Dr Asangba Tzudir
On 24th August 1944, a 2nd World war US cargo plane crashed in a certain village in Nagaland. To keep the remnants of the wrecked plane in the possession of the villagers was considered ‘bad’ because of the ‘superstitious’ belief that it will bring ‘misfortune’ upon the villagers. So the village authority selected able-bodied young men who carried the remnants of the wrecked plane on their shoulders and ‘surrendered’ at the district headquarter. This was long after the dawn of Christianity in Nagaland.
Today, superstition and black magic seem to go hand in hand where the Christian God often gets reduced to a doubtful entity in the face of the powers and the acts associated with black magic which had traditionally been referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purpose.
In computer terminology VIRUS is a dreaded name especially in the face of cybercrime and internet. A virus is followed by an anti-virus to neutralise the virus, until another virus is created to make the anti-virus obsolete which thereby necessitates the creation of a stronger anti-virus. This hand in glove process is a thriving business in the world of internet. A similar precedent is happening in the case of black magic and its associated activities.
But worst of all, within the ‘world of superstitious beliefs’ black magic has become a tool to inflict pain or cause harm on innocent people or on people who becomes a target of ill revenge by causing death. There are instances where a family suffers death and while the possible or actual cause of death is kept at bay, a black magician or a ‘jadduwala’ saying that the spirit of the person was being cast under an ‘evil spell’ leading to death becomes the actual reason. The most dangerous thing about the use of black magic is wrong victimisation, more often, through the creation of certain future events which can easily trigger the superstitious mind into believing and end up in wrong accusation and targeting. The victimised innocent family is then made to go through untold suffering, something worse than death on being charged for causing death.
Recently, the state of Kerala has witnessed an alarming number of black magic cases. In response, the Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill, 2019 has been submitted to the CPI (M)-led LDF government for its consideration to pass as legislation. As reported in India Today, the draft bill proposes stringent punishment for any kind of evil practice and cheating in the name of black magic, ranging from ‘expelling ghost to isolating women for menstruation and postpartum. It also aims at raising social awareness in the society with a view to protect people against fraudulent and exploitative practices thriving on ignorance.
Considering the number of shocking events in Kerala, this proposed bill assumes significance. While stories about black magic has been almost silent on our turf especially in the print media, the reality is such that, and considering the circumstances, an Anti-Black Magic Bill seems desirable.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
