Witch Hunting And Branding Rural Areas Of India

Witch Hunting and Branding in Rural areas of India Mila Kelly Asian Politics Dr. Dittloff April 26, 2016 INTRODUCTION Today, violence based on gender is a horrific and disturbing phenomenon which is prevalent in any all societies who are irrespective of political boundaries. In different cultures, there are people who believe in witchcraft, despite society s progression to be more scientific in temper. One issue which is largely overlooked is witch hunting which is a form of gender-based violence. In traditional India, the practice of witch hunting was used to ward off evil, however in the past few decades, socio-political motives, such as land-grabbing, seem to be more and more common in rural†¦show more content†¦This paper will not only examine the contemporary challenges of witch-branding/hunting in rural India that is largely grounded in gender violence and vigilantism, but it will also explain how the Indian government is or is not addressing the issue at hand. Examples of what changes can be implemented will also be listed in order to create a step by step plan for the mitigating of such violent acts as well as providing the rural Indian community with some basic essentials for maintaining a successful society. THE HISTORY OF WITCHES AND WITCH HUNTING Throughout history, both men and women alike have been branded witches and been accused of black-magic and sorcery only to be hunted and killed in a most disturbing manner. Women, however, have been the most ubiquitously targeted gender in every society and era. To define the term â€Å"witch†, this paper will be using the definition â€Å"a person, especially of the female gender, who acquires supernatural power, is capable of performing black magic and/or sorcery, and is causing purported harm to human health (Iqbal, 2015). In India, terms such as daayan, tohni and chudail are used to brand women, specifically, as witches. The term â€Å"witch†, a name commonly used only for women, coupled with the fact that the vast majority of witch killing victims are women, clearly shows the attributions as gender specific. The branding of a person as a witch is indefinitely negative and destructive.