Kolkata: In a shocking incident in Harisara village in Birbhum district, West Bengal, two tribal women were beaten to death on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. Their bodies were recovered from a nearby canal a day after the attack, which took place on Friday (September 13), just a day before the Karam Puja — a festival where tribal communities pray to nature for a bountiful harvest.
A partial video of the attack, filmed by one of the assailants, shows women being stripped naked and repeatedly beaten with sticks until they succumb to their injuries. The victims were identified as Lodgi Kisku, 54, and Dolly Soren, 40.
Lodgi Kisku’s family has accused Laxmiram Kisku, a local village leader, of forcibly taking her from their home and inciting the villagers to attack her. Dolly Soren, from a neighbouring village, had come to visit Lodgi when she, too, became a target of the violence.
“The village leader, Laxmiram, came and took my mother from our home. We had no idea what my mother had done wrong. Later, we heard that they had killed her. Now we are scared that they might kill us too,” said Rani Kisku, Lodgi’s daughter.
“My husband is a ‘Devanshi‘ (self-proclaimed spiritual leader). He was asleep when my child fainted after seeing Lodgi. Lodgi said she would drink everyone’s blood. After hearing my cries, everyone dragged Lodgi away. She was a demon and had harmed many people in our village. The entire village killed her,” claimed Laxmiram’s wife.
Several women from the village echoed these sentiments, alleging that the two victims were known for practicing witchcraft. “They were believed to harm others through their rituals,” said Sharmila Kisku, a villager.
The two women were brutally assaulted, stripped, tied up, and beaten. After they died, their bodies were desecrated and dumped in the irrigation canal. Multiple villagers, both men and women, were reportedly involved in the attack.
Harisara village under Mayureswar police station area. Photo: Arranged by the author
Despite efforts to modernise and educate, superstitions linked to witchcraft persist among some tribal communities. Such violence has been reported several times in Birbhum in recent years, with women often being killed or driven from their homes after being accused of witchcraft. Villages near Shantiniketan have seen families displaced, and their homes taken over, in the name of witch-hunts — a growing trend in certain tribal areas.
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The region where the incident occurred, under the Mayureswar police station, has long been an organisational stronghold of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). For decades, Hindutva groups have actively worked here, reportedly using practices like witchcraft to spread influence among tribal populations. Organisations like the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and Saraswati Shishu Mandir, along with various NGOs, have been expanding their reach in the area for over 30 years.
“This kind of violence wasn’t common before, but now Hindu practices like yajnas and worship rituals are increasingly prevalent in these areas. The political motives behind this are clear. How can tribal communities get justice for such brutal killings when the real decision-making happens elsewhere?” said Sufal Murmu, a leader of the local Adivasi Rights Forum.
“There is no such thing as ‘Devanshi.’ It’s unfortunate that these things are not being stopped in the villages,” said Dhirendra Nath Bandopadhyay, a leader of the local Trinamool Congress.
The police have launched an investigation and have detained 15 people so far.
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.
