Response teams to tackle witch hunting in M’bhanj

Mayurbhanj district Collector Surendra Kumar Meena has said Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) would be formed at the block level to tackle cases of witch hunting in the district.

The tribals-dominated district continues to hog the limelight as far as witchcraft-related violence is concerned.

Despite implementation of the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013 to check the social menace, the district has witnessed 92 cases of witchcraft and sorcery-related offences during the last five years.

To tackle the cases of witch hunting the RRTs would work in block level, Meena said.

The process of formation of RRTs would be completed by January 15 and at least 26 RRTs would be set up with the Block Development Officers (BDOs) as heads, the Collector said.

The RRTs would comprise Child Development Programme Officers, Medical Officers, Block Education Officers, Welfare Extension Officers, Inspectors-in-Charge of police stations, Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) volunteers and an office-bearers of block-level federation of Self-Help Groups, he said.

The children, women and elderly persons were mostly victims of the witchcraft practice. The teams would take steps to prevent any such type of incidents in remote tribal villages and for minimising offences in collaboration with local police and other agencies besides sensitising the people.The district has witnessed seven sorcery killings in 2017 and most of the cases were reported from tribal hamlets.

On July 18, a 45-year-old woman and her 10-year-old son were killed in Dhipabandh village under the Thakurmunda police station.

In another case, a couple of Kathachua village under the Kaptipada PS was killed by villagers on April 21.

Several sorcery cases go unreported.

On the other hand, ‘tantriks’ in these areas play an important role in persuading people to brand a woman or a man as a witch.