65-yr-old Odisha tribal priest beaten to death alleging witchcraft

At a funeral in a Malkangiri village, people held the 65-year-old tribal priest responsible for the frequent deaths in the area.

Published on: May 18, 2022, 22:15:42 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: A 65-year-old priest in tribal-dominated Malkangiri district was thrashed to death on Tuesday by his neighbours alleging that he practised witchcraft, police said.

The tribal priest’s son was also beaten up when he tried to save his father. (Representational Image)

Officials said over 60 people of Kangrukonda village in Kalimela block of Malkangiri district had gathered for the funeral rites of a villager on Tuesday when some of them started discussing the activities of the tribal priest, Padia Madkami.

“The villagers were discussing the frequent deaths in the area when someone pointed accusing fingers at Madkami alleging that he might be practising witchcraft. Soon, five of the villagers took out sticks and started beating Madkami holding him responsible for the deaths,” said inspector Raghunath Majhi of Kalimela police station. Madkami’s son, Bira, was also beaten up when he tried to save his father.

Police said they have detained Mukund Padiami, Fida Madkami, Kana Madkami, Umrmi Madkami and Ganga Madkami.

Witch-hunts are still highly prevalent in 12 of Odisha’s 30 districts, especially Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam, according to a report, Witch Hunting in Odisha, jointly released in December by the Odisha State Commission for Women and Action Aid, an international non-governmental organisation.

Three days ago, a 35-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman of Ganjam district were injured after being beaten up by villagers who accused them of practising witchcraft. They sustained injuries on their head and face and some of their teeth were uprooted in the beating after locals blamed them for the deaths of two children of a family.

Though the state enacted the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act in 2013, its failure in curbing has forced the State Commission for Women to recommend establishment of special courts for providing speedy trial in all cases of witch-branding and witch-hunting cases. The women’s commission early this year wrote to the government to amend the Act so that branding of victims as witches be treated as heinous crime with stringent punishment. “Identifying, causing, stigmatizing, defaming or accusing any person by words or signs or any actions is witch branding and subsequent abetting physical or mental harm, injury or harassment which may involve mass frenzy, sexual or emotional violence should be punishable,” it said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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