CHETHABADI--BLACK MAGIC: TANTRA OR TAMAASHA

   

  

Banamati & Chetabadi
In Andhra Pradesh

Historical Overview:

According to K.S. Singh, former Director-General of the Anthropological Survey of India and author-editor of the Peoples of India Project, the advent of witchcraft in India probably coincided with the arrival of the colonial rulers.

The local people had a larger view of Shamanism (the world of good and evil spirits), but with European influence it began to get identified with black magic, white magic and witchcraft.

Women were regarded as healers and granted powers in Shamanism, he said. In his own observation of tribal societies, mostly in Bihar, the majority of witches killed were women and some 30 per cent were men, Singh said. Entire families were wiped out in some areas.

Greed for property was one of the main reasons for witch-killing, he said. The struggle for gender equality had also led to various forms of insecurities in village communities, according to Singh. When family members intervened, they were most often killed along with the branded women. Singh said that tribal cosmology was explicit in its reference to women being trained as witches. The Santhals, he said, were major "witch-killers" and their witches were often women.

General claims of the People:

Stones are hurled from nowhere on top of the roofs, which is considered as a game of ghosts or gods.

"Blood" in the coconut as a de-possessor and flowers revealing that the person is cured

Flames in the house

Sudden burning down of clothes

Cots/Beds turning upside down

Beds getting wet

Talking Dolls as a symbol of ghost talking through the doll

Inflicting pain on others by piercing the dolls

Painless body piercing

Swallowing fire and rubbing fire on the body

Manthrik revealing that an egg without yolk meaning that a person is possessed

Murmuring in an unknown language revealing that a person is possessed

Howling in the night

Manthrik displaying blood without a wound

Materializing fire by pouring water

Person suffering from Epilepsy, Malaria or developmentally delayed branded as being possessed.

First Reaction of the Angry Mob:

The first reaction is the angry villagers or mob is to tie down the person who is branded as a "sorcerer" by the Manthrik and pull his or teeth and tongue so as to stop allowing the mantras to be chanted. In some cases the persons are beaten, burned or beheaded.

Ill health in the remotest villages where little or no medical aid reaches is the prime cause for people to claim or believe in banamathi or chetabadi. This cashed on Manthriks or Voodoo doctors who try to create village disintegration by creating ruckus within the families and communities. They instigate the mob towards taking extreme steps against the innocent.

Atheist Centre’s Efforts:

Specific Initiatives:

Investigating the claims of Banamati and Chatabadi

Open challenge to Mantriks or Witch Doctors

Investigation Team of doctors, psychiatrists, hypnotists, magicians, mimicry & ventriloquists, police, media personnel, social workers etc. visiting the affected villages

Public Awareness Meeting along with interactive Magic shows, hypnotism, ventriloquism etc., with the communities where the incidents occurred.

General Initiatives:

Telecast of the awareness campaigns through print and electronic media.

Conducting science exhibitions to promote scientific temper and debunking superstitious beliefs

Medical Awareness Campaigns through weekly medical lecture series

Medical Science Exhibition

Publication of book and articles

Science for Villages Programs which were undertaken in 100 Villages through Bharata Jana Gyana Vigyna Jatha (BHGVJ)

Main target group women, youth, disabled and elderly and community in general.

Government Efforts:

The Indian government is reportedly considering a proposal to declare all forms of witchcraft illegal to prevent a practice that has killed more than 2,500 women in the last 16 years.

The idea is to put in place a new law that would make witchcraft a social crime. Crimes related to witchcraft - like human sacrifice and witch-hunting - are currently tried under certain laws but there is no bar on the practice of necromancy and Voodoo. 

The home ministry is now drafting a law that would be sent to the law ministry for clearance. Once cleared by the law ministry, the draft would be sent to state governments for suggestions. The central government has moved to declare witchcraft illegal after the UN expressed concern at the number of murders ascribed to witch-hunting.

The UN also released figures of what is said were the victims of witchcraft and black magic around the world. The world body has named India along with countries in Africa, Asia and South America as a high-incidence zone for witchcraft related killings.

According to official figures, 2,556 women were branded as witches and killed in India between 1987 and 2003. The figure was around 4,000 collectively for Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Australia between 1999 and 2003. There were no specific figures for Africa and South America because almost all cases of witchcraft deaths happened in remote places and went unreported. 

In India, the highest incidence of witchcraft-related crimes occurred in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. According to the official sources, the West Bengal government has called a meeting of district officials on August 3rd, 2003 to discuss the proposed law to ban witchcraft.

Conclusion:

It is most likely that cases of witch-killing and persecution of women and innocent gullible will continue as long as economic inequities and neglect of the health care infrastructure continues. The reluctance on the part of both the community and the law-enforcers to see the killings of these hapless people in particular women as blatant murder points to collusion among various elements to keep women at the lowest rung of society.

How Black Magic is Governed by Indian Laws?

General Legal issues / By Lead India

Black magic has been followed in our society since ancient times and is considered one of the worst evils of our country. People invest their religious beliefs in such kinds of activities and later suffer consequences.

Our country has dealt with strange cases on the name of superstitions and black magics such as, exorcism, throwing person to the well, committing murders etc. 

These problems need educational and legal resolution along with being aware and conscious of the reality that it shall be followed by sanctions in order to restrict the person doing it or following it.

LAWS & REGULATIONS:

Prevention and Eradication of Inhumane Evil Practices and Black Magic Act 2017 (Anti-Superstition Act) came into force on 4th January 2020 post the assent of the government.

This Act bans 16 acts which can ruin other people in the name of witchcraft, black magic, superstition. If anyone is found to be the convict under this Act, they shall be punished with imprisonment of one year to seven years or a fine of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 50,000 or both, including Section 302 (murder) and section 307 (attempt to murder) section 308 (abetment to suicide).

The National Crime Record Bureau in 2019 disclosed an overall rise in witch-hunting cases, with Chhattisgarh witnessing 22-witch-hunt related deaths in the past year. Police rescued 4 minor boys from Assam who were suspected to be sacrificed in the name of ritual.

Such acts are also governed by International legislations to which India is a signatory. Few of them are Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 and the convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979

In JituMurumu@SukulMurmu& Anr V. State of Odisha, it was held that existing laws are not enough to address the issue, so there is an urgent need for central law.

WHAT IS NOT BANNED?

Pradakshina, parikrama performed at religious and sacred places

All sacred celebrations,prayers and festivals

Advice with regards to Vaastu and other astrologers

Performance of prayers, rituals, upasana at home, temples or any other religious institution
ORDER BY SUPREME COURT:

Justice RF Nariman, three judge bench of Supreme Court observed, “no reason why a person above 18 can’t be allowed to choose his religion” and rejected the plea submitted by the petitioner stating centre and state to take steps to control black magic, superstition and religious conversion through threats, intimidation or deception.”

Maharashtra was the first state to enact the Anti-Superstition Bill and was amended by Social Welfare Ministry of Maharashtra

Cheating in the name of miracles

Any aghori practice which endangers life or causes fatal injuries.

Claims by persons having supernatural powers and causing fear in the minds of others to cheat them

To perform Karni, rituals and claiming possession of supernatural powers or advertising such claim

To promise a woman that she will get pregnant by claiming to possess supernatural powers or force her to have physical relations by claiming to be her spouse in previous birth

To exploit mentally ill patients by claiming to possess supernatural powers

To oppose medical treatment and to coerce a person to accept aghori rituals when bitten by snake or dog or if the person is ill with cancer or other diseases

Claims of guaranteeing birth of a child of the desired gender

To isolate or punish someone by claiming he or she practises witchcraft, or possesses evil powers.

There is a minor difference between belief and superstitions that need to be mentioned in the law, as these practices performed in the name of the Lord may be an expression of belief to others. This idea has been mentioned in the Anti-Superstition Bill of India, but is still waiting to be declared as law.

You can consult Lead India experts who can guide you through the process of filing any such complaint against any of the evil issues