Position of Women Within Tribal Structure and Exclusion from Developmental Process-A Study With Regard To Witchcraft

Position of Women Within Tribal Structure and Exclusion from Developmental Process-A Study With Regard To Witchcraft
By
Dr. Alok Chantia, Lecturer,Dept. of Anthropology, Sri J.N.P.G.College,Lucknow
Dr.D.K. Singh, Reader, Dept. of Social Work, Lucknow University, Lucknow
Dr. Preeti Misra Lecturer, Dept.of Human Rights, School for Legal Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University,Lucknow;Formerly Lecturer in Dept.of Law, Sri J.N.P.G.College,Lucknow

Abstract
Indian newspapers periodically publish reports about women who, after being accused of being witches, have been beaten, had their heads shaved or had strings of shoes hung around their necks and some have been killed. Many times the belief in witchcraft leads to violent incidents resulting in the plucking of teeth, breaking of hands and legs, cutting off the tongues, and in some cases burning to death of the so-called witches. Gruesome murders take place and sometimes women are banished from the village after subjecting them to severe torture. The woman are stripped, tortured and taken to a local witch doctor who conducts elaborate rituals to rid her of an evil spirit that villagers believe had possessed her. The villagers then ask her to leave the village. Some women are branded as witches and killed and sometimes even their husbands are eliminated by relatives to usurp their property.
Superstition and faith in witchcraft are only a ploy for carrying out atrocities against women. Often a woman is branded a witch so that one can throw her out of the village and grab her land, or to settle scores, family rivalry, or because powerful men want to punish her for spurning their sexual advances. Sometimes it is used to punish women who question social norms.
Witchcraft (Dayan Pratha) is nothing but violence against women, it is antithesis of development and empowerment of women. The belief in witchcraft and its practice seem to have been widespread in the world over. In India in the Vedic Age, witches were recognized and called as yogins. In present Indian society the phenomenon of witchcraft is not only prevalent in tribal and rural societies but is also found in modern urban societies. The UN has also released figures of the victims of witchcraft and black magic around the world. The world body has named India along with countries in Africa, Asia and South America as a high-incidence zone for witchcraft related killings.
In India, the highest incidence of witchcraft-related crimes occur in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. But only a few Indian states have outlawed witch-hunting. As the fear of witchcraft and its existence is culturally rooted, sometimes even the lower rung of the police and others fail to take note of the violence. At times the criminals escape punishment for their misdeeds. Only 2 percent of people charged with witch-hunting are convicted in court. People go scot-free because witnesses are hard to come by.
The present paper highlights position of women within tribal structure and analyses how women have been marginalized and excluded from the mainstream of developmental process in the name of witchcraft. It deliberates on historical and present day phenomenon of witchcraft in India. It makes an in depth analysis of etiology of witchcraft and propagates for a strong central legislation to punish the wrongdoers who in the name of superstition perpetuate all kinds of violence against women. The paper also emphasizes upon the role of society, media, police and judiciary in educating the masses and in combating atrocities against women in the name of witchcraft.

Human Rights and Social Justice: A Study on Dhankut of District Bahraich of U.P

Human Rights and Social Justice: A Study on Dhankut of District Bahraich of U.P
Dr. Alok Chantia, Lecturer,
Dept. of Anthropology,
Sri Jai Narain PostGraduate College,
Lucknow,
E-mail, alokchantia@rediffmail.com

Abstract
Present paper examines human rights in socio-cultural context and studies whether a group can enjoy human rights and social justice without having a socio-cultural identity of its own. Dhankut, the group under study is neither recognized as Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Class nor it comes under the four folded caste system of India. Due to non recognition of their caste they do not get proper alliance for marriage, hence have started marrying among themselves leading to ill effects of inbreeding. Dhankut are suffering from poverty and unemployment. They are governed by local Panchayat in case of any dispute. In the 21st century of Scientific era they are still earning their livelihood by making cow dung cakes and selling things like groudnuts etc. The study reveals that a group devoid of socio-cultural identity of its own can not afford even the basic necessities of life and is forced to live in inhuman and degrading conditions.
Keywords-Human right, Dhankut, Caste, Identity, Poverty, Social justice

Hindu Social System and Human Rights: A Study on Meerganj of Behraich District (U.P.)

Hindu Social System and Human Rights: A Study on Meerganj of Behraich District (U.P.)
Dr.Rajesh Tewari, Reader,Dept. of History, Sri J.N.P.G.College,Lucknow,E-mail tiwarirajesh08@gmail.com
Dr. Alok Chantia, Lecturer, Dept. of Anthropology, Sri J.N.P.G.College,Lucknow, E-mail alokchantia@gmail.com

Life begets life, and society begets society but life doesn’t find the same physical feature for future due to genetical material of parents. In the same way, society accelerates the same idea of change by the influence of time. Hindu caste system is a good example of social exclusion which provides a bulk of evidences of poverty and deprivation, down trodden people of caste system and it is also remarkable that human rights violation can be sketched under the outlines of social exclusion. Every one equal before the law (article 7 of UDHR) and every one born free (article 1 of UDHR) and equal with dignified life is not an absolute feature of Hindu caste system. Though we are living in an independent country and have a good socio-legal armour in the form of constitution, a difference can be seen between twice born and down trodden people, when we analyse socio-cultural profile of the people dwelling in Meerganj. It is a fringe village with 5000 population of Bahraich district adjacent to District Magistrate‘s Office. It is very far from modernization, and its maximum population belongs to Dalits, and OBC, who have some agricultural land but maximum land is in possession of Brahmins and Kayasthas, who are treated as elite class. They are living in the main city and are engaged in different jobs. Dalits like Avatar, Shanshuk, Gobre, Allhi are still working as agricultural labourer. They don’t have medical assistance, education, they are in debt and many litigations are going on within their community. In this paper an effort has been made to analyse the process of social exclusion amongst Dalits. Human rights violation is going on due to caste system as well as conflicts within Dalits themselves. 500 respondents were interviewed by random sampling to know the status of poverty and deprivation. All respondents are above 18 years of age of both sexes. This study was conducted between 11-27 December 2007. Study records different responses and clarifies that even after having all safe guards and privileges, Dalits of Meerganj are still socially excluded due to their own conflicts of hierarchy within the community and that’s why they find human rights violation apparently. Study proved that Dalits are poor and deprived not only by Hindu social system but also due to conflicts within themselves. All these points will be analysed in depth in the proposed paper..

Health Status of Marginalised Tribal Women –Concerns and Future Directions

Health Status of Marginalised Tribal Women –Concerns and Future Directions

By

-Dr.Alok Chantia-Lecturer, Dept. of Anthropology, Sri Jai Narain Post Graduate College, Lucknow
-Dr.Preeti Misra- Lecturer, Dept of Human Rights, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow

Abstract: Health is defined as social, physical and mental well being of a person. Health is also one of the indicators of national development .Besides medicine culture is also responsible for the well being and health of an individual. Culture basically develops and maintains its structure by women. Woman is the axis of any society, but society does not provide adequate health care for women. Tribal women are mostly illiterates and suffer from sterility, STD and STI besides poor nutrition. Maximum tribal women are suffering from multiple health problems. Despite the availability of doctors they prefer to go to local quacks for the treatment. The present paper examines why tribal women are sufferers of many health problems? Whether their culture is responsible for their poor health and how their condition can be improved?

Keywords: Health, Culture, Inbreeding, Nutrition, STD, Medical facilities

Globalization As Negotiating Intervention In India: An Appraisal Of Human Rights

Globalization As Negotiating Intervention In India: An Appraisal Of Human Rights

Dr. Alok chantia, Lecturer(Anthropology), SJNPG(KKC) College, Lucknow, U.P.(India)
Dr. Preeti Misra, Sr. Lecturer, Human rights, Dept of Law, BBAU, Lucknow, U.P.,India


Key word- Globalization, Culture, Change, and Economy
Abstract-
Change is inevitable process. Any creature on this earth is not away from this notion “change” but except biological change, all other features created by man coined as culture is also under this outline. From the Paleolithic to Neolithic period, man formed many cultural traits for his/her smooth and cozy survival. Such cultural evolution, now has reached up to the process of Liberlization, Privatization and Globalization etc. Change made an environment of shifting of man from river bank settlement to urban set up because of technological development in water storage system. So due to water accessibility mechanism, man created multiplex and multi storeyed buildings in the path of change. In the same manner the process of urbanization became more powerful in its existence due to flow and formation of currency. Now man can avail any fruit of life by using currency and he/she can earn more and more by his/ her physical/ mental work. That is why society got many categories as very poor, poor, medium, rich etc in the process of change. So change is counter part of one’s life and nation too.
Globalization has created a vital pace in human’s life. Generally this term is taken in term of economical change. In India globalization has made a transitional phase between traditional and imported culture, trade, livelihood etc. Due to cheap labour , availability of man power and easy trade policy, multinational companies prefer to plant their factories on India’s land, but what happens when change occurs due to globalization? It is well discussed in my proposed paper. Case study of Plachimada of Kerala state shows that MNC’s are making adverse situation for indigenous people. So they are facing crisis of survival due to loss of their traditional occupation of agriculture. In an other case of Anantpur of Andhrapradesh, where peasant of ground nuts and fisheries are committing suicide due to collapse of their traditional occupation in the process of globalization.
Present study shows that negotiating intervention as economical globalization has created passage of jobs at gross route level in India but we cant deny the pace of recession in south-east Asia and India too. This intervention has made an anti-environment of collapse of traditional life and culture of indigenous people that will be explained in my proposed paper.

Globalisation And Status Of Tribe In Post Independent India: A Case Study Of Dhankut Living In District Bahraich Of Uttar Pradesh

Globalisation And Status Of Tribe In Post Independent India: A Case Study Of Dhankut Living In District Bahraich Of Uttar Pradesh
Dr. Alok Chantia* & Dr. Preeti Misra**

*Lecturer, Dept. of Anthropology, Sri J.N.P.G. College, Lucknow; alokchantia@rediffmail.com
** Lecturer, Dept of Human Rights, School for Legal Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow; E-Mail misra9us@gmail.com

Keywords: Globalisation, Culture, Tribe, Society, Constitution, Rights
Abstract:
In spite of listing of tribal groups in pre and post independent India, it is very difficult to sketch the real tribal groups in present India. Under the Constitutional guidelines government declares some specific groups as tribal groups on the fulfillment of certain conditions, which may be termed as observed tribal groups. Due to increase in these tribal groups fruits of privileges given to actual tribal groups are decreasing. The number of observed tribal groups have increased leaps and bound in post Constitution India. Actual tribal groups are still far away from being listed as tribal groups. Anthropologically actual tribal groups are still behind the curtain and devoid of all basic facilities of life. The case of a group Dhankut living in District Bahraich of Uttar Pradesh is no different and is glaring example of violation of human rights of actual tribal people. Dhankut are living in small pocket of Dhankuttypura of District Bahraich. Dhankut’s total population is 2687(2001 census) and their dialect is dhankutty in a rhythmic form. They practice cross cousin and parallel cousin marriage which is a taboo in north India and legally prohibited too under Hindu Marriage Act 1955. Even after having these tribal characteristics they are not included in the category of scheduled tribe. Neither have they been recognized as scheduled caste or other backward class. Though they are not agricultural people, cereal selling is still their main occupation. They are poor and illiterate. With 5% literacy rate only three of them are in fourth class government job. No literature is available about them neither in government records nor in district gazetteer. They have full faith in their traditional panchayat and traditional God “Gullabeer.” They are struggling for their tribal status since 1973 but have not succeeded so far. Dhankut want tribal status for themselves to enjoy the benefits provided by the government, but it is a matter of conflict between observed (constitutionally declared tribes) and actual tribes (anthropologically identified tribe).All this has created a problem in tribal India too, the latest example of which is problem of Gujjars in Rajasthan. What are the problems of tribal groups, how observed and actual tribal groups are struggling and striving for benefits will be discussed in my proposed paper with the help of socio-cultural life of Dhankut.
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Role of Law and Society in Protecting Girl Child– The Most Vulnerable And Endangered Specie In India

Role of Law and Society in Protecting Girl Child– The Most Vulnerable And Endangered Specie In India

By
Dr. Preeti Misra* & Dr. Alok Chantia**

*Lecturer, Dept. of Human Rights, School for Legal Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226007, INDIA misra9us@gmail.com; misra9_us@yahoo.com
**Lecturer, Dept. of Anthropology Sri Jai Naraian Post Graduate College, Lucknow U.P. India
alokchantia @rediffmail.com

Abstract

Humanity can look to its future only through a girl child. It is not possible to visualize a world without her. The human right violation of girl child is a subject of great socio-legal significance. The girl child is proving to be an enormously endangered species. Her person, dignity and life are under severe attack from those who should have been her saviours. The girl child is first and foremost need of humanity because her survival is essential for the continuation of the species. Denial of her right to live means denial of the right to live as a future generation.
It is also a matter of deep concern that the practice of female foeticide and infanticide is alarming in India. So the first issue that deserves the primary attention of the whole humanity is to fight excesses against the mothers of future humanity.
The present paper highlights the different vices existing against the girl child in India. It focuses mainly on female foeticide and infanticide its amplitude, contributory and situational factors, historical and cultural background. The paper looks into legislative, judicial and police response towards the violence against the girl child. It suggests several preventive measures need to be taken and policies need to be adopted dealing with family, society, media, police, judiciary and other relevant agencies.

Keywords: Foeticide, Infanticide, Society, role of Technology, Law, Policies