Is It Permissible To Practice Witchcraft In India?

In India, there is no common central law that criminalizes actions furthering the belief in witchcraft, but state laws do exist. Maharashtra and Karnataka have Acts related to black magic and superstition, but they do not mention witchcraft in particular. The majority of witch-hunting cases in India are recorded from places and communities in poor socio-economic conditions. In 2020, India saw 88 deaths due to witchcraft and 11 died as part of ‘human sacrifices’.

Witch hunting still exists in varying measures across nearly a dozen Indian states, mostly in Indigenous tribal areas in central and eastern parts of the country. Many Indians resisted a law penalizing witch hunting in the mid-1800, believing it was preventing them from punishing wrong-doers. Today, there is no central law that exclusively deals with crimes related to witchcraft, superstition, or occult-inspired activities. In 2016, MP Raghav Lakhanpal introduced the Prevention of Witch-Hunting Bill.

Witch hunts primarily target women and exploit India’s caste system and culture of patriarchy. Men who brand women as dakan capitalize on deeply rooted superstitions. In 2016, there was no common central law that exclusively deals with crimes related to witchcraft, superstition, or occult-inspired activities.

Crimes including adultery, armed robbery, apostasy, drug-related offences, rape, witchcraft, and sorcery are punishable by death. Once suspected and accused of witchcraft, the affected person lives in perpetual fear and lifelong anxiety. India currently lacks clear laws that criminalize actions furthering the belief in witchcraft, but state laws do exist. Labelling of women with mental health issues as witches in large parts of the country points to the ongoing issue of witchcraft in India.

What does Hinduism say about witchcraft?

Many Hindus and Muslims believe that magic, witchcraft, or sorcery can influence people’s lives. India has a diverse range of religious traditions, with some beliefs crossing religious lines. For example, Hindus and Jains believe the Ganges River has the power to purify, while Indian Christians and Muslims also share this belief. Muslims are equally likely to believe in the concept of karma, which is not inherent to Islam. A majority of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians believe in some form of heaven.

However, some mainstream beliefs are not held by most members of a certain group. For example, reincarnation is not a majority belief in any religious community in India, with only 40 of Hindus, 23 of Jains, and 18 of Buddhists and Sikhs in India saying they believe in it. Similarly, miracles are central to the story of Jesus in Christian scripture, but only about half of India’s Christians believe in them.

What are the punishments for witchcraft?

The Witchcraft Act of 1604 was the primary English law for witchcraft, deeming it a felony. A witch convicted of a minor offense could be imprisoned for a year, while a witch found guilty twice was sentenced to death. In 1641, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay wrote the Body of Liberties, the first legal code established in New England, which included witchcraft among its capital offenses. The Act stated that if any person was a witch, they would be put to death.

However, few witches were executed in Colonial America before the Salem Witch Trials, as clear and convincing proof of a crime was needed for conviction. Legal scholars argue that accused witches were largely “deprived of the rights to which they should have been entitled under English common law”.

What is Hindu magic called?

Maya, a Sanskrit term meaning “magic”, is an important element in Indian religious history and can be used by sorcerers to present themselves as wild animals. In the Vedas, maya often stands for the creation of a real, material form, demonstrating the creator’s incomprehensible power. It is neutral and can degenerate into deceit or illusions when used by gods.

Modern accounts of sorcery have received media attention in recent years, with incidents such as a tantrik in a Bankura village confessing to beheading a newborn and licking its blood dripping from its severed head. This event is not uncommon in rural India, where nearly 2, 100 people accused of witchcraft have been killed between 2000-2012.

However, not all accounts of modern sorcery are malevolent. In November 1993, Swedish tourists were taken to the Bank of the Ganges to watch an exorcism. A young woman, who had previously had a miscarriage, feared that her neighbor had thrown a curse on her to abort another child. The exorcist, Ram Prasad, performed a clove ritual, touching her head with the clove and saying, “You are the Goddess of Religion (Dharma), I will not stay here, I will not stay here, I will completely not stay here”. He then touched the clove to her stomach and added, “I will tell you again, Mother of Religion, if she has any problem in her stomach or a headache or anything else, it will go out”.

Ram Prasad then placed the clove into the mouth of a live fish and released it into the river while repeating, “I will never come (again, I will never come)”. He ended the ritual after the fish was gone and told the girl to touch the water where the puja had taken place. Later that night, Ram Prasad performed another puja, chanted, “It has gone completely”, offered wine to Ma Sakti, and lit seven pieces of camphor on the floor. He asked the goddess if the illness was completely out of the girl, and it indicated that it was.

What is the 333 Act in India?

Public servants who voluntarily cause grievous harm to a public servant while fulfilling their duties or attempting to deter them from doing so, may face imprisonment for up to ten years and a fine. This punishment is particularly severe for those who voluntarily cause grievous harm to deter public servants from fulfilling their duties. This law is designed to ensure the lawful and fair discharge of public duties.

How can I learn magic in India?

Top colleges offering magic courses in India include Magic World, Academy of Magical Sciences, Delhi School of Magic, International Academy of Illusion and Magic, and Sangeeta School of Magic. Magic is a performing art that involves amusing audiences through illusions and tricks. To perfect magic, a magician must practice consistently, learn new tricks, and have a creative mindset and passion for entertainment.

Are witch trials still happening?

Witch-hunts continue to occur in societies where magic is prevalent, often involving lynching and burnings. These incidents are reported in Sub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Papua New Guinea, with some countries having legislation against sorcery. Saudi Arabia remains the only country where witchcraft remains legally punishable by death. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports witch-hunts as a significant violation of human rights.

Most accused are women and children, but can also include elderly people or marginalized groups. Victims are often considered burdens to the community and are driven out, starved to death, or killed violently. Causes of witch-hunts include poverty, epidemics, social crises, and lack of education. The leader of the witch-hunt may gain economic benefit by charging for exorcisms or selling body parts of the murdered. In 2015, ISIS militants beheaded two couples accused of sorcery and using “magic for medicine” in Deir ez-Zor province.

When was witchcraft illegal?

The Witchcraft Act of 1604, also known as “An Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft and Dealing with Evil and Wicked Spirits,” expanded the 1562 Act, imposing the death penalty without clergy benefit for those who invoked evil spirits or communed with familiar spirits.

What is the law of witchcraft in India?

The brutal murders of two women in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala have sparked a debate about the prevalence of superstitious beliefs, black magic, sorcery, and other evil practices in a progressive state like Kerala. The victims were subjected to extreme torture, sexual harassment, and their body parts cut into several pieces before being buried in a pit. The call for a strict anti-superstition law has grown louder in the absence of a comprehensive law to counter such inhuman acts.

Earlier this month, three people were taken into custody by the Kerala Police during a probe in connection with a missing persons complaint of a woman. The main accused, Mohammed Shafi alias Rasheed, a resident of Perumbavur in Ernakulam, and through him Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila of Elanthoor village, confessed to killing the missing woman and another victim in a similar manner in June. Following their revelations, the three were arrested on October 11 for “human sacrifices” of the two women.

The remains of the two women were exhumed from near the couple’s house, and their bodies were cut into pieces and buried in different pits on the same property after sprinkling salt. Turmeric saplings were planted over most of these spots to mislead investigators.

What are the rules of witchcraft?

Witches believe in the universal law of not doing evil and harm, and see the universe as majickal and able to provide for us. They practice science, art, and religion, with roots in early European cultures. Witches act in balance with these three aspects and use their majick in harmony with the universe and nature. They do not worship Satan or the Devil, as they believe that hatred and harm stem from our own choices and actions against the balance of the universe. Witches practice their religion in harmony with the universe and nature.

What is witchcraft called in India?

Witchcraft, or tantra Sadhna, is a pre-Vedic tradition in India’s Tantra sect of Hinduism. It is often associated with its followers, Tantriks and Tantrikas, who are frequently regarded as practitioners of witchcraft.

Can you still be accused of witchcraft?

During the Salem witch trials, individuals were accused of being Communists and traitors, despite the lack of substantial evidence. Two centuries later, McCarthy spearheaded a congressional “witch hunt,” a phenomenon that persists in the United States to this day.