The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Dalit branded sorcerer, ostracised

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Sunday, Aug 26, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Dalit branded sorcerer, ostracised

Staff Reporter

“I am unable to tolerate this humiliation. It is better to commit suicide,” says Bhikshamaiah

-PHOTO: R. Biksham Ruther

Seeking justice: Addanki Bhikshamaiah, a Dalit, narrating his tale of woes to Sub Inspector N. Chandrababu at Munugode.

KORITIKAL (NALGONDA): Death of an ox in the fields where he had worked as a daily wage labourer a fortnight ago proved costly for 50-year-old Addanki Bhikshamaiah, a Dalit, in this tiny village of Munugode mandal.

Addanki China Lingaiah, the owner of the ox, allegedly spread the canard that the animal met with sudden death due to Bhikshamaiah’s sorcery. The suicide of China Lingaiah’s daughter and the death of his elderly mother further complicated the predicaments of the Dailt family.

“Every death has been attributed to my husband. We lost our face among relatives due to the false allegations,” Indiramma, Bhikshamaiah’s wife, told The Hindu.

She hypothecated her ‘mangalasutram’ to pay Rs.5,000 to comply with the village elders’ decision to take her husband to Tadur in Mahabubnagar district to meet a “famous witch doctor.”

After being branded sorcerer and black magician by the villagers, Bhikshamaiah migrated to Nalgonda six years ago and he returned to this village a year ago to take up farming.

“Sahinchalekunna. Deenikanna inta visham taagi chavadam manchidi (I am unable to tolerate this humiliation.

It is better to commit suicide by consuming poison instead),” Bhikshamaiah said.

Ostracised

He further said that he had been ostracised by his relatives because of the word spread by a section of people in the village.

Asked why he had gone to Tadur along with village elders, the hapless man said with tears in his eyes: “They told me that I can wash away the blot if the ‘witch doctor’ at Tadur clears my name.

I thought I should follow their suggestion instead of approaching the police to prove my innocence,” he said, claiming that the ‘witch doctor’ gave a judgment in his favour.

As demanded by the victim, the police booked cases against China Lingaiah and nine others and remanded them on Saturday, Sub Inspector N.Chandrababu said.

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