Battle for justice over, social scar persists for young tribal woman who survived sorcery murder in Rayagada

Twenty-three-year-old Melita Sabara is seeking solace, the trauma of watching her parents and elder sister brutalised, de-humanised and murdered on suspicion of witchcraft.
Battle for justice over, social scar persists for young tribal woman who survived sorcery murder in Rayagada

TAMAIGARJANG (GAJAPATI DIST): Twenty-three-year-old Melita Sabara is seeking solace. The trauma of watching her parents and elder sister brutalised, de-humanised and murdered on suspicion of witchcraft is not something she can erase from her memory.

On April 13, Additional District Judge, Gunupur, handed out death punishment to nine persons for killing half of her family on fateful September 6, 2016 night. By end of the week, it would be a full month after pronouncement of the crucial verdict which Melita is happy with, yet something remains broken inside. The Class VIII drop-out looks forward to going back to Kitum, her native village under Putasingh police limits of Rayagada, where she grew up in a family of seven. She wants to be back in her home. But it is not possible anymore.

The family house was ransacked after the 2016 incident, such was pent-up anger of the villagers against the Sabaras who they suspected were into sorcery. Fearing life, Melita, her sister and two brothers fled the village. Now, a year-and-half later, only remains of what once was a home stand. The farm field her father tilled has been occupied by others too.But villagers of Kitum continue to be angry with them. Neither Melita nor any of her siblings can return to their village. Not without police escort.

“We left our home and farms after the incident and have been wandering from one village to another. My sister and two brothers lead a miserable life as we have no livelihood support. Our home, agriculture field, cattle and other belongings are gone forever. We cannot go back to our home because the villagers continue to think our family practised witchcraft,” she says.What happened on September 6, 2016 was the result of a long-standing superstition. In 2011, a small fight between Melita’s father Asani Sabara and another villager over construction of a house triggered the allegation of witchcraft.

The person who had allegedly slapped Asani fell sick. Soon villagers grew suspicious that Asani and his wife were behind the illness. Anyone who fell ill afterwards in Kitum, the Sabara family came under scanner. The bottled-up superstition took a heavy and tragic toll five years later. Six days after the incident, Melita managed to escape from confinement and with help of Putasingh Police lodged an FIR.

Overcoming the tragedy and undaunted by the threat, she showed immense courage to knock the doors of Rayagada district administration, court and Odisha Human Right Commission to get justice.Justice she has received but natural justice still eludes them. A village of 46 families with a total population of around 200, Kitum has virtually closed its doors to the Sabara family. Melita has, meanwhile, married Kelia Raita, a relative who belongs to Tamaigarjang village under Gajapati district, which is about 12 km from Kitum. Kelia extended a helping hand in her fight.

Her elder sister Ashimita lives with another relative at Adasha village, half a kilometre from Kitum while brother Giri (19) appeared for Class XII examination in Andhra Pradesh and the youngest Narashima (12) pursues his education in a residential school at Gumuda with help of a voluntary organisation.Kitum is located in one of the most neglected areas of Talana gram panchayat of Rayagada district and is home to the primitive Lanjia Soura community. Under-development, absence of education and healthcare have only allowed superstition to take stronghold in the region.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com