INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD

Abstract: Witch-hunting continues to remain one of the most serious forms of gendered violence in several tribal regions of India. In West Bengal, especially in the tribal-inhabited areas of Jangalmahal region, including parts of Birbhum, Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, and Jhargram, witch-beliefs and accusations of witchcraft still influence social relations and community life. Although such practices are commonly explained as superstition, the issue is deeply connected with patriarchy, poverty, land disputes, illness, social fear, lack of healthcare, and unequal power relations within rural and tribal society. This paper attempts to analyse witch-beliefs and witch-hunting among tribal communities in West Bengal through a socio-cultural and gendered perspective. It particularly examines the authority of the Ojha and its role in shaping accusations of witchcraft. The paper also studies the relationship between witch-hunting and violence against women, the influence of patriarchy and social conflict, and the limitations of legal intervention in tribal regions. The research is based on both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected through field interviews, focused group discussions, and informal conversations with tribal community members, activists, scholars, and victims from tribal regions of West Bengal. Secondary data include books, journal articles, newspaper reports. The paper argues that witch-hunting is not merely a cultural practice but a structural form of violence that reflects patriarchal domination, economic conflict, and social exclusion. The study also examines the weak legal response in West Bengal and highlights the need for awareness, healthcare access, education, women’s rights protection, and community-level intervention.