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SOCIETY
Witch fear grips north Indian village
Pursani
(UP): The village of Gosaiganj, near Uttar Pradesh
capital Lucknow, is currently gripped by fears of
a witch being in the vicinity. Although unbelievable,
residents are said to be plastering their homes with
imprints of palm to scare away the witch, who they
say has cursed many families with diseases and claimed
nearly half a dozen lives in the past few months.
The villagers describe the witch as a white-haired
extremely old beggar woman, who visits several homes
seeking bread and onions and then curses the unsuspecting
residents. Although no one has seen her, the villagers
are convinced that she is the one who is responsible
for the illnesses and deaths, and the one who has
unleashed a wave of evil spirits. They say that the
curses of the alleged witch will keep on haunting
them unless they protect themselves by sprinkling
holy water and stamping their walls with the red and
orange palm imprints. Villagers say that the colours
are an antidote to the demonic energies and will keep
them at bay. Shanti Devi, who heard about the witch
from her brother, says, the witch squeezes the onions,
puts a spell on the juice and then vapourises it to
affect the entire home. "The witch comes in the form
of an old beggar woman. She asks for bread and onion,
once the lady of house gives it to her she squeezes
the onion and then mishaps happen in the family. Everybody
is taking precautions against her so I am also doing
the same, " Shanti said. Ever since the news broke,
few dare to tread the village streets alone and children
have been asked not to play in the fields. Neetu,
a 20-year-old mother of two, said the witch also abducts
kids. "She asks for onions and bread and when you
go inside the house she runs away with your child,"
she said. Witchcraft is practiced in some parts of
the country, with women being the worst sufferers.
They are accused as witches for being unable to procure
an heir or accused of using their "evil" powers to
cause a prolonged illness in the family, they are
raped, burned, beaten and even hacked to death. Though
government has passed a tough law requiring a three-month
prison sentence for even calling a woman a witch and
death penalty for the killers, convictions are rare.
-April
30, 2005
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