Column: A Worrying Trend

By Ashutosh Mishra

Bhubaneswar: The TV visuals of an Odisha MLA shaking and convulsing eerily during a religious celebration organised recently in Angul district must have caused a lot of mirth among viewers. The incident has, however, raised some awkward questions with reports in a section of the media suggesting that the legislator’s behaviour convinced the people accompanying him that he was ‘possessed.’ Some in the crowd offered him flowers out of reverence.

If true the reports should be viewed seriously because such behaviour by a public representative sets a bad example. It has the potential to foster superstition. Considering that superstition has already taken deep roots in the rural areas of the state people in positions of responsibility should refrain from encouraging it in any manner.

Some time ago our TV screens had flashed bizarre visuals of a black magician trying to revive a dead woman, a victim of snakebite, at the Padampur sub-divisional headquarters hospital in Bargarh district. Similar incidents have also taken place in other parts of the state.

The truth is that black magic practitioners rule the minds of people in large parts of the state’s rural belt. Tribal dominated districts are particularly affected by the problem because of rampant illiteracy and the government’s failure to create awareness among people against social maladies like superstition.

What is surprising, however, is that these purveyors of ignorance who cheat people by taking advantage of their social backwardness have been able to peddle their craft even in the premises of government-run hospitals and health centres. The tragedy is that hideous creatures like ‘disaris’ are treated with reverence by people in rural areas.

Significantly, it is not always illiterate people who fall into the trap of superstition. Even well-educated people sometimes come to believe such things and end up committing horrendous crimes. One would recall the murder of a young college-going girl in western Odisha by two of her friends who committed the crime appeared in the fulfilment of some quaint ritual. The accused were the followers of some fanatic cult.

The tribal belt of the state has been the most vulnerable in this regard because of obvious reasons. Apart from the lack of education the typical nature of the tribal society sometimes encourages such beliefs. Superstition driven crimes have been reported in large numbers from the districts of Sundergarh, Kenojhar and Mayurbhanj. These districts have also been notorious for cases of witch-hunting with women invariably at the receiving end.

The pity is that such practices continue in the state despite the existence of a law to counter them. But it is obvious that the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013 has failed to make the desired impact. This could be either because of poor implementation or the success of the offenders in exploiting the loopholes in the law. The problem, it would appear, primarily lies with implementation with the men in khaki not sufficiently equipped to enforce it with the right kind of zeal. They can do so with the right kind of training. The government will do well to pay special attention to this.

(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same)