As a result, the villagers (mostly the younger members) attacked the couple in a barbaric manner and finally they ended up killing them. Soon the group of 14 youth arrived in the nearby police station and surrendered. They are now all in jail and facing trial.

Another similar tragic and horrible incident took place in Majkhuti area of Rowta. On July 7th, 2010 villagers killed 65 year old Gorang Daimari. The victim’s nephew misbehaved with a local woman. When the villagers asked him about the incident the nephew said that his elder uncle is a witch and because of his (Gorang Daimari’s) incantation he did all these wrong things. The villagers went by the word of the nephew and did not hesitate to kill Gorang for practicing witchcraft.

The killing of innocent people under suspicion of practicing witchcraft has become a regular news item in Assam. Statistics reveal that over 40 people were killed in the last three years in such cases. The Assam government records say that 40 people died as a result of suspected witch hunting during June 2008 to June 2011. In the last decade more than 116 people have lost their lives because of the witch hunting in the state.

One can surmise that this is only the official statistic of witch hunting while the actual number of cases will be more. Even in the case of registered cases, justice is delivered to a few families. Lack of evidence and witnesses make the cases very weak.

In today’s age of modern science and technology which have made our lives easier and more comfortable, there are people who are illiterate and never try to come out of the shackles of superstition. This has resulted in the killing of many innocent people mostly in the Bodo and Adibasi inhabited areas of Assam.

They pursue some irrational customs till today. Many of them still prefer to practice black magic to cure diseases over consulting a physician. They believe much more in the traditional way of medication that in modern medical science. However, this is to be expected as in most cases, modern health care facilities are also not accessible to them.

The number of cases related to witch hunting has increased in the last decade. Many times, it is found that some Kabiraj or Bej take advantage of the situation and use the illiterate villagers against particular individuals or families. In most cases the victims are found to be women, more precisely widows or spinsters.

A shocking case is that of 60 year old Debri Nagbonshi of Tinsukia.  In April 2011 some villagers suddenly went to her residence and dragged her out. They started beating her with sticks till the old lady succumbed to her injuries. On the other hand Regina Daimari’s case is different. When Regina lost her husband, her relatives began hounding for the property, but she resisted. Then her relatives threw her out of the house and branded her a witch. People used to say that she had cast an evil eye on her husband. Superstitious villagers were scared of her and finally she had to face the consequences.

Official data reveals that 66 women were killed in Assam during the last ten years in cases of witch hunting. However, unofficial information claims that the numbers would be over 300 women victims.

 

The killing of innocent people under suspicion of practicing witchcraft has become a regular news item in Assam. Statistics reveal that over 40 people were killed in the last three years in such cases.

Witchcraft is a century old practice in North East India. Mayong of Marigaon district in Assam used to be the capital of witchcraft or black magic. Lots of tales have been penned about Mayong. The killing of witches is happening all over Assam. Observers believe that there are a lot of reasons for this, the primary one being illiteracy.

Similarly property disputes, personal grudges and other enmities emerge as other immediate causes of such crimes. Of course there is hope at the end of the tunnel as individuals like Birubala Rabha have emerged as a force to reckon with. Birubala Rabha is fighting against the superstition with a brave face.

Similarly, Mahila Samata Society is also raising its voice against this blind faith. In Assam, under the Project Prahari of the state police department, the initiative is being taken to enlighten the villagers against the practice. With the help of village chiefs, the project has been implemented in over 50 villages of Assam with an aim to empower the rural women and the good news is that it has tasted some success so far.