Just days after a man was beaten and burnt in Simdega in Jharkhand for allegedly cutting down sacred trees, a 60-year-old woman also faced a similar fate on charges of witchcraft.

Jharo Devi had visited a family on Wednesday night for some rituals pertaining to the death of the wife of a man identified as Dundung, as per a news report in The Telegraph. The family suspected her of being responsible for the death, and Dundung and five others present there beat her up. Kumar Indresh, the officer-in-charge of the local police station told mediapersons, “They then poured kerosene on her and set her on fire.  However, some local residents informed us and we managed to rescue her.”

Jharo Devi has been admitted to Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi with 40 percent burns, while her six assailants have been arrested.

Witchcraft allegations prevalent in Jharkhand

Accusations of witchcraft against women are unfortunately common and have been used as a justification for violence against them for centuries. In many parts of rural India, the practice is prevalent even today, often as a means to either dispossess the woman in question of her wealth, or to punish her for daring to defy social norms.  It is so prevalent in Jharkhand that there is a whole Act dedicated to it called the Prevention of Witch (DAAIN) Practices Act 2001.

Interestingly, despite a name that sounds hostile towards people accused of practicing witchcraft, the Act actually aims to prevent the practice of identifying women as witches and their subsequent humiliation and persecution. However, the punishment under the various provisions of the Act appear to be nothing more than a rap on the knuckles.

For example, under section 3 of the Act, anyone who identifies a woman as a witch can be punished with a fine of Rs 1,000 or imprisonment up to three months or both. Under section 5, abetment to such identification carries the exact same punishment. Causing harm to a person after identifying them as a witch carries a relatively stricter punishment of fine of Rs 2,000 or imprisonment for up to six months or both. However, in some respite for victims, all offenses are cognisable and non-bailable.

Lynching continues unabated in the state

This is the second incident of lynching in the area just this month. On January 4, Sanju Pradhan, a native of Besrajara village in Jharkhand’s Simdega district was dragged out of his home and beaten up on allegations of tree felling allegedly by nearly 200 people from the neighbouring Bambalkhera village. The mob then set his body on fire. His widow claimed that the police just stood there and watched and did nothing to save her husband’s life.

What’s worse, is that the victim was then blamed for his fate, as shortly after the incident, reports emerged that Pradhan was allegedly associated with Maoists, and had cases lodged against him in the local thana. The Telegraph also reported how local police say that he would allegedly threaten people about the felling and sale of Sal trees. It remains to be established if any of these allegations are true or just another example of blaming the victim and justifying the lynching.

Two months ago, there was another such incident where a mob beat up a young man… again in Simdega! On November 28, the Muslim man identified as Md. Adil, said to be mentally challenged and 22-years-old, was brutally beaten up, when he wandered into a neighbouring village in the Idgah Mohalla in Simdega, by mistake. The attackers allegedly threw his cap on the ground and pulled his beard. Adil was then beaten and could barely talk as he recalled that a group of men had attacked him in the area known as Thakur Toli. 

Jharkhand has had its share of lynchings in the past as well, the most shocking being the Latehar lynchings that took place on March 18, 2016, when 32-year-old cattle trader Mazloom Ansari and his business partner’s 11-year-old son Imtiaz Khan were mercilessly beaten and hanged from a tree by cow vigilantes in Jhabar village. 

Related:

Cops didn’t intervene to save Simdega lynching victim: Widow

Muslim man assaulted, Adivasi man lynched to death: What is happening in Jharkhand?

How Jharkhand Police sabotaged the Latehar Lynching Case

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A 30-year-old woman died in Jharkhand on Monday adding to the list of women who had suffered fatally due to the practice of witch-hunting in the state. Her’s was the twelfth death this year that was labelled ‘witch death’ – death of a woman suspected to be a witch – in the state police records.

While such a death may seem appalling in the urban areas of India, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Navin Singh, in-charge of the case, said that ‘witch-deaths’ or even ‘witch-cases’ are a common occurrence in Jharkhand.

“We see a case of a witch-death and think it is a single-day event. In reality though, there may have been similar conflicts between the victim and the accused in the past,” said SDPO.

Accusations of someone being a witch are thrown around all the time which leads to such extreme cases.

“There is a great need for awareness in states like Jharkhand, Bihar. But the police cannot undertake such work,” he said.

Singh’s recommendation of raising awareness is also endorsed by local non-government organisations that work for the benefit of women.

One such organisation, the Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiative (AALI) offers legal advocacy especially to victims of ‘witch-hunting’ and is working towards strengthening clauses of the Prevention of Witch (DAAIN) Practices Act (2001.)

Under this Act, calling someone a ‘witch’ or harming a person who has been identified as a ‘witch’ is a non-bailable offence as per Indian law. A person may legally sue any individual who calls them a ‘witch’ even out of spite.

The law even recognises and penalises social acts like ‘jhadphook’ or ‘totka’ that allegedly cure the woman termed as a witch.

However, as per a document provided by the State police, the Act has failed to provide preventative, curative or even punitive measures for these women.

The document may be viewed here:

Moreover, according to Reshma, AALI’s State co-ordinator, few people either know or care about this law.

“Locals here understand that killing is bad but not when it comes to killing a witch. At times, villagers even taunt the victim’s family by saying that the murder would only amount to a three-year jail term,” she said.

Any individual convicted of murder in India shall be penalised by life imprisonment.

Reshma described the practice of naming a woman a ‘witch’ as a means to control the female gender or as a means of getting revenge. She gave the example of four women who were killed a few years ago for conducting their own religious rituals.

Moreover, victims of such atrocities are almost always over the age of 40 years or widowed or have been left by their patriarch. This, further raises concerns regarding the killing on Monday.

AALI which deals with 13 districts of the State directly receives one or two cases monthly. However, all other cases come to them via news coverage. Reshma said that the problem with this process was that almost every case that came to them was on the extreme end wherein the woman has either died or is in critical condition.

“No one really likes to talk about the fact that they are termed as witches. So, we rarely ever receive a case directly,” said Reshma.

Yet such incidents keep occurring throughout the State especially during the rainy season.

Most women termed as witches are attacked because of a local superstition that witches cause diseases. As a result, the number of witch-deaths increase considerably during the monsoon season when people are more susceptible to cold and fever.

Even police reports show that in 2019 four cases were reported in July, two cases in August and six cases in September. Barring November and December that recorded four and five deaths respectively, hardly any deaths were recorded in the rest of the year.

However, unlike the State police which only records ‘witch-deaths’, AALI records all witch-related cases including deaths. As per their data, nearly 63 cases have been recorded in the last eight months.

In 2019, AALI published a report ‘Where There is No Road to Justice- “Witch” Hunting Related Violence against Women and The Law in Jharkhand’ the organisation found that cases of witch-hunting have increased among Scheduled Caste communities.

The report may be read here: 

“Five years ago, I would have told you these cases were more prevalent in tribal areas. However, in the last three years such cases have increased in the SC community,” said Reshma.

Currently, a large number of such incidents are seen in the Singhbum area and among tribes like the Munda tribe. Most families leave the village after such an incident occurs.

Another observation made in the last three years was the treatment towards the victim’s family by the villagers.

Although a gender-specific crime on the surface, even the husbands of the women branded as ‘witches’ were killed in attacks.

“Children of such women are called “witch’s children.” You can imagine the trauma faced by the child in such a situation,” she said.

The children’s condition was no better earlier to this either. Last year, five women were killed on suspicion of being witches. One of the woman’s sons who was 16 years old at the time was forced by the villagers to beat his mother.

“The child cannot go against a crowd and has to follow the crowd’s orders. There is no government scheme for such children. They can avail CWC schemes at best,” said Reshma.

Another social cruelty faced by these women is social exile. Women named as ‘witches’ by the villagers are forced to leave the villages and live near the riverbank in a hut where no one will approach them.

Reinforcing what the police had said regarding awareness, Reshma stressed that social awareness contributes more towards addressing such social issues rather than increasing the State literacy.

“We see educated people as well who put a kaala teeka [black mark] on their child to ward off the evil eye. Education does not directly counter superstitions like these. It is definitely important for society’s betterment but awareness is key,” she said.

AALI’s workers conduct community meetings where they raise awareness about witch-hunting and trafficking. Reshma also suggests that such issues should be included in the school syllabus because such social practices serve as the core issues of Jharkhand.

“A child may be going to school but at the end of the day if the family believes in the idea of witches that is what the child will learn. These issues need to be addressed in a classroom environment by including it in their syllabus,” she said.

Related:

Odisha villagers burn couple after accusing them of practicing ‘black magic’
Woman, daughters attacked with sticks and axes on suspicion of practicing witchcraft

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Though it is the 21st century crimes against women and superstitions do not seem to be abating. Women, especially in the rural areas of the country are still assaulted and tortured on account of being ‘dayans’ or witches. In a recent incident, a 42-year-old woman, Kanaben Bariya and her two minor daughters aged 12 and 17 were allegedly assaulted by their distant relatives on accusations of being a witch, The Indian Express reported.

It was reported that the incident took place in Vadodara’s Dabhva village in Dahod’s Sagtala taluka late at night on June 14, 2020. The next day, the victim’s mother filed an FIR against seven people from the same village in connection with the matter. The accused have been booked under Sections 143 (member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (Punishment for rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the FIR, Kanaben and her daughters were working in their farm when the accused attacked them with sticks and axes, accusing Kanaben of being a witch and causing troubles in their families. They kept saying that it was because of her that their family members fell ill and cattle were dying. Her daughters, who tried to intervene and stop the assault, were also beaten up by the relatives.

Kanaben’s mother-in-law said she saw the alleged assault and rushed to inform her son. As she raised an alarm, other villagers came but didn’t help her. They instead threatened Kanaben to put an end to her witchcraft, and said that if she failed to do so, they would kill her and her daughters.

The police told IE, that the three were rushed to a health centre and then to the Godhra civil hospital where their condition was stable. Amar Punwar, the officer investigating the case told IE, “The families also had some old issues pertaining to a piece of land in the village. We are also investigating in that direction. So far no one has been arrested, investigations are underway.”

In a similar incident, last month three women were in Muzaffarpur were stripped, tonsured and forced to consume urine and human feces by a mob which suspected them of practicing black magic, The Print reported. The women who were hospitalized said that they were performing puja (rituals) for the ailing son of one of the women. Nine people had been arrested in the matter.

In another horrifying incident, in Odisha, Budhuram Singh decapitated his 60-year-aunt, Champa Singh, suspecting her to be a witch and holding her responsible for the death of his daughter. The man walked 13 kilometers with his aunt’s severed head to the local police station to surrender himself, reported Indiatimes. He was booked for murder by the police.

Related:

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The victims were dragged out of their homes by a mob of about 10 villagers between 1 am and 3 am on Sunday who were armed with sticks.

The mob proceeded to lock them up in one of the houses and thrash them on suspicion of being witches and practicing black magic. According to some reports, their throats were also slit.

It would be two hours before an alert was raised – by Damodar Singh, a social worker – and another hour before Sisai Police Station-in-charge Sudhir Prasad reached the scene. By that time the mob had dispersed and fled.

The bodies of the victims have been sent for postmortem.

“Prima facie, it appears the victims were involved in witchcraft. Crime seems to have happened because of superstitious beliefs. Investigation underway,” Police Superintendent Anjani Kumar Jha was quoted by news agency ANI.

The attack comes less than a month after a mother and daughter were similarly accused in Rowaoli village in the state’s West Singhbhum district.

In January, a Jharkhand court sentenced nine members of a family to life in prison for the 2013 murder of Lalmuni Devi, who was accused of witchcraft and beaten to death.

In August 2015, five women were killed in a village on allegations of witchcraft. State police had arrested 25 people and charged them under sections of the state’s anti-witchcraft law.

In January, six men were arrested in Sundargarh district in Odisha on suspicion of killing a woman accused of witchcraft and her four children. In December, an elderly tribal man from Tripura was hacked to death over similar allegations.

Courtesy: Counter Current

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But a study we conducted of one Chinese region provided an opportunity to test the most common hypothesis – that witchcraft accusations act as punishment for those who do not cooperate with local norms. According to this theory, witch tags mark supposedly untrustworthy individuals and encourage others to conform out of fear of being labelled. However, some empirical studies have shown that witch labelling instead undermines trust and social cohesion in a society.

Our study is based on 800 households in five villages in south-western China. We examined the social behaviour of those who were labelled with a “witch” tag, and compared it with those who were not. The work, published in Nature Human Behaviour, was the basis of a long-term collaboration between scientists from University College London, the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and Lanzhou University.

To determine the social networks and cooperation between households, we conducted house-to-house surveys, asking who had children, marriages and partnerships with whom. We also collected data on gift-giving, and on working groups on farms during harvest and planting seasons to see who was helping other households with their farming. All these measures gave rise to four social networks between households based on kinship, reproductive partners, gifts exchanged or farm work.

Magic poison

While in the area, we were occasionally warned not to eat in certain households, as women there were believed to be supernatural “poison givers”. The label they used – “zhu” or “zhubo” – is sometimes also translated as “witch”. It was common knowledge which homes were so labelled and we were surprised to find it accounted for 13% of the households.

The tag was one of the strongest predictors of assortment on social networks. Those from tagged households rarely had children or partnerships with those from untagged households, nor did they exchange gifts or work on each others’ farms very often. However, tagged households were helping each other and reproducing with each other, which mitigated the costs of exclusion from mainstream social networks.

We also played an “economic game” in the villages, where each person was given a small sum of money and asked to donate any proportion of it they wished to the village (to be divided among all the players). We found no evidence that those tagged as “witches” were any less cooperative in this game than any others.

In fact, we found that labelled households were very similar to other households, except the tagged households were more likely to be headed by women and were actually slightly wealthier than average.

We also discovered that the process of acquiring the label was opaque. Even victims often did not know who had started a rumour about them, they may just begin to notice others avoiding them. Some sources report such tags running in the family, with daughters inheriting the status from their mothers. Hence the origin of the slur could have occurred long ago.

Interpreting the results

Anthropologists who believe that the fear of loss of reputation (by witch labelling or other reasons) can be a huge driver of cooperation in the wider community often back their arguments with laboratory experiments using economic games. Such experiments also show that those who punish transgressors can gain reputational benefits themselves.

However real world examples of this are hard to come by. Most studies of witchcraft are not quantitative and do not examine social networks as we have done. While this study suggests there is no evidence that those labelled with this harmful tag were uncooperative, it does not fully explain why such accusations stick in some cases and not in others.

Our conclusion is that witch accusation has evolved from competition between households. Labelling may have become a way for people to get ahead of their rivals and gain a competitive advantage in reproduction or resources. However, the sources of competition may be different in different cases.

Giant Buddha Statue of Leshan, Sichuan, China. Ariel Steiner/wikipedia, CC BY-SA

There are other explanations that may apply too. All around the world conceptions of witchcraft share many common features. For example, middle aged women are the most common victims, and accusations of poisoning are frequently involved. But there are also many differences. Another idea for the origins of witchcraft denunciations is that they are common when patriarchal institutions are trying to establish dominance over matriarchal ones. This could possibly also apply in this case as Buddhism, the most common religion in the area, is more male-dominated whereas the traditional social structure in the region is “matrilineal”, where descent is usually traced through the female line.

A patriarchal dimension to witchcraft accusations could also explain the prevalence of women as victims both in traditional societies, and even in modern contexts that can resemble “witch hunts”, such as online bullying specifically targeting women.

The more research we do, the closer we can get to understanding and tackling the mechanisms behind these practices that can be devastating for women across the world.

Ruth Mace, Professor of Anthropology, UCL

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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