Awareness key to tackle menace of witch hunting: Activists

Activists campaigning against superstition have welcomed the Presidential nod to the Assam Anti-Witch Hunting Bill but say policing alone cannot deal with the problem which has to overcome by creating awareness in society.

The Assam Assembly had unanimously passed the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015 on August 13, 2015 and had forwarded it to the Centre for final approval. The President of India gave his assent only last month.

Birubala Rabha, who has been crusading against witch hunting, said it is was very good step but the most important thing was to make people aware and strict enforcement of laws.

"We have been working our whole life against all odds without any support from law. But now because of this Act, those involved in killing people by branding them as witches will think twice before committing the crime," she told PTI.

Rabha and her NGO 'Mission Birubala' have been working in severe hostile situations in remote places where villagers have tried to kill the 'iron lady' by branding her as a witch on several occasions.

Assam Additional Director General of Police (CID) Anil Kumar Jha said between 2001 and 2017, 193 people -- 114 women and 79 men -- have been branded as witches and killed across Assam.

"Police have registered 202 cases during this period. The worst is Kokrajhar district, where 56 cases were reported. It is followed by Chirang with 24, Udalguri with 15 and Baksa with 11 cases," he added.

All the four districts comprise the Bodoland Territorial Area districts.

Jha said, "The new Act is of course a positive step for society to tackle the witch-hunting menace. But the solution of witch hunting problem lies in the active participation of all stakeholders of society."