Court punishes chief over witchcraft
BY Mana
17:56:02 - 19 November 2008
Rumphi First Grade Magistrate court on Wednesday sentenced Village Headman Benson Mumba to pay K5,000 fine or in default serve 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for allowing a witchdoctor to conduct a prohibited witchcraft cleansing ceremony in his area.Mumba, 42, who comes from Malime Village, T/A Chikulamayembe in Rumphi District, has since paid the fine.The court learnt through Rumphi Police Station prosecutor Inspector Kingson Mwalughali who said that the village headman wrote two letters to traditional doctor Phillip Mzembe, a witch finder, inviting him to come and conduct witchcraft trials in the village.According to Mwalughali, Mumba invited the witch finder following wide spread reports that children in the village were being drilled in witchcraft acts by suspected witchcraft instructors.It was also reported that the children were being engaged in football matches at various grave yards where human heads were used as balls.The speculations further reported that many women in the village experienced nightmares where strange figures could make love to them without the women suspecting anything.These reports prompted the convicted village headman to invite the witch finder to cleanse the village of what he called evil men torturing innocent children.However, some children of Happy Nyasulu, one of the alleged witchcraft instructors, reported the matter to police, which lead to the arrest of the accused.Passing the sentence, Rumphi First Grade magistrate Antony Banda admitted that witchcraft exists, but “unfortunately the laws of Malawi do not recognize it.”“It’s true that witchcraft exists, but the laws of Malawi do not recognize it,” said Banda.He, therefore, said conducting witchcraft trials was prohibited as it contravenes chapter seven of the Witchcraft Act. The magistrate further advised chiefs, as custodians of the law, to master every part of the law and if they have difficulties in understanding it, should be referring such matters to relevant authorities.In mitigation, Mumba prayed for mercy saying he has a problematic leg. He did not elaborate.He further said he invited the witchdoctor for the good of his subjects.
Source:
http://www.dailytimes.bppmw.com/article.asp?ArticleID=11208
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Lessons on witchcraft in Assam school!
Lessons on witchcraft in Assam school!
Wednesday, 19 November , 2008, 14:48Last Updated: Wednesday, 19 November , 2008, 15:58
Guwahati: Little children in Assam may soon learn lessons on witchcraft in school - to combat superstitious beliefs that lead to a large number of people being hounded to death in the northeast every year.
The idea of introducing lessons on 'dayan pratha' or witchcraft in primary school was mooted by the National Commission for Women (NCW).
"The idea behind introducing 'dayan pratha' in primary schools is to bring about awareness from an early age to do away with the primitive practice of witchhunting based on superstitious beliefs," Niva Konwar, NCW member, said.
At least 300 people have been killed by rural mobs in the past five years for allegedly practicing witchcraft in Assam and Tripura. "Such gruesome killings have sent the very basis of human rights for a toss," said Birubala, an elderly Rabha tribal woman and a frontline rights campaigner.
Source:
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14801309
Wednesday, 19 November , 2008, 14:48Last Updated: Wednesday, 19 November , 2008, 15:58
Guwahati: Little children in Assam may soon learn lessons on witchcraft in school - to combat superstitious beliefs that lead to a large number of people being hounded to death in the northeast every year.
The idea of introducing lessons on 'dayan pratha' or witchcraft in primary school was mooted by the National Commission for Women (NCW).
"The idea behind introducing 'dayan pratha' in primary schools is to bring about awareness from an early age to do away with the primitive practice of witchhunting based on superstitious beliefs," Niva Konwar, NCW member, said.
At least 300 people have been killed by rural mobs in the past five years for allegedly practicing witchcraft in Assam and Tripura. "Such gruesome killings have sent the very basis of human rights for a toss," said Birubala, an elderly Rabha tribal woman and a frontline rights campaigner.
Source:
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14801309
UFO sightings over Bucks County
LANGHORNE, Pa. - November 18, 2008- (WPVI) -- A conference planned for Bucks County is truly "out of this world!"
It comes in response to numerous reports of strange lights, high in the sky.
What were those things people saw hovering over the Sesame Place Amusement Park in Langhorne?
How about those boomerang shaped aircraft in the skies above Oxford Valley Mall?
There've been dozens of reports of UFO sightings in Bucks County over the past few months.
In fact, Action News was able to find an eyewtiness.
"It was the most bizarre looking thing, we both said 'What is that?'" said Susan Prager of Yardley, Pa. "We couldn't figure it out. We kept looking at it and looking at it. It definitely was a UFO."
Watch video at source
Source:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6513117
It comes in response to numerous reports of strange lights, high in the sky.
What were those things people saw hovering over the Sesame Place Amusement Park in Langhorne?
How about those boomerang shaped aircraft in the skies above Oxford Valley Mall?
There've been dozens of reports of UFO sightings in Bucks County over the past few months.
In fact, Action News was able to find an eyewtiness.
"It was the most bizarre looking thing, we both said 'What is that?'" said Susan Prager of Yardley, Pa. "We couldn't figure it out. We kept looking at it and looking at it. It definitely was a UFO."
Watch video at source
Source:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6513117
Four of family charged with practicing witchcraft, lynched
Four of family charged with practising witchcraft, lynched
June 10th, 2008 - 7:22 pm ICT by IANS -
Guwahati, June 10 (IANS) Four members of a family in India’s northeastern state of Assam were lynched by a mob that charged them with practising witchcraft, said a police official Tuesday. A police spokesman said the incident took place Monday at Milanpur village in Sonitpur district, about 230 km northeast of Assam’s main city Guwahati.
“A large mob armed with crude weapons attacked a family killing 65-year-old Lakhan Majhi, his wife, their son and daughter-in-law,” police official Saurav Saikia said on telephone.
The mob then buried the bodies in a pit on the outskirts of the village.
Locals in the area accused Majhi’s family of casting evil spells on a youth who died Saturday after a brief illness.
“This is nothing but killings due to superstition,” said Saikia.
No arrest has been made so far.
The police Tuesday exhumed the corpses and began investigation.
“After the police arrived in the village, all the male members fled and just a few women and girls were around,” another police official said.
At least 200 people were killed by mobs in the northeast over the past five years for allegedly practising witchcraft.
Superstition, black magic and demonology are integral to tribal customs in parts of Assam, Tripura and other northeastern states.
The Assam police have intensified an ongoing drive to curb this social crime.
Codenamed Project Prahari (Vigilant), the crusade includes community-policing measures, besides regular awareness campaigns among tribal chiefs and village elders.
The police campaign is now focusing on educating villagers and holding meetings in areas dominated by tribals.
“We need to bring about a change in attitude rather than trying to enforce the law. We have to create awareness about this social evil to stop such barbaric incidents from taking place,” Assam Inspector General of Police Kula Saikia told IANS.
Source:
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/four-of-family-charged-with-practising-witchcraft-lynched_10058622.html
June 10th, 2008 - 7:22 pm ICT by IANS -
Guwahati, June 10 (IANS) Four members of a family in India’s northeastern state of Assam were lynched by a mob that charged them with practising witchcraft, said a police official Tuesday. A police spokesman said the incident took place Monday at Milanpur village in Sonitpur district, about 230 km northeast of Assam’s main city Guwahati.
“A large mob armed with crude weapons attacked a family killing 65-year-old Lakhan Majhi, his wife, their son and daughter-in-law,” police official Saurav Saikia said on telephone.
The mob then buried the bodies in a pit on the outskirts of the village.
Locals in the area accused Majhi’s family of casting evil spells on a youth who died Saturday after a brief illness.
“This is nothing but killings due to superstition,” said Saikia.
No arrest has been made so far.
The police Tuesday exhumed the corpses and began investigation.
“After the police arrived in the village, all the male members fled and just a few women and girls were around,” another police official said.
At least 200 people were killed by mobs in the northeast over the past five years for allegedly practising witchcraft.
Superstition, black magic and demonology are integral to tribal customs in parts of Assam, Tripura and other northeastern states.
The Assam police have intensified an ongoing drive to curb this social crime.
Codenamed Project Prahari (Vigilant), the crusade includes community-policing measures, besides regular awareness campaigns among tribal chiefs and village elders.
The police campaign is now focusing on educating villagers and holding meetings in areas dominated by tribals.
“We need to bring about a change in attitude rather than trying to enforce the law. We have to create awareness about this social evil to stop such barbaric incidents from taking place,” Assam Inspector General of Police Kula Saikia told IANS.
Source:
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/four-of-family-charged-with-practising-witchcraft-lynched_10058622.html
Saturday, December 29, 2007
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