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Kathmandu,Thursday January 27, 2000 Magh 13th, 2056.
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No witchcraft here
One way of measuring a
country’s backwardness is also the prevalence of superstition among communities.
Superstitions reflect the predominance of illiteracy and ignorance in the lives of people.
Though there is indeed a comical side of superstition arising out of numerous absurd
extremities that reflect human folly, the graver aspects of superstition not only show
impoverished minds at work but also lead to terrible injustice. The practice of
identifying witches, common among shamans or jhaankris, is an evil that continues even in
this age. It is an evil because it victimizes women.
Ironically, societies in many
areas of the country—especially rural areas—expect a woman to consider herself
lucky if after being pronounced a witch she suffers only social ostracism. More often than
not, the unfortunate victim is beaten and humiliated. There have even been reports of some
unfortunate victims being made to eat human faeces. Yet, neither society nor the
authorities have done anything to stop this inhumanity.
Leave aside arresting the
jhaankri, in the latest incident, the witchdoctor who pointed out two women as witches was
garlanded with money and that too, by a woman activist from the group Aama Samuha. Now,
what is to be made of such reverence when even a member of a group supposed to be helping
women reward this jhaankri ?
Traditionally, jhaankris are
supposed to be psychic healers and are hence seen with both respect and fear in rural and
backward parts of the country. As far as healing goes, the jhaankris do enjoy some degree
of respect mainly due to ignorance among people. But pointing out witches and persecuting
them at times even to the point of killing them or making them commit suicide simply
cannot be allowed to continue unpunished. Besides, it is also a known fact that quite a
number of these so called faith healers are either charlatans or psychos or are settling
some grudge. It is in this context that we must welcome the action of the two
women—mentioned above—who have filed cases against the jhaankri in question. It
is a clear sign that women are fighting back and that is good. Cases of women being blamed
for witchcraft and suffering on account of this absurd charge are not that rare. The
government should not take these as isolated happenings. What the problem calls for is
special interest in the larger interest of protecting women’s rights.
What the jhaankri did to the
two women warrants more than a case of defamation. It must be punished. The incident also
shows that there is still much that government and non-government organisations have to do
to rid the country of such evils.
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