Jharkhand’s Battle Against Witch-Hunting: Rising Cases, Social Stigma, and Initiatives

Despite legal and social efforts, witch-hunting remains a deadly practice in Jharkhand, claiming hundreds of lives and perpetuating trauma.

Jharkhand faces persistent challenges in eradicating witch-hunting, a superstition-driven violence targeting marginalized individuals, often elderly women. Although the state has implemented various initiatives, including the Garima Project and NGO-led rescue efforts, cases continue to emerge. With over 1,150 deaths since 2000, this issue reflects deep-rooted superstitions, often exploited by local power dynamics and lack of legal enforcement.

Jharkhand is one among the list of Indian states where people are lynched after getting branded as witches. A state where the indigenous people make most of the population this superstition continues to claim many innocent lives. The maximum victims happen to be elderly women but people of all ages and gender stay under the scrutiny of the wrong-doers.

The latest incident based on this detrimental superstition has cost the lives of three adults from the same family in a Maoist-overrun village of West Singhbhum in the first fortnight of October .

Witch-hunting is not just an Indian sub-continent stigma, its roots lie in many European countries and other countries of the world. It is evident mostly the victims hail from the lower echelons of society. The earliest mention of witch-hunting can be found in the legal sanctioning of countries like France, Russia, Ireland, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland in the 1300s.

It continued in Europe until the 18th century when the Enlightenment period dawned the realization of it as a violation of human rights and thus a criminal act. Still in developing and underdeveloped countries of Asia and Africa this taboo continues ardently affecting mostly the weaker and ignorant people staying in the remote areas.

Someone falling ill or a family facing losses like crop loss, cattle death, well drying brings them under the false impression of the happenings to be the result of witch performance. The blames are targeted onto someone from the weaker sections of the local community.

The ‘ojhas’ and ‘gunis’ i.e. the occultists called locally too have a key-role to spread these wrong beliefs in the rural pockets.

Taking into account the evil beliefs, greed makes the influential people take advantage of the situation. They hunt big to capture assets and land of the victims. Sometimes illegal sexual advances unaccepted by the latter makes them fall in this vulnerability.

Under the aegis of witch-hunting, not just death penalty but also physical assaults are given in uttermost cruel manners. Like pulling out of nails, unclothed parading, face blackening, shoe garlanding or being beaten with sticks. They are imposed heavy monetary fines, have to face mass boycott, isolation from community and village premises.

Even the survivors of the family of the deceased victim end up facing both physical and psychological challenges. The post-traumatic strain leaves deep scars on their minds which brings them in need of professional counseling.

In 2021 a Jharkhand woman ‘Chhutni Mahato’ was conferred with Padma Shri, the country’s fourth highest civilian award. She was an unknown name to many till then.

It was given to her in recognition of her work of rescuing 125 individuals from getting killed under the alleged impression of practicing sorcery. She helps them in rehabilitation under the conditions of their inability to return to their native villages. She works for the NGO called ASHA(Association for Social and Human Awareness).

She herself has been a victim of a witch-hunting phenomenon and fled from her village to save her life after getting beaten by the villagers. Her body bears the marks of the past atrocities inflicted upon her. The NGO ASHA had helped her when she ran to save her life, for whom she works at present.

Finally in Apr 2020, Jharkhand launched a project called ‘Garima’ or honour project. It was the first of its kind to be initiated with an aim to help the victims both psychologically and mundanely for their rehabilitation.

In Nov. 2021, Central Institute of Psychiatry(CIP) and Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society(JSLPS) joined hands for a non fiscal Memorandum of Understanding(MoU).

The organization CIP addresses the mental health needs for witch hunting survivors. The project GARIMA relies upon JSLPS for the arrangement of infrastructure and platforms. After the launch of Tele MANAS an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) a toll-free helpline service to provide counseling, psychiatric consultation along with pharmacotherapy/psychotherapy.

The district-level resource persons of GARIMA project are oriented about Jharkhand’s Tele MANAS services. After training they identify mental health sufferers, the available services at CIP, and when, where and in which urgent circumstances to provide referrals. Workshops are conducted for the survivors including but not constrained to common mental health issues, substance abuse issues, legal rights of survivors, and psychological first-aid.

JHASLA(Jharkhand State Legal Service Authority) also provides relief to witch hunting victims in registration of FIR, getting compensation under Victim’s Compensation Act and also providing free legal aid.

In spite of all the attempts and measures to eradicate witchcraft related beliefs, justice for the sufferers seems to be a distant dream. Unless and until a murder happens or is attempted, the cases are played down by the police.

Usually the NGOs incorporate the panchayat members and school teachers for creating awareness. But in the October case the victims were warned by the panchayat a week earlier, to be ready to face consequences in the near future.

This is just a poor reflection of the difficulties for removing this entrenched stigma. With the help of local administration these notions continue without much hindrances. The culprits stay beyond the reach of law and order in absence of strong witnesses. People are scared to raise their voices. Jharkhand has already witnessed 1150 deaths since its formation in 2000.

2023 was set as the target year for the complete eradication of witch-hunting by the Jharkhand government. Though the recent happening has another tale to tell.