Author: Archana Mishra
Publisher: Roli Books
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 204
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8174362142
Description
This book courageously documents the societal evil of witch-hunts and witch-trials and speaks passionately about this man-made evil that stalks the destitute and the deprived. It is a social document, a telling commentary on the fractures that split and hurt Indian society, a case history of those victimized brutally on the margins and left behind in the march towards modernization.
Deep in eastern India beats a heart of darkness. It is a secret heart, entangled in the shadows of superstitions and medieval beliefs, a heart nearly beyond help and struggling for light. Casting the Evil Eye takes a hard look into this remote, tribal belt of India and steps into a murky world: of witch doctors and witch hunters, of spells and counter-spells, of poverty and rank material greed, of death and devilry, of oppression and ostracism-ultimately, of humanity against itself.
The sokha then performs the final ritual. With a cry, he lifts the hatchet, moves a step forward with a glint of cruelty in his eye and beheads the goat. Its blood stains the ground red and there is silence all around. The villagers wait to receive the prasada (the sacred flesh). The head is chopped into small pieces and distributed among the peoples, especially among the family members of the victim.
Contents
Dedication
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Bongaas: The Witch Doctors
Beliefs and Myths about Witches
The Banquet
There’s a Witch in the Village!
Health, Women, and Witchcraft
In the Land of the Witches
A Bitter Legacy
Dark Clouds With A Silver Lining
Witchcraft and Law
Postscript
Glossary