NBCC condemns 'witchcraft' atrocity

Kokrajhar: National Bodo Christian Coordination (NBCC) expressed deep shock over an incident at Sapkati in the Udalguri district in which a highly educated woman was branded a witch and forced to leave the district.
The Christian-dominated village decided to exile the woman after an ailing youth alleged she was practising witchcraft.
Dwimu Roje Goyary, NBCC general secretary, said the move goes against the teachings of Christianity.He added that nothing but blind faith in evil practices can result in the belief that witchcraft exists in rural areas. NBCC officially called upon the villagers to adhere to Christian principles and not believe in superstitions.
Goyary encouraged local leaders, social workers and local organizations, particularly church leaders, to help solve the problem and bring back the victims to their native villages. He hoped that the problem would be solved through knowledge and understanding.
Promod Boro, the president of All Bodo Students Union (Absu), also criticized the incident and explained how ABSU has been working to erase such superstitions from society by providing education to people in the rural areas.
He said that witch hunting and victimization of innocent people has been on the decline in recent years. However, the incident at Sapkati has come as a shocking reminder that superstitions have not been fully eradicated from people's minds.