Deep within Chhattisgarh's immense tribal heartland, a crime was committed in 2014 that exposed the dark and brutal survival of medieval superstition. Two women were killed by being clubbed with sticks in Narayanpur district after they were accused of being witches by their neighbours themselves. This horrific act wasn't an isolated incident—it was an expression of the entrenched social disease that continues to infest most parts of India.

Witch-hunting, largely a relic of the past, remains a violent reality for women who defy traditional feminine roles or who dare to live independently without male patronage. This article examines the Narayanpur witch-hunt murders through a holistic, multi-faceted lens and puts the incident into historical, sociological, and gendered contexts, but insists on systemic reforms.

The Narayanpur Incident: Anatomy of a Murder

An evening of 22nd November 2014 saw a horrific incident of communal violence in Narayanpur district's village Amlidih. Two tribal females, Gangi Bai (50) and Daru Bai (45), were dragged out of their homes, accused of practicing witchcraft, and beaten to death mercilessly with sticks, rods, and other blunt weapons. The reason? A village lad fell ill, and these two women were accused of having cast a spell.

The attackers—nine villagers, five of whom were women—acted in the guise of dispensing justice. A kangaroo court was established, where the women were "convicted" without evidence, attorneys, or a chance to defend themselves. Mob killing followed, fueled by ignorance, fear, and deep-seated misogyny. The bodies of the victims were discovered dumped at their homes.

According to The Times of India, the police arrested the accused once the murders had been reported, and a ghastly reality was revealed: the machinery of the state arrived too late to preserve lives.

A Cultural Legacy of Violence: The History of Witch-Hunting in India

Witch-hunting in India is not an imported ideology—it is native and deeply ingrained in rural belief systems. In states that are dominated by tribals like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Assam, witchcraft is used as an explanatory model of misfortune, illness, or death.

Historically, the "dayan" or witch has been reserved for women who do not fit patriarchal standards—widows, older women, barren women, or simply self-willed or economically independent women. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) accounted for over 2,500 witch hunts resulting in murder between 2000 and 2020.

The Narayanpur massacres are all part of this dismal continuum. They are lamentable reminders that in large parts of the nation, reason is still being overpowered by fear-based superstition.

The Gendered Nature of Superstition

It is not coincidental that nearly all victims of witch-hunting are women. Women who are outside patriarchal norms of female subordination are frequently accused of witchcraft. In places where men dominate, a woman owner of land, a woman who refuses male domination, or a woman who knows, especially of traditional healing or herbal medicine, is dangerous.

Intellectuals and activists note that witchcraft turns into an easy tool for social control. Villages find that labeling a woman as a witch can resolve property disputes, silence opposition, or even terminate personal vendettas. In Narayanpur, Gangi Bai and Daru Bai were portrayed as being independent and blunt. Their characters ran contrary to feminine stereotypes and thus made them susceptible to attacks.

This trend is being repeated elsewhere in the country. In Bihar, a nude woman who was accused of being a witch was beaten up; in Jharkhand, entire families have been eradicated after such accusations. These cases illustrate the institutionalized and misogynistic use of superstition as an instrument.

Law Without Teeth: The Gaps in Legal Protection

Chhattisgarh passed the Tonhi Pratadna Nivaran Act in 2005 to prohibit witch-hunting. Such laws exist in Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Odisha too. Implementation is uneven. Cases generally are not reported due to fear, illiteracy of the people, or because the village elders and even the police are involved.

In Narayanpur, villagers justified their action by claiming they were protecting the community. The law, while existing, could not prevent the crime. Police inaction, no surveillance in rural areas, and a lack of legal literacy allow these crimes to be carried out with impunity.

Court trials are also delayed, and witnesses retract their statements under duress. Convictions are exceptional, and violence recycles itself.

Beyond Punishment: Social Reform Needed

Laws are needed, but centuries of ingrained belief cannot be tackled by laws. A multi-pronged strategy must be followed:

1. Education and Awareness: Gender equality and scientific thinking modules need to be included in schools. Tribal regions need local dialect-based education to communicate effectively.
2. Healthcare Accessibility: Accusations of witchcraft usually stem from unexplained illnesses. Providing basic healthcare and doctors' presence to overcome what fits-theory of scapegoating.
3. Empowering Women: Economic independence and education drastically reduced vulnerability. Government and NGO initiatives towards female education and entrepreneurship can turn the power equation around.
4. Community Mobilization: Teachers, imams, and community activists have to be involved in demystifying. Folk theatre, oral literature, and community discussion have been successful in changing perceptions.

Voices of Resistance: Overcoming Superstition with Knowledge

At the local levels in India, individuals are resisting. Organizations like Rajasthan's Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti and Jharkhand's Association for Social and Human Awareness (ASHA) have led the efforts to rescue the victims and rehabilitate them.

In Chhattisgarh, it is slower. Few NGOs find it hard to work in Narayanpur since it is a backward area with security issues relating to Naxalism. But those who do go there strongly believe that change has to come from within society.

"We can't simply criticize the villagers," claims one activist who works underground. "They have been disappointed by systems for decades. We must understand where they're coming from first before we can transform them."

A Personal Reflection: Anger and Helplessness

Discovering the Narayanpur killings filled me with a shuddering mixture of rage and despair. As a woman, I am all too familiar with the reality that in some parts of the country, being too loud, having too much, or being too knowledgeable is still seen as being threatening. Being called a "witch" is a socially acceptable way of shooing aside bothersome women.

What upsets me is not so much the violence but the matter-of-factness of it all. Neighbors turned into executioners. Fellow females, who might have stood with us, became the mob. Desensitization to such brutality is a deeper wound than the act itself.

Honoring the Forgotten

The story of Daru Bai and Gangu Bai must never be forgotten. They were not witches—they were women. Women who had the only offense of non-conformity. Their murder is not just a failure of law and order but of collective minds.

To guarantee justice, we cannot forget them. Say their names. Hold accountable the systems that made it possible for them to be killed. And pledge that no other woman will be burned at the metaphorical stake of patriarchy and superstition ever again. 

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References:

• Times of India. (2014, November 23). Branded witch, 2 battered to death in Narayanpur. Retrieved from https://timesofindia
• Gaon Connection. (2023). It is 2023. Branded as witches, women are still being tortured and killed in Bihar. Retrieved from https://en.gaonconnection.com
• The Print. (2024). Witch hunts have a new victim—married women. Retrieved from https://theprint.in
• National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). (2020). Crime in India 2020. Retrieved from https://ncrb.gov.in
• BBC News. (2014).  India woman killed in 'witch hunt'. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news