Rural Development Secretary, Dr Manish Ranjan, on Tuesday, said that Garima Project is just a beginning; the goal is to make Jharkhand free from witchcraft. Ranjan said under the Garima project, the eradication of witchcraft will be accelerated through vulnerability mapping and training of village organizations. He said that soon a gender forum would be set up, so that the work of creating awareness by removing superstitions and discrimination like witch malpractice would be done.
Several technical sessions were organized on the second day of the workshop organized by Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society for the creation of witch-cult-free Jharkhand. The experts kept their point keeping in mind the need for coordination, education and awareness of various departments and common strategy. On the second day of the workshop, Educationist and Head of UGC Women's Center, Dr Sunita Roy presided over the workshop as the chief guest.
“An awareness campaign will also be run in the affected villages by the sisters of Sakhi Mandal through street plays and arrangements for protection and counseling for the victims of witch malpractice will also be done through Garima Project. The work would also be done on rehabilitation of women victims of witch wickedness and would be linked with strong livelihood,” said Ranjan. He said that after preparing a strategy on the suggestions received in this workshop, a witch malpractice free Panchayat will be formed.
Educationist and Head of UGC Women's Center Dr Sunita Roy, while addressing the workshop, said that eradication of witchcraft is possible only by educating the society. She appealed that only by training women victims of witchcraft can be linked to a strong livelihood. “To build a beautiful developed society of tomorrow, eradication of evil practice is necessary. There is a need to awaken the light of education to eliminate the practice of exorcism from rural areas. For this it is very important to make women aware in rural areas,” she added.
In the technical session of the workshop, JHALSA’s Santosh Kumar said that Jhalsa is constantly trying to provide legal help to the victims of witch malpractice in the State. He said that we need to promote scientific thinking; soon JHALSA is forming a legal literacy club in schools which will play an important role in eradicating witchcraft.
National level speaker Govind Kelkar, while addressing the workshop, put forward the international perspective of witch malpractice. Referring to many countries including Africa, Europe, Ghana, Kelkar spoke on the causes, diagnosis and eradication of witchcraft.
In the closing ceremony of the workshop, CEO JSLPS Nancy Sahay said that this workshop will play an important role in the implementation of Garima Project and eradication of witchcraft from the State.