media reports].
ARE WE INHABITANTS OF STONE AGE OR 21ST CENTURY ?
Article 51A[H] of Indian constitution:-"it shall be duty of every citizen of India to develop scientific temper ,humanism and spirit of inquiry and reform."
According to the National Crime Record Bureau data, since 2008, 768 women have been murdered for practicing witchcraft. Their numbers are adding up each year. A Zee Research Group (ZRG) analysis shows that states like Karnataka and Chhattisgarh that reported zero and eight murders respectively in 2010 due to witchcraft has shown a disturbing increase in just one year. While Karnataka reported an increase of 77 cases in 2011, Chattisgarh increased from eight to 17 cases in 2011.
Superstition defines societal mindset against women in many forms, Ranjana Kumari, President of center for social research, Delhi says, “India has a patriarchal society and women here are tortured in the name of many myths and taboos. Crimes relating to witch-hunting are basically committed against the women by family members along with the village authorities and so, the State’s responsibility towards the victim is highly necessary but unfortunately the rising torture trend show that the government has actually failed to act against this heinous crime.”
Ignorance on mental disorders and other physical ailments further feeds into puritan mindset. “It is really very unfortunate that women who behave differently due to their mental health or hormonal changes are often taken as culprits of witchcraft's and thus, face tremendous tortures,” she adds
ZRG analysis shows Odisha, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, traditionally unsafe states for women, lead in crimes under the category of witchcraft.
Adding perspective on how a woman is always misunderstood and used for selfish ends, Professor Bula Bhadra, a sociologist from Kolkata says, “We see that women who stay, are widow or estranged are the favorite targets for the culprits who kill women in the allegedly for witch-hunting as society believes that women who are self-sustained have no right to live and so, all their property and belonging should be easily snatched from them by giving an excuse of witch-hunting.”[Media reports].
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