BHUBANESWAR : The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has recommended the state government to treat usage of word ‘dahani’ (witch) a criminal offence and make amendments to the Odisha Prevention of Witch-hunting Act, 2013 to make the law tighter amid a rise in sorcery related crimes.
The commission, in a recent order, asked the Home and Women and Child Welfare departments to examine the current situation and take steps to make necessary amendments to the existing statute to fill the gaps by giving special focus on preventive measures to curb incidents of violence triggered by witchcraft suspicion.
The panel opined that the statute should be made gender neutral and declare usage of term ‘dahani’ in any form as an offence. It observed there is nothing specific in the provisions under the Odisha Prevention of Witch-hunting Act and the composite action plan of 2017 to eradicate the evil superstition from the society. It said the law does not prevent forced displacement from the community and social boycott.
The OHRC was of the view that there is need of a stringent enforceable law to provide short-term and long-term effective measures to tackle the menace of witch hunting and black magic in the state. It directed the School and Mass Education, Information and Public Relations and Culture departments to carry out rigorous awareness campaigns to prevent incidents of witch hunting.
The order came after human rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo filed a petition with the commission requesting to conduct an inquiry into the alleged murder of a woman in Sundargarh district’s Ratakhandi village in 2018 over suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Nabarangpur and Kandhamal districts are the worst-hit with as high as 67 per cent of murders triggered by witchcraft suspicion.
The state government has already planned to overhaul its decade-old witch-hunting law. Sources said the Law department has begun the process to amend the Odisha Prevention of Witch-hunting Act, following recommendations of the State Law Commission, which was tasked to review the existing legislation and plug gaps that have allowed perpetrators to evade punishment and victims to suffer without adequate legal support.