Memorial for witch-hunt victims in Odisha

KEONJHAR: A memorial for witch-hunt victims was unveiled by DGP Dr RP Sharma on the premises of District Police Office here on Wednesday. 

The DGP also flagged off an awareness rath (vehicle) which will cover all pockets of the district where the inhuman practice of witch-hunting continues to prevail. 

The witch-hunt victims’ memorial is the first-of-its-kind in the world. It has a symbolic statue at its centre with the names of all known victims of the evil practice etched on granite stones. 
The awareness rath is equipped with an audio system for announcements and publicity materials like pamphlets in local language and copies of ‘The Odisha Prevention of Witch hunting Act, 2013’ which will be distributed among people in the affected areas.  

Dr Sharma also participated in an awareness programme against witch-hunting which was attended by more than 300 victims, their family members and SHG workers. Later, the DGP along with Western Range DIG Kavita Jalan, Keonjhar Collector Ashis Thakrey, SP Jayanaryan Pankaj and other senior police officers had lunch with all the women who were illegally labelled as witches and their family members. 
The violent practice of witch-hunting continues to prevail in tribal areas of States like Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Assam. Women are the most vulnerable to the superstition-driven witch-hunts. They are often attacked and tortured after being branded as witches. 

In India, as many as 134 persons, most of them women, were killed after being labelled as witches. In Odisha, 18 people were killed last year. More than 50 persons lost their lives due to witch-hunting in Keonjhar in the last 10 years. 
The DGP also inaugurated a multi-gym and an ATM on campus of District Police Office on the day.