Indian "Witchcraft" Family Killed

[KingVoyeur]

Indian 'witchcraft' family killed

A family of five has been beheaded in Sonitpur district, north-east India, by a mob who accused them of witchcraft.

The tea plantation worker and his four children had been blamed for causing a disease which killed two other workers and made many unwell in Assam state.

About 200 villagers tried and sentenced the family in an unofficial court, then publicly beheaded them with machetes.

They then marched to a police station with the heads, chanting slogans denouncing witchcraft and black magic.

The incident occurred at the Sadharu tea plantation near the town of Biswanath Charali, about 300 km (190 miles) north of Guwahati, Assam's main city.

Sixty-year-old Amir Munda, who was killed alongside his two daughters and two sons, was reportedly a traditional healer.

After two plantation workers died and many others became ill from mysterious illness, other members of the Adivasi Santhal community accused him and his family of being the cause.

"A trial was held to prove if Munda and his family were involved in casting evil spells in the tea garden that led to a bout of epidemics in the area," police officer D Das said. "They said the killings would appease the gods.

"Munda's pregnant wife and her three young children managed to escape before the mob killed the other members of the family," A Hazarika, a local police official, told AFP.

Six people were arrested for the killings, Mr Hazarika said.

According to police records, some 200 people have been killed in Assam in the past five years for allegedly practicing witchcraft.

It's amazing that this still happens in the world.

[Bill_the_Pony]

Originally Posted by KingVoyeur

It's amazing that this still happens in the world.

This ties in perfectly with Asonokirk's "Man's Animal Nature" thread.

I'm not even go into the local Christian fundamentalists here in the OC, trying to rally together to keep homosexuality the evil abomination status they work so hard for it to be. Now it comes to banning books...ANY type...from schools that have anything to do in any capacity with homosexual characters.

My outlook on the human race right now isn't too swell.

[Senormac]

Just for interests sake Voyeur........do you find it equally amazing that there are "witches" in todays world?

[KingVoyeur]

I think what I'm more amazed at is the reaction of the villagers, the impromptu trial and beheading. Just reminds me of something like the Inquisition or the Salem Witch Hunts.

[omicron]

Really? These backward, savage hicks believe in witchcraft and curses and magic, and you can't believe they didn't follow due process?

Omicron

[Senormac]

Originally Posted by KingVoyeur

I think what I'm more amazed at is the reaction of the villagers, the impromptu trial and beheading. Just reminds me of something like the Inquisition or the Salem Witch Hunts.

I suppose you have no frame of reference concerning what evil is, thus your somewhat watered down reaction to witchcraft. But you are not alone. In Eugene....the city across the river from us.......there are TONS of witches......they even march in the annual Eugene Celebration Parade.....and most peoples attitude is something alone the lines of......" oh look, there goes those witch people again"......its like an accepted oddity of "Honor Diversity".....

[sickness]

[MPG]

Originally Posted by sickness

[Space Tycoon]

Originally Posted by Senormac

Just for interests sake Voyeur........do you find it equally amazing that there are "witches" in todays world?

You should meet some of the women I've dated. HAGS!!


<== Eek, indeed!




.

[Rowanberry]

Superstition is still alive and well. Not only in some backwoods where people are hardly even literate, but even in our "civilized" parts of the world.