BARIPADA: The Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act has been in place for the last seven years but the deep rooted belief in witchcraft and lack of awareness continue to make life miserable for many hapless families in rural Odisha.
In yet another shameful incident in Bangiriposi area of Mayurbhanj district, a woman who along with her husband was ostracised for allegedly practising sorcery, had to deliver a baby in a tarpaulin tent on Tuesday. The newborn and mother have been admitted to the Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital and condition of the baby is critical.
Ordeal of the poor couple, Chittan Murmu and his wife Parbati Murmu of Jualikata village within Bangriposi police limits, started seven months back when villagers boycotted them on the suspicion that both of them were practising sorcery. When a number of children and elders of the village started falling ill, people suspected that it was due to sorcery by the Murmu couple. A Kangaroo Court was organised where it was decided that both Chittan and Parbati would be ostracised.
They were forced to leave Jualikata and took shelter in Joka village nearby. As rumours spread, villagers of Joka also did not allow them to stay and they went to their relative’s house at Dashisol village under Nishchinta panchayat under the same police limits.
After three months of staying there, Chittan and Parbati were again asked to leave as sorcery allegations against them came to the knowledge of their relatives and other villagers. Despite Parbati being seven months pregnant by then, no one came to their rescue and they had to move into a mango orchard near Mahinshaduha village where they built a tent with tarpaulin sheets. This was, however, not allowed by forest officials who directed them to immediately vacate the land.
With no other way out, they built another tent in Sasdapal mango orchard and have been living there for the last three months. Chittan, a landless labourer, has been eking out living by selling dry wood that he collects from the forest nearby. “I could not even go to the police as the villagers had warned me of dire consequences if I did so,” he said.
When Parbati went into labour in the morning, he had no means to take her to the Bangiriposi community health centre (CHC) or District Headquarters Hospital. With no other way out, Parbati had to deliver her baby in the tent. Receiving information, health staff of the CHC rushed to the spot, rescued both the mother and the child and admitted them to the MCH. The newborn is under treatment at the NICU of the hospital.
IIC of Bangiriposi police station CV Ghadei said a team of police personnel visited Jualikata village to counsel the villagers and after the baby recovers, the couple will be resettled in the village.
