🇮🇳 A curse in the family | Behind India's witch hunts | 101 East

In remote parts of India, illness, a poor harvest or just plain bad luck can sometimes mean only one thing: a curse in the family.

Villagers will often consult an ohja, or witch doctor, who they believe has the power to undo evil spells and identify those who supposedly placed the curse.

Sixteen years ago, Chhutney Mohato was stripped naked, beaten and nearly killed after she was accused of being a witch in her village in eastern Jharkhand State. She was forced to leave her home and abandon all that she owned.

Today, Mohato runs a small organisation in eastern India that helps women who have been lucky enough to survive a similar fate. Most of those accused of witchcraft, however, are less fortunate - they are commonly killed by mobs of villagers.

Land disputes and abuses of power are often at the root of such accusations - with women and their families falling prey to false accusations and being driven off their land.

In this film, we meet women who describe how their lives were turned upside down when they were accused of being a witch and meet some of those levelling the accusations against their neighbours.

As India modernises and gender roles change, some of these persecuted women are fighting back. But can they change traditional beliefs or will they succumb to the collective ignorance and abuse of power around them?

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Видео 🇮🇳 A curse in the family | Behind India's witch hunts | 101 East канала Al Jazeera English