Witch-hunting driven by class and gender discrimination in tribal areas of India

Women are disproportionately accused of witchcraft in areas of India where there is a strong tribal culture. Reuters/Adnan Abidi

Three months back, a 58-year-old woman was assaulted and forced to swallow excreta by her own relatives on the suspicion of being a witch at a village in Dumka district of the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

However, she was lucky that no violence befell her. She plucked up enough courage to complain to the police where she revealed that nine of her relatives had been harassing her on the charge of practising witchcraft for several days.