Ironically, in this age of science and technology when man has landed on Mars and developed medicines for dreaded diseases like cancer and AIDS, precious lives are lost due to superstition.
More than a dozen people are killed in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district owing to superstitious acts like sorcery, black magic and witchcraft. Most of the time, the innocent tribals, particularly widows and aged women, are victims of this age-old practice.
As per reports, more than 15 people were killed on account of sorcery suspicion during the past one-and-a-half years and many of the victims were also paraded naked in their villages, which is a shame for civilised society.
Although many a time such ugly incidents have drawn the attention of human rights bodies, the situation has remained unchanged.
Even the awareness campaigns carried out by different Government and private agencies has failed to convince the tribals not to believe in superstition.
On October 15, Naik Munda of Kardakudar village under lahunipara Police Station killed a 65-year-old widow Masuri Munda on suspicion of sorcery. In another incident, bodies of an unidentified man and woman were found on Bandhamunda-Barsuan rail track at Pattasahi under K Bolanga police limits in mid-August. Initially, Maoist involvement was suspected in this incident but after the arrest of the two accused, it was found that shamanism was behind the gruesome murders.
Two months back in Jada village under Gurundia Police Station, a woman fell prey to superstition. Six months back, in two different incidents, two older women were killed for sorcery in Fakirmunda and Bimlagarh village under K Bolanga police limits.
last February, four members of a family — Patrus Dung Dung, Christina Dung Dung, Philomona Dung Dung and Balmadina Soreng — of Ambapada village in Subdega block were tortured and paraded naked on sorcery suspicion by the villagers led by the local sarpanch. This incident had not only shocked the nation but had attracted the attention of the National Women’s Commission and Human Rights Commission, which probed the incident leading to the sarpanch losing title.
A year ago, villagers of Jangala village under lahunipara police limits had not only paraded naked a widow on sorcery suspicion but also forced her to consume excreta. Now the scared lady is residing in Deogarh district. In another incident that had occurred about seven years ago, Nunnee Ekka of Tainsara village under lathikata block had also met with a similar fate. This incident had created a furore at the national level as well. With such ugly incidents going on unabated, the
district administration, State Government and many NGOs are actively involved in combating this superstition by creating awareness among people, particularly tribals using various mass media like street plays.
It is high time both Government and private agencies worked in tandem towards educating illiterate tribals, so that their blind faith in superstition in the 21st century can be warded off and precious lives can be saved.
Otherwise, sorcery suspicion killings would continue to put the nation to shame, observed social activist AK Azad.