Social Welfare

Fight against social evils 

Witchcraft & Sorcery

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<div id="MiddleColumn_internal">Witchcraft has been defined as harmful anti-social attitude and action, by possessing the evil powers with a pact with devils. It is the endeavour of the government to bring people out of this superstitions and practices.
<h3>What is Witchcraft?</h3>
<p>Harmful anti-social attitude and action, by possessing the evil powers with a pact with devils</p>
<h3>What is Banamati?</h3>
<p>The belief that certain members of the community can harm others by supernatural means</p>
<h3>How witchcraft is different from sorcerer?</h3>
<p>A witch is a female with inherent supernatural power to harm others</p>
<p>A sorcerer is a conscious individual endowed with evil intentions, malice and hatred, having magical powers</p>
<h4>Social sections affected</h4>
<p>Socially and economically poor, women, SC, ST and BC</p>
<h3>Causes for Banamati scare</h3>
<ul>
<li>Cultural belief</li>
<li>Social milieu</li>
<li>Oppressed and suppressed</li>
<li>Illiteracy</li>
<li>Ignorance</li>
<li>Lack of medical help</li>
<li>Political and social rivalries</li>
<li>Marital/personal problems</li>
<li>Psychological</li>
<li>Belief in supernatural and evil powers</li>
<li>Superstitions</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Banamati Belief</h3>
<ul>
<li>Poverty –80%</li>
<li>Illiteracy –80%</li>
<li>Lack of mobility –90%</li>
<li>Lack of health –80%</li>
<li>Suppression &amp; oppression –70%</li>
<li>Superstitions &amp; belief in mantras –95%</li>
</ul>
<h3>Who is suspected as Witch/Sorcerer?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Abnormal and strange behaviour</li>
<li>Stranger to village</li>
<li>Social feuds</li>
<li>Chanting something which others do not understand</li>
</ul>
<h3>Methods of torture of the suspected</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fine – Individual/family</li>
<li>Beating</li>
<li>Plucking of teeth</li>
<li>Cutting of tongue and ears</li>
<li>Breaking limbs</li>
<li>Disfiguring</li>
<li>Social outcast/boycott</li>
<li>Forced to vacate house/land</li>
<li>Driven away from village</li>
<li>Illegal occupation of property</li>
<li>False accusations</li>
<li>Torture of relatives</li>
<li>Burning alive</li>
<li>Mental torture</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations to overcome this social evil</h3>
<ul>
<li>Awareness programmes against Banamati</li>
<li>Improve health facilities in rural areas</li>
<li>Mobile medical teams</li>
<li>Admit Banamati patients in hospitals and provide immediate medical care and educate against Banamati</li>
<li>Appoint psychiatrists &amp; psychologists, medical social workers in Mandal HQ</li>
<li>Socio-economic uplift and poverty eradication measures</li>
<li>Improve communications (electronic &amp; transport) in rural areas</li>
<li>Encourage NGOs</li>
<li>Start more schools in rural areas</li>
<li>Formal /Non-formal education</li>
<li>Include in School Syllabus lessons against Banamati</li>
<li>Make stringent laws against Banamati</li>
<li>Make Banamati offences cognizable</li>
<li>Strong punishment for offenders</li>
<li>Role of media (print &amp; electronic)</li>
<li>Ban TV serials and Cinemas which strengthen Banamati belief</li>
<li>Promote Science Yatras/Magic Shows</li>
<li>Organize youth and women</li>
<li>Cultural programmes</li>
<li>Protect Banamati victims</li>
</ul>
<h3>Government's role</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dispel superstitions</li>
<li>Promote scientific temper</li>
<li>Provide medical facilities</li>
<li>Proactive role in fighting Banamati</li>
<li>Political will</li>
</ul>
<p><b>Source:</b> <i>Portal Content Team<br /></i></p>
<ul>
</ul>
</div>

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