Witchcraft-related Cases in India during the Outbreak of Covid 19 Pandemic

Abstract

In India, the belief in witches is a phenomenon linked to specific elements of both Hindu cults and the belief systems of some indigenous communities. The latter have retained specific characteristics, in which the magical elements and the relationship with evil powers, from which the belief in witchcraft practices derives, are of primary importance. In this paper, I aim to reflect on the historical-religious roots of witch-belief, without neglecting aspects related to the social dimension in which witch-hunting episodes occur. In doing so, I propose to highlight the power relations that are based on patriarchy (or the processes of patriarchalisation that have occurred in recent decades) and the phenomena of Hinduisation and indigenisation. Furthermore, I present an assessment of the incidence of the phenomenon in 2020, at a particularly dramatic historical moment, marked by the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic. The data presented are partial but significant as they are collected through the daily monitoring of India's leading English-language newspapers and some national and local Hindi-language newspapers.