After the witch-hunt, Marani Devi comes back fighting

By Seema A Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Feb 14: Marani Devi, 55, from the eastern plain district of Mahottari, who hit the headlines last year after being bludgeoned by locals who branded her a witch, wants to launch a nation-wide campaign against conservatism.

Seven months ago, Marani Devi was fed human faeces and beaten up by several men, led by none other than the Chairman of Simardahi VDC, all because the men thought her to be a witch.

Such incidents take place often in most of the rural parts of Nepal. There were similar cases recorded in other parts of the country before Marani Devi’s case was brought to light.

But Marani Devi now wants to put an end to all that. She doesn’t want anybody to go through the humiliation that she had experienced.

Marani Devi is presently the Chairperson of the locally- formed Rural Community Development Council, and organises women against such practices.

She was also given a membership of the Women Security Pressure Group, after Sahana Pradhan, leftist leader, and Durga Ghimire, social activist, went through the harrowing reports of her agony.

Marani Devi, who earlier this week arrived at the capital for the first time in her life, to participate in a two-day seminar on “Solidarity for Gender Equality” organised by various organisations fighting for women’s rights, is now seeking co-operation from all the political parties, government and civil society in her national campaign against discrimination.

She has now come a long way from the days when she was a butt of public insult and jealousy. Marani Devi is now a grass-roots social worker, championing the cause of women’s rights.

Recalling those nightmarish days, she said she herself could not hold back her tears after seeing her photograph in Kantipur, sister publication of The Kathmandu Post, which captured her pain. At the Solidarity seminar, she didn’t forget to thank the media, non-governmental organisations and civil society for raising their voices against such inhuman conduct.

While talking to The Kathmandu Post, she said she would be much happier if the people, who tortured her, are punished by the law. Sixteen people, including the VDC Chairman, Nobal Kishor Sahani, were arrested by the local administration in this case, but were released on bail by an appellate court in Janakpur.

“They (the accused) still tease me. But I have not given up my courage,” says Marani Devi, who narrated her tale before over 1,000 participants at the Royal Nepal Academy a few days back. “There should be a tough law to punish those indulging in witch-hunt.”

Admitted to the Janakpur Hospital in a critical condition after being bludgeoned by the locals, the government, under mounting pressure from the media and lawmakers, had promised to bear all the expenses for her treatment. The government, however, has not kept its word, says Marani Devi, mother of two sons. “I had to spend Rs. 22,000 for my treatment”.

In a bid to hunt down the so-called witches of Simardahi VDC, a shaman was brought from neighbouring India to the village, where almost all the women were forced to line up so that the shaman could identify the witch. But the fact was that the VDC Chairman had already asked the shaman to point his finger at Marani Devi.

Basanta Devi Jha, who accompanied Marani Devi to the Capital, said that it was sheer personal vendetta that triggered the humiliation of her friend.

Former Speaker, Daman Nath Dhungana, says that accusations of witchcraft are just a guise to exploit women. “Such injustice is punishable even by the existing laws,” said Dhungana. As far as a new Bill to outlaw witchcraft is concerned, Dhungana says, “It should first be defined as to what type of crime it comes under.”

Witchcraft is a deep-rooted practice in society, and witch-doctors are hardly punished by law.

After Marani Devi’s case came to light, a group of lawyers recently filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the practice of witchcraft. The petition is also timely going by the growing number of crimes related with witchcraft.

“A separate law is required to systematically deal with witchcraft crimes,” says advocate Dr. Shanta Thapaliya.

Another legal expert and woman activist, Sapana Pradhan Malla, also says that the sooner a law on witchcraft is made, the better it would be to bring an end to the conflict between belief and disbelief. Marani Devi would agree.

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