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Lalita Iyer
Lalita Iyer

TELANGANA

Burning man: Tales of witch-hunt in Telangana

kerameri-death-witchcraft The site of Kerameri witch-hunt in Telangana | Lalita Iyer
  • “If medical education spreads in villages, the belief in witchcraft will disappear. In Telangana and some parts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, in Bidar and Gulbarga districts of Karnataka and Parbhani in Maharashtra, the belief in banamati is widespread

"I fell at their feet, pleaded with them, but they were in a frenzy, busy lighting matchsticks," says Renuka Veerabhatini, eldest daughter of the Sudhakaran and Rajeswari. "There was nothing I could do. They assaulted me and my younger brother Srinivas," she says.

That fateful evening, 25 to 30 people surrounded Renuka's parents. There was nothing she could have been done. Kadeverugu Sudhakar, 56, and his wife Rajeshwari, 51, were tied to an electric pole and burnt alive, after rumours spread through the village that the couple practised black magic.

Sudhakar's brothers Mallesham and Srinivas, living in the village, sparked the whisper campaign. "My father's mother Anasuya might not have lit the matchstick, but she was there and did not stop her sons and daughters-in-law from committing this heinous act," says Renuka.

"After a while, the rope, with which my parents were tied, snapped. They fell to the ground, but there was nothing to quell the fire with," she says, her voice breaking, but not a single tear in her eyes. "After witnessing what I did, there are no tears left," she says.

Renuka was dragged away like a dog, but no one showed any sympathy. The villagers had been asked not to come out of their homes, so there was no outside help. The perpetrators had kept petrol and kerosene cans in handy.

Before the incident, Sudhakar had planned to move his family to another place, unable to handle the suspicious glances and the sly comments that he used 'mantralus'. He had earlier complained of harassment to the police. He was not in an enviable position—if a baby fell ill in the village, Sudhakar was blamed for it. People started shunning him because they considered him a bad omen. The village quack Hakim Baba, who cured anything from fever to psychological disorders, added fuel to the fire by saying that there was a presence of black magic in the village. All fingers pointed at Sudhakar.

Meanwhile, the police remained unaware of the incident, till they were informed by Renuka's husband Satyanarayana. The police reached at 5:35pm. By then, the duo had already suffered 80 per cent burns.

Rajeswari and Sudhakar made dying declarations, naming everyone involved in the incident. "But I do not think me or my brother will be allowed to live," says Renuka. "They will definitely kill us because we were witness to the whole scene."

It is believed that the incident was the result of a family dispute over 600 sq yards of land. Ironically, no one is willing to buy the land now.

Dr Gora Vijayam, secretary of atheist centre, said, “Witchcraft and sorcery are only cultural beliefs perpetuated by vested interests. Majority of the so-called victims are illiterate, ignorant and oppressed. Having said that, even the literate are steeped in superstitions and blind beliefs. Vested interests exploit the situation. The scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and poor women are subjugated in the name of banamati (black magic), which is a hoax. It is only a socio-cultural belief and once people know the truth, the fear in witchcraft and sorcery will disappear."

"In the name of witchcraft and sorcery, nine million people were murdered in Europe. That is why it became known as the Dark Ages. In India, rumours of banamati spread in certain parts of the country because the people were poor and ignorant."

Being summer, the hamlet of Chinugudda of Kerameri mandal, in Komaram Bheem district, looks arid and muddy, though it is surrounded by small hillocks and trees. With barely 10 to 12 households, this hamlet belongs to the Kollam tribal community and their main occupation is agriculture—crops like cotton and pigeon pea.

Kudimeta Poshiga, 45 years old, lived with his wife Ayu Bai and three children. He owned five acres of land and laboured on it. After a string of negative incidents, his hamlet was led to believe that Poshiga was involved in black magic.

Since he could not handle the insults and the suspicion, Poshiga built a small hut in his farmland and started living there.

One day, the villagers saw him burying a dead snake and a chicken that it killed. The suspicious group attacked him with rocks and stones, killing him. The incident occurred on June 7, 2016. Ten were arrested and sent to jail. Seven are out on bail. The ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) decided to look after the family. The wife and three children were sent to the Ashram High School in Kerameri.

In Nizamabad district, an old beggar woman was tortured for a week before she was killed—a group of people suspected that she was the cause of all their problems. Since the woman could not be identified, the police did not follow up on the case.

When such incidents mushroomed, the district administration wrote a letter to atheist centre, inviting them to investigate the problem of witchcraft and sorcery. A ten-member team visited Medak district. “If medical education spreads in villages, the belief in witchcraft will disappear. In Telangana and some parts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, in Bidar and Gulbarga districts of Karnataka and Parbhani in Maharashtra, the belief in banamati is widespread,” says Dr Gora Vijayam, executive director of the atheist centre.

“Education and awareness is the only way to come out of the fear from witchcraft and sorcery. Outside help is very much needed to alleviate the suffering of the illiterate and ignorant. Political parties are also to be blamed for perpetuating witchcraft and sorcery in return for votes and getting people to obey their commands,” adds Dr Vijayam.

In fact, according to the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB), Telangana is among the top three states in India when it comes to killings in the name of sorcery and witchcraft. According to their data, the state has witnessed 39 such cases in the last three years.

In 2015, according to statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau, 135 people were killed.

Of these, 14 were in Telangana. According to the same report, between 2000 and 2012, over 350 people were killed in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, on suspicion that the victims were involved in witchcraft.

During the same period, witchcraft was reportedly the motive for nearly 2,000 murders across the country.

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Topics : #Telangana

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