Witchcraft and Witch hunting in India

Abstract

Witchcraft accusations against women, girls, elderly people or disadvantaged ethnic groups have long been part of rural Indias past culminating in abuse, murder, etc. Witch hunts are something that UNHCR continues to expose as a major breach of human rights.In India witch hunting tradition involves brutality and practices which have contributed to the killing and torture of suspected witches. Such victims are sometimes considered a threat to the society and as a result are sometimes starved to death, forced out, or brutally executed, in the process of social cleansing, often by their own relatives.The origins of witch hunts include epidemics, deprivation, employment deficits and social problems. The witch hunt chief, often anwell-known figure in the church or otherwise known as the "witch doctor," may also achieve economic profit by paying for an exorcism or selling parts of the murderers body.Human rights and women's rights campaigners have been calling for more successful, more practical efforts. While they have adopted more strict legislation to prosecute abuse that derives from claims of witchcraft, some organisations seek to shift attitudes of women and orthodox beliefs.This essay reflects on the problems of witchcraft and witch hunting in rural India and on recognizing the different acts of violence committed in the name of witch hunting, lawful approaches to safeguarding and the role of the bench.