Norwegian linguist P O Bodding, in his book Studies in Santhal Medicine and Connected Folklore, wrote, “There is no genuine Santhal who doesn’t believe in witches.” While one may criticise his colonial gaze for such sweeping generalisations, given the recent spate of witch-hunting across Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh — the latest being in Jharkhand where a 65-year-old woman was beheaded after being branded a witch — his reading is difficult to discard.

According to NCRB reports, in 2023, there was a 100 per cent rise in witch-hunting cases in Jharkhand from the previous year. The strict provisions of the Prevention of Witch Practices Act in Jharkhand, 2001 have led to little progress — six states have similar pieces of legislation. Across cases, two factors consistently show up: Lac

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