Anti-witchcraft law on anvil in Assam

Bijay Sankar Bora

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Tribune News Service

Guwahati, May 9

The Assam Government has drafted a Bill titled ‘Prevention and Protection from Witch Hunting Bill, 2015,’ and sought opinions of various stakeholders on the draft by June 7.

The draft Bill has been made available on the state government’s website: www.assam.gov.in and stakeholders can send their opinions on the draft at assamwitchhunting@assam.gov.in.

The draft Bill has been prepared at the instruction of the Gauhati High Court which issued the instruction to the Government of Assam on the basis of a PIL filed by a city-based lawyer Rajib Kalita in 2013 seeking formulation of an anti-witch hunt law.

Witch hunting has claimed over 130 lives in Assam since 2002. The malady has affected 17 of the total 27 districts in the state. The PIL submitted before the high court mentioned that when adversities like death, illness and financial loss occur in a family, superstitions lead many to believe that others (witches) had cast evil spells on them.

Those accused of practising witchcraft are often hunted down and ostracised by the community and the village.

The anti-witchcraft draft Bill prepared by Assam Government proposes punishment from three years to life imprisonment. Apart from proposing stricter punishment for terming someone a witch and for physical, sexual or mental torture leading to suicide and displacement, the proposed legislation intends to check illegal practices by the quacks.

The Bill also proposes action against negligence in investigation, formation of special courts for trial of witch hunting cases and free legal aid to victims.

Some other states in the country, including Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, already have special laws to deal with witchcraft.