After two kids die, Maharashtra village vows to end 'black magic'

NAGPUR: Six-year-old Bajirao Veladi and his three-year-old brother Dinesh passed away last week, likely from untreated malaria and sickle cell disease, without reaching a doctor or nearby govt facility.

Their parents are among the thousands who throng the local ‘pujari’ for traditional cures or black magic rituals, in places like remote the Yeragadda village in Aheri taluka of Gadchiroli.

The heartbreaking photo of the parents carrying the bodies of their dead sons back home, which was printed by TOI, has finally shaken up the system. Fellow villagers have now taken a vow to eradicate superstition and stop queuing up at the local priest who doubled up as a witch doctor, curing illnesses with herbs and black magic rituals.

The two brothers’ death has also shocked the revenue department from its reverie, with officials rushing to the region and launching focused programmes and awareness events against superstitions. The district had also witnessed brutal witch hunts of elderly villagers on suspicion of performing black magic.

In May, a man was tied and tortured the whole night at Gatta on suspicion of practising black magic. A couple was burnt alive at Barsewada for casting a black magic spell. In December last year, an elderly couple along with their grandchild were hacked to death in Gadchiroli for allegedly practising witchcraft.

Health officials said they still face a tough time convincing villagers to visit the Primary Health Centres (PHC) or sub-PHC for treatment.

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