Brief report of the CPI(M) delegation
A six member team of the CPI( M ) visited Kanjia Marai Toli village in Mandar Thana of District Ranchi on 09.08.2015, where 5 women were brutally killed by the villagers, declaring them as Dayen(witches). The team comprised CPI(M) State Secretariat Members Praful Linda and Sufal Mahato, Dist Secretary Sukhnath Lohra and AIDWA leaders Bina Linda, Rangowati Devi and Renu Prakash.
This incident depicts, how frenzy based superstition and blind faith can reach the peak of cruelty and violence. This heinous killing took place late night of 7th Aug, 2015 a day before state was to celebrate Tribal Day.
The team met the family members of the victims. They told the team that a young boy of 15 years Vipin Khalko was sick for a long time without any medical treatment. He was taken to a Bhagat (witch doctor) for treatment. The first question raised by the delegation is: Why did the health system fail to provide minimum health care in this tribal area? It is precisely because of the lack of health personnel that the Bhagats have such influence on the community.
The boy Vipin died. After his death, this Bhagat accused victim women as Dayen ( witches) and held them responsible for the death of Vipin and provoked villagers for this crime. Three of the victims were widows.
The delegation after discussions with the family members believe that there was a conspiracy to grab the land of the widows by vested interests. The Bhagat utilized the belief of the villagers in his witchcraft to incite this dreadful crime.
A violent mob including large number of women broke the doors and dragged out the 5 women all tribal and killed them one by one crossing all the parameters brutality .The most striking observation is that instead of any sense of guilt all accomplices believe that the killing was not only justified but correct.
Since foundation of Jharkhand ,there have been 5500 killings of tribal women in the pretext of Dayen(witches). Even though there is a law called Prevention of Dayan Act -2001, shamefully not a single prosecution has taken place. The law in Jharkhand is toothless and weak and there has been a total lack of political will by Governments to take action.
CPI(M) expressed concern that none of the Ministers visited the place, till date. This shows complete insensivity of the Government on this issue.
The delegation demanded that government should take following immediate steps:-
1) High level enquiry to be conducted, also to examine the land grabbing motives.
2) Immediate relief, compensation and security to be provided to the victim families.
3) Fast track court must be constituted for quick redressal and punishment of criminals and also for quick disposal of pending cases.
4) Present law ie. ‘Jharkhand Prevention of Dayan Act’ must be amended so that all such criminals are punished. Law must be framed for prevention of spread of superstitions
5) Government must improve healthcare system and see that people do not become victim in the hands of Ojha, Guni,Bhagat and Tantriks.