Witch hunting in Adivasi Society (Special Reference to North Bengal) Malay saha, research scholar,department of history North Bengal University Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups believed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India.
Adivasi societies are particularly present in the Indian states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal (Special reference of North Bengal), Mizoram and other north-eastern states, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many smaller tribal groups are quite sensitive to ecological degradation caused by modernization. Both commercial forestry and intensive agriculture have proved destructive to the forests that had endured Sweden agriculture for many centuries.
Adivasi populations suffer disproportionately from India’s modernization. Many depends on India’s forests for their livelihood, and they have suffered from both the destruction of these forests as well as state efforts to preserve the forests which often fail to account for the populations that live within them. They are increasingly becoming migrant laborers, a process which tears at the social fabric of their communities. The condition of the Adivasi populations varies quite considerably from one state to the next.
National law gives states considerable power over defining who count as a “Scheduled Tribe” and who does not. As a result, the same group might be considered a scheduled tribe in one state, but not in the neighbouring state. In various parts of India Adivasis were incorporated into local states. In some cases they became the ruling families, in other the untouchable lower castes. Little is known about the relationship between the Adivasis and Non-adivasi communities during the Hindu and Muslim rules.
There are stray references to wars and alliances between the Rajput kings and tribal Chieftains in middle India and in the North East between the Ahom kings of Brahmaputra Valley and the hill Nagas. They are considered to be the anti-sudra meaning lower than the untouchable castes. Even today, the upper caste people refer to these peoples as jungle a derogatory term meaning “those who are like wild animals” — uncivilized or sub-humans. In the Hindu caste system, the Adivasis have no place.
The so called mainstream society of India has evolved as an agglomeration of thousands of small-scale social groups whose identities within the larger society are preserved by not allowing them to marry outside their social groups. The subjugated groups became castes forced to perform less desirable menial jobs like sweeping, cleaning of excreta, removal of dead bodies, leather works etc. the untouchables. Some of the earliest small scale societies dependent on hunting and gathering, and traditional agriculture seen to have remained outside this process of agglomeration.
These are the Adivasis of present day. Their autonomous existence outside the mainstream led to the preservation of their socio-religious and cultural practices, most of them retaining also their distinctive languages, widow burning, enslavement, occupational differentiation, hierarchical social ordinary etc. are generally not there. Though there were trade between the Adivasis and mainstream society, any form of social intercourse was discouraged. Caste India did not consciously attempt to draw them into the orbit of caste society.
But in the process of economic, cultural and ecological change, Adivasis have attached themselves to caste groups in a peripheral manner and the process of de-tribalization is a continuous one. The situation and struggles of the Adivasi women in the Eastern, Central and Southern parts of India, the Adivasi population in most states in the North East have politically transformed into nationalities which are struggling for their rights to self-determination. Their conditions, experiences and struggles need to be dealt with separately and deeply. The general problems faced by the Adivasis are affecting both men and women.
Poverty, exploitation, displacement, land alienation, illiteracy, lack of health facilities etc. are such problems. Though there is a gender angle to those problems (intensity being felt by the women a bit more due to their being women), the general impact on Adivasis as a whole. It would neither be correct to view them only from a women’s angle nor to view them just as general problems and consider only the problems of patriarchy and gender bias as “women’s problems”. Gender bias and gender oppression has meant that Adivasi women are worst affected. Adivasis constitute 8. 4 crore of population in India.
India has the largest number of Adivasis (indigenous peoples) among the countries in the world, followed by Myanmar and Mexico. Yet, in many cases the tribal population is decreasing, and some tribes are on the verge of extinction. The typical items of work of poor Adivasi women are all characterized by monotony, hard physical labour, and harassment and exploitation poverty deprivation and now the reduction of government expenditure on basic medical health facilities is reflected in the absolutely poor health condition of Adivasi women (Specifically old women and children).
The Witch hunting is common matter among the Santhal, Ho, Munda, Oraon and Kharia Adivasis. Witch hunting is a frightening phenomenon, which is on the increase in recent years in Adivasi dominated villages in the stats of Jharkhand, holding police records of 984 women being killed in 19 districts since 1991 to 2008. Among them 242 women were killed in Ranchi district, 178 in West Singhbhum, 60 in East Singhbhum, 34 in Saraikela – Kharsawan, 127 in Lohardaga, 100 in Gumla, and near about 1–5 in specifically North Bengal in West Bengal respectively. The Witch hunting is inherently shaped in Adivasi communities through tradition and culture.
In North Bengal old women some time have been called the “Dyne” or witch by respectively intellectual part of Adivasi society. Moreover educated or graduate Adivasi in North Bengal they are also involve the witch hunting in their society. They feel that witch hunting activity is more sacred work. The witch hunting in inherently shaped in Adivasi communities through tradition and culture. It is a curse for Adivasis, where women are assaulted, heads tonsured, murdered, dragged into public places and faces painted in public meetings in the name of them being witches.
During the colonial period when the Adivasis were came in North Bengal for job as a labour in tea plantation industry then they brought with them this un-humanism practices, that is ‘Dyne’ system or witch system. It is more difficult to say that how many Adivasi women murdered by this witch hunting. But it is no doubt that this witch hunting or practices was more than present day in Adivasi society. Now -a –days some witch hunting is being held in few tea gardens of Duars in North Bengal.
This kind of witch hunting we do not see in Nepali Adivasi of Darjeeling hill areas. The peculiar thing about the violence is that, the most victims are widows, aged women are mainly women who are unprotected and witch hunting is one of the most brutal forms of violence against women. There are some significant reasons of witch hunting which are deeply rooted in Adivasi communication. Belief in ghosts, spirit and witches is inher4ent in Adivasi society, which has taken shape in the form of tradition and culture. There is lack of Government health facilities.
The health centers and sub-centers and sub-centers are 5 to 10 kilometer and away from the villages, the health workers are absent and also that there are no alternatives health care facilities for the Adivasis except to approach Baidh (traditional village physicians) or Ojha (spirit healer) for medical treatment. The property right of women is another major clause. The Santhal is the only Adivasi community which awards property rights even to widows. The right is absent among other Adivasi communities. Among the Mundas and Kharia Adivasis, this has more or less been reduced to a maintenance right.
While among the Oraons’ property rights can hardly be traced. As far as witches are concerned, it is among the Santhals that witches are exclusively women, while among the Mundas, Hos, Oraons and Kharias; a witch can be either a women or a man, although they are usually women witch hunting of Adivasi Society which is related to the destruction of the traditional land rights of Adivasi women. There is specific law “the prevention of witch practices Act (2001)” but this ordinance also comes with a package of drawbacks as the punishment for witch killing is nominal.
According to the Sections 3, 4, 5 & 6 of the Act, a person whop identifies witches can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend 3 months and or with fine of Rs. 1000/-. Any person who commits such heinous crime would be punished merely with imprisonment for 6 months or with fine Rs. 2000/- or both. The same punishment is applicable to the Ojha (Spirit healer). The law has failed to make any impact on culprits in the state as it is seldom practiced. The root cause of witch hunting is the patriarchal system. To establish the authority of men, they suppress women, who resist against the system.
Men use weapon like witch hunting to get rid of women they fear. In the Adivasi communities, it is largely women who are considered to have an evil influence and thus capable of being witches. The fundamental question is why is it that only a woman is a witch and man a witch hunter and spirit healer? Why are not there some common social concerns of only widows’ unprotected and old women being witches? Why is it that there is no social common consensus about hospital being worthless and the dysfunctional of the public health system? The greed for property and depriving women of traditional property rights is a sidelined fact.
Illiteracy, poor educational levels and superstitious belief are reasons fit enough to be icing on the cake. Witch hunting is a serious violation of human right of women. Prohibition of the practice of witch craft and the abolition of witch hunting should be one of the aims of any government committed to human rights and social justice. This matter is also eligible for Adivasis of North Bengal. The un-humanism practices of Adivasi Society in Duars and Malda district it should be suppressed by more importance way, and then we will create a humanistic society and civilization. Bibliography; . Froerer,Peggy; ‘Religious division and social conflict’; social science press, New Delhi,2007. 2. Mohanty,P. K. , ‘Encyclopedia of Scheduled Tribes in India’, IshaBooks,New Delhi,2006. 3. Barua,Ananya, ‘Belief in witch’ ,Northern Book Centre, New Delhi. 4. Pfeffer,Georg,Behera Deepak Kumar; ‘Contemporary society Tribal studies’ ,concept Publishing House,New Delhi,2002. 5. Forbes,Geraldine, ‘Women in Modern India’, Cambridge University Press, New york,1996. 6. Agrawal,S. P, Sharma, Rajeev kumar, ‘Weaker Section in Indian Society’ ,Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi,1992. 7.
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