Ritual Killing: Crime of superstition is the new challenge for modern India!
More than 2,500 people have died because failed development in villages heightens gender inequality and tensions.
Men circled the three women, their fists wrapped around thick iron pipes and wooden sticks. The women huddled on the ground at the center of their village in the western Indian state of Gujarat and whimpered as the crowd gathered. Two young men had died in the village, and the women were being called dakan, the Gujarati word for witch. They were accused of feasting on the young men’s souls.
Madhuben clutched her right upper arm. She had taken three blows from one of the pipes and was sure her bones were broken. Her sisters-in-law, Susilaben and Kamlaben, covered their heads as wood and metal pounded their backs. (The names of women targeted by witch hunts have been changed in this story, to minimize the risk of further assault or of jeopardizing pending legal cases.)
The attack on the trio, in Gujarat in 2014, was one of thousands of witch hunts that take place in India. In the second incident, A father and uncle themselves kill their 10-12 year daughter to develop business and the idea they have got from Bhuva ji.
It’s not only about Gujarat. The entire India is facing the issue and women are the most targeted in such activities.
I would like to share example of my neighbour, she views herself as a goddess, and her whole family supports her. People began approaching her gradually, and for some reason their plan worked. They have quickly outearned all other workers in terms of income. Her two boys, who were both unemployed at the age of thirty, are now worry-free because their mother makes more than enough money. This is an example of an educated culture.
Our two ministries are one focused on social justice and welfare, and the other on women and children. We discuss reservations a lot, but when we do, this problem deserves more focus. assistance presents an accurate image of how politics on reservations fail to assist those who genuinely need assistance. Only education and government action would benefit them; even after 75 years, we still fail. The so-called leaders who serve the caste and bring up the subject of the caste system on a weekly basis are ignorant of this grave problem, which mostly affects women from that caste and particular areas. In this instance, both the victim and the offender are members of the same family. Not a single leader has brought up the matter or demonstrated concern to make things work for them.
Although reservations are frequently talked about, have they ever been studied? Why, even after all this turmoil, does education not reach them!
How Pervasive are Superstitious Killings in India?
As per the 2021 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), six deaths were linked to human sacrifices, while witchcraft was the motive for 68 killings.
The maximum number of witchcraft cases were reported from Chhattisgarh (20), followed by Madhya Pradesh (18) and Telangana (11).
In 2020, India saw 88 deaths due to witchcraft and 11 died as part of ‘human sacrifices’, the NCRB report states.
These days, a lot of astrologers, goddesses, and babas claim to be able to answer all of your problems; sadly, there is no oversight on them. Anybody can become the aforementioned professional expert overnight and make a magical sum of money; they don’t require a degree.
Photo: Journalist Dhara Patel (Dharaa Patel)