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'Witchcraft' families killed

aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
edited September 2006 in A Moving Train
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5277198.stm

'Witchcraft' families killed

The police in India's north-eastern state of Assam say five people have been killed by tribals who suspected them of practising witchcraft.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42004000/gif/_42004708_assam_kokrajhar_map203.gif

Santhal tribesmen killed two couples and a teenage girl in two separate incidents in the Kokrajhar district.

The villagers said the couple were practising witchcraft and harming fellow tribes people, the police said.

Analysts say villagers are often accused of witchcraft to settle personal and land disputes.

Originally from central India, the Santhal tribes people were brought to Assam during British rule to work in the tea gardens.

Real reasons

The BBC's Subir Bhaumik in Delhi says the Santhals are generally found in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam and it is quite common among them to attack people they suspect of practising witchcraft.

One study shows a number of cases in West Bengal and Assam where certain families have been attacked by rivals within the community for practising witchcraft and their land taken away after the killings.

"The Santhals fear witches and believe great harm can be done by them," says the study by senior police officer Asit Baran Choudhury.

"So anyone accused of practising witchcraft can come in for severe punishment and this is often manipulated for settling personal scores," he says.

According to police records, some 200 people have been killed in Assam in the past five years for allegedly practising witchcraft.
Post edited by Unknown User on

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    KatKat There's a lot to be said for nowhere. Posts: 4,775
    I thought this was interesting because it shows something from another time and place in American history. I wonder if every culture had a "witchhunting" phase in their history and exterminated their own out of fear?

    Love,
    Kat
    Falling down,...not staying down
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Kat wrote:
    I thought this was interesting because it shows something from another time and place in American history. I wonder if every culture had a "witchhunting" phase in their history and exterminated their own out of fear?

    Love,
    Kat
    Without researching it and going on gut feelings..........I would say yes. Some cultures used the term "witch" and some probably used the term "demon," but it's all the same.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    frig ... some places don't want kids reading harry potter cuz of the "magic" involved ... i'd say witchhunting is alive and well ...
  • Options
    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    polaris wrote:
    frig ... some places don't want kids reading harry potter cuz of the "magic" involved ... i'd say witchhunting is alive and well ...
    My guess would be that it never went away...........parts of Africa, Asia and probably even deep in the Balkans this has probably been going on in some form since the beginning of those societies.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    polaris wrote:
    frig ... some places don't want kids reading harry potter cuz of the "magic" involved ... i'd say witchhunting is alive and well ...

    Ned Flanders: And Harry Potter and all his wizard friends went straight to hell for practicing witchcraft! :)

    Anyhow I equate witch hunts with religion and people not wanting to respect or acknowledge that somebody can practice something other and still be a value to society.

    Funny how in the olden days some kings would believe in a religion and still have a magician on hand to perform alchemy. Kind of takes the honest steam out of ones sails.
    You've changed your place in this world!
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    polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    really ... what is pharmaceuticals but glorified witchcraft?? ... its not like the layman will know how the drugs really work - you just pop em in your mouth and hope it works ... why not drink the blood of an orphaned goat when the moon is full and the clock hits 10 am?
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    even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    polaris wrote:
    why not drink the blood of an orphaned goat when the moon is full and the clock hits 10 am?

    You never have????? Oh, P-man you are missing out on some fine witchcraft! ;)
    You've changed your place in this world!
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    polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    even flow? wrote:
    You never have????? Oh, P-man you are missing out on some fine witchcraft! ;)

    now, i know why you've been inviting me over for a "bbq" ... :)
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    jeffbrjeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    polaris wrote:
    really ... what is pharmaceuticals but glorified witchcraft?? ... its not like the layman will know how the drugs really work - you just pop em in your mouth and hope it works ... why not drink the blood of an orphaned goat when the moon is full and the clock hits 10 am?

    Huh? You're equating biotechnology and science to witchcraft?

    It's not like the layman knows how an internal combustion engine works either, but I'd hardly call it witchcraft when the engine fires up in the morning to take me to work.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    jeffbr wrote:
    Huh? You're equating biotechnology and science to witchcraft?

    It's not like the layman knows how an internal combustion engine works either, but I'd hardly call it witchcraft when the engine fires up in the morning to take me to work.
    True............but if you have no experience or history with the internal combustion engine or technology in general.........it may appear to have its abilities rooted in magic.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    jeffbrjeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    tybird wrote:
    True............but if you have no experience or history with the internal combustion engine or technology in general.........it may appear to have its abilities rooted in magic.

    I agree, but let's call it what it is -- ignorance.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    jeffbr wrote:
    I agree, but let's call it what it is -- ignorance.
    I thinking more in terms of isolation than ignorance. Technology has not set down roots in every corner of the globe, my friend.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    jeffbr wrote:
    I agree, but let's call it what it is -- ignorance.


    How can never seeing one be equated to ignorance?


    Just because I know Copperfield is making the Statue of Liberty disappear, but I don't know how he is doing it dosen't make me ignorant.
    You've changed your place in this world!
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    even flow? wrote:
    How can never seeing one be equated to ignorance?


    Just because I know Copperfield is making the Statue of Liberty disappear, but I don't know how he is doing it dosen't make me ignorant.
    My point exactly..............:)
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    MrBrianMrBrian Posts: 2,672
    Kat wrote:
    I wonder if every culture had a "witchhunting" phase in their history and exterminated their own out of fear?

    Love,
    Kat

    Quite often throughout history people have been killed or ridiculed out of fear, weather or not witches who fly on brooms or ones that wiggle their noses to make lunch for their family exist or not is not really the point (I don't think), the point is when people fear something or just don't understand something/someone, they do crazy things.

    What I always found interesting about these issues/types of stories (in history) is that the accusers are often the ones who are the real evil/bad people cause at the end they are ones who acted out of fear and killed, they are the guilty ones.

    I've been to that part of the world, I remember hearing about a local woman that was accused of witchcraft, people were really scared of her, I infact ate at her house once, she was just a nice old lady. Why people wanted to hurt her, I don't know but perhaps they feared something else about her? Mankind has a very dark side.
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    polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    jeffbr wrote:
    Huh? You're equating biotechnology and science to witchcraft?

    It's not like the layman knows how an internal combustion engine works either, but I'd hardly call it witchcraft when the engine fires up in the morning to take me to work.

    but some would argue that naturopathy is witchcraft and some would say praying to god instead of taking someone to the doctor is witchcraft ...

    its all about how people view things ... and what is accepted and what is not ...
  • Options
    jeffbrjeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    even flow? wrote:
    How can never seeing one be equated to ignorance?


    Just because I know Copperfield is making the Statue of Liberty disappear, but I don't know how he is doing it dosen't make me ignorant.

    Perhaps you don't know the meaning of ignorance. It is not always a pejorative.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
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    even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    jeffbr wrote:
    Perhaps you don't know the meaning of ignorance. It is not always a pejorative.


    More on the side of naive then???
    You've changed your place in this world!
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    jeffbrjeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    polaris wrote:
    but some would argue that naturopathy is witchcraft and some would say praying to god instead of taking someone to the doctor is witchcraft ...

    True. I'm not a believer in things supernatural, so I look for a more reasoned explanation for things. I think the success of a lot of naturopathy and prayer can be explained as a result of the placebo effect. There's also defintely science behind a lot of naturopathy, even if the practitioner can't explain the science, but can see the results. Scientists are now extracting betulonic acid from the bark of the white birch as a compound to aid in fighting prostate cancer.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    MrBrian wrote:
    What I always found interesting about these issues/types of stories (in history) is that the accusers are often the ones who are the real evil/bad people cause at the end they are ones who acted out of fear and killed, they are the guilty ones.
    And sometimes the accusers have a profit motive behind what they do.......
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • Options
    MrBrianMrBrian Posts: 2,672
    tybird wrote:
    And sometimes the accusers have a profit motive behind what they do.......

    well of course! Money can be a dangerous spell, it can truly be an evil majic.
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    KatKat There's a lot to be said for nowhere. Posts: 4,775
    tybird wrote:
    And sometimes the accusers have a profit motive behind what they do.......

    Really? Do you know something else about this particular story? I shouldn't be surprised though...I've recently come to the conclusion, maybe late, that most things in life are driven by economics of some kind.

    Love,
    Kat
    Falling down,...not staying down
  • Options
    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Kat wrote:
    Really? Do you know something else about this particular story? I shouldn't be surprised though...I've recently come to the conclusion, maybe late, that most things in life are driven by economics of some kind.

    Love,
    Kat
    Not this particular story...........but I do believe that there was some greedy reasons behind some of the Salem accusations. In pre-modern societies, the "she/he's a witch" claim was very effective in rallying the people against a person or persons. It got the people all up in arms and pro-active before anyone could start asking the right questions in regards to both the accused and the accuser.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • Options
    Garden DoggGarden Dogg Posts: 226
    Kat wrote:
    I thought this was interesting because it shows something from another time and place in American history. I wonder if every culture had a "witchhunting" phase in their history and exterminated their own out of fear?

    Love,
    Kat

    I had to write a paper in college on the Salem Witch Trials. Not all of it was based in fear. Some were "accused" due to land and family disputes. Others, according to the author of my main source, were "afflicted" with encephalitis-lethargica. The author even traced migratory bird paths to strengthen her theory.
    "let's hug it out, bitch."

    "and onward goes this thing of ours."
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    SuzannePjamSuzannePjam Posts: 411
    I read a novel recently which had a reference in it about the Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches-- a famous 15th century manuscript which was Catholic Church approved on how to detect witches) and when I looked it up came across this interesting article about the history of witch hunting.

    http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0056.html
    "Where there is sacrifice there is someone collecting the sacrificial offerings."-- Ayn Rand

    "Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
    But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
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