India's Persistent 'Witch-Hunting' Scourge: Violence Against Isolated Women

Brutal 'Witch-Hunting' Incidents in India

• 💔 In Jharkand, India, a woman named Kami Dvi was beheaded by villagers after being accused of causing a young man's suicide through black magic.
• 📌 Kami Dvi had previously been branded a witch 14 years prior, and was routinely blamed for misfortunes in her village.
• 🔪 Eight men beheaded her, disposing of her body, and only two accused have been arrested so far, with eight having fled.
• 📈 Jharkand recorded 22 witch-hunting related murders in 2023, the highest in India, where approximately 78% of the population lives in rural areas with limited healthcare access.

Role of Local Healers and Belief Systems

• 🔮 Villagers often perceive unexplained illnesses or misfortunes as signs of witchcraft, turning to local healers known as 'ojas' for cures.
• 💰 One 60-year-old healer, Najir Bhta, charges around €10 for treatments based on faith healing and medicinal herbs, which he claims have no scientific basis but are willingly paid for.
• 💬 Many deeply trust these healers, believing their treatments cure ailments, especially when doctors cannot address issues attributed to witchcraft.

NGO Interventions and Survivor Experiences

• 🎭 An NGO uses street plays, combining song, drama, and dance, to raise awareness about 'witch-hunting' in villages with deep supernatural beliefs.
• ⚠️ The NGO faces resistance and is often not allowed to perform plays or reach out to victims, as villagers fear wider intervention and potential support for victims.
• 🗣️ Survivors, branded as witches and ostracized, share experiences of being accused of causing deaths or harm, leading to social isolation.
• ✨ The NGO supports 76 victims, providing counseling, medical care, government program enrollment, and opportunities like sports, aiming to integrate them back into society.

Deeper Societal Issues and Legal Challenges

• ⚖️ Govin Kelkar from the Indian Rationalist Association views 'witch-hunting' as a form of femicide targeting poor, unsupported women who cannot access legal recourse.
• 🚫 He notes that local bureaucracy is often partial, failing to support these women.
• 📊 Despite laws against 'witch hunting' and black magic in eight Indian states, a government report recorded 74 related murders in 2023, indicating the persistence of the problem.