World's 1st witch-hunt victims' memorial in Odisha

Keonjhar: In what is claimed to be the first of its kind in the world, a memorial dedicated to the witch-hunt victims was inaugurated in Odisha’s tribal-dominated Keonjhar district on Thursday. State DGP Rajendra Prasad Sharma inaugurated the memorial.

The witch-hunt victims’ memorial is the first of its kind in the world for modern era witch-hunt victims. There is a symbolic statue in its centre surrounded by names of all the known victims (etched on granite stones), Keonjhar police said in a statement.

Besides, the DGP also flagged off an awareness rath (vehicle), which will cover all pockets of the Keonjhar district where this inhumane practice still prevails.

The awareness rath has audio system for announcements and publicity materials like pamphlets in local language and copies of “The Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act 2013,” which will be distributed in the interior affected areas of the district.

The DGP also attended an awareness programme against witch-hunting, which was also attended by more than 300 victims, their family members, and SHG (self help group) workers.

Later, the DGP, DIG, collector/DM, SP, and other senior police officers had common lunch (bhoji) together with all the ladies (inhumanely and illegally labelled as witch/Dahini) and their family members.

The inhumane practice of witch-hunting still prevails in some states of India like Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Assam — mainly in the tribal areas.

Barring some countries of Africa and India, other parts of the world are more or less free from this social evil since long.

In India, 134 people (primarily women, but some men too) were killed after being labelled as witch.

In Odisha last year, total 18 people were killed. In Keonjhar, more than 50 persons have been killed in the last 10 years.

The social stigma and isolation or boycott of these innocent are extremely torturous and inhumane.

It is also unfortunate that this issue is generally ignored by the print, electronic, and social media as they are based in bigger towns and cities and they neither find any connection nor any incentive in highlighting this “rural-tribal belt issue.”