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Low levels of education and poor medical facilities have been singled out as leading to a belief in witchcraft in parts of Assam, India, where many innocent people have been victims of witch-hunts. Now, Assam police have launched a project to help counter those beliefs.
(DIG (CID), Kula Saikia) said that the 'Project Prahari' of the Assam Police, which aims to eradicate social maladies through community policing and community development, was first launched in a remote village Thaikarguri in Kokrajhar district, where five innocent persons were brutally murdered by villagers. He said that five persons -- four males and one female -- were killed by the villagers on May 25, 2000 as they were accused of practising witchcraft. The incident occurred after the deaths of several children due to various diseases. The villagers held a puja in the village where a lady from Kokrajhar, who performed the ceremony, identified the 'witches' and they were brutally murdered by the villagers. Eleven persons were arrested in connection with the brutal killing. When police first went to the village to launch 'Project Prahari', the villagers strongly justified the killing.But we found out that lack of health care facilities is the root cause of the superstition, and immediately, we organised health camps apart from regular health check-up. The people were also given health education and gradually the people admitted their mistake,Saikia added.
'Project Prahari' aims to end witch hunt - The Assam Tribune, October 3rd 2002.
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1: Posted by: saleha athar | October 1, 2005 11:31 AM
I want to know in detail about the witch Hunting, how it is spread in the society? who are back of this niolence.
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