Witchhunts, My Beeyatches

Check out this article in today's Post on belief in (and torture of suspected) witches in rural India. Really interesting discussion of superstition, gender, and class. But I especially wondered about this:

"I never name a witch. I only give villagers some clues to find her," said Leena Oraon, who is known as a witch doctor in Aragate village and who says she studies rice grains to ascertain the presence of a witch in the village. "Today's doctors cannot cure ailments that are caused by a witch's curse. That is why people come to me."

Exactly. "See, judge, I just give 'em some clues . . . ." And those damned fancypants doctors can't heal a . . . curse. 'Course not. But wait--it gets worse:

Only two Indian states, Jharkhand and Bihar, have outlawed witch-hunting. Last year, one of India's northeastern states, Tripura, conducted a discussion in the legislative assembly about the need to ban the practice of witch-hunting. After a day-long debate, the assembly unanimously decided that killing of people for practicing witchcraft should be prevented.

However, members failed to reach a consensus on whether witchcraft was a science or superstition.

Of course, the killing of people, period, should be prevented, so I'm a bit confused by the substance of this "day-long debate." I guess they debated outlawing witchhunting, per se, but if witchhunts regularly end with violence, shouldn't a general conspiracy to commit [felonious battery or equivalent] statute do the trick? (Plus, probably conspiracy (?) to commit second degree murder in a common law jurisdiction, if the article is accurate.) I mean, I'm not an Indian lawyer, but their law and ours have to share some similarities; English roots and all. I think I could figure out how to charge these cases so the perpetrators would do some serious time, even with a plea deal. (Honest offer: A crisp dollar bill to the first person who can get me a transcript of the record; including a web link.) But, really, a science or a superstition? Of course it's a science. I mean, there's that Hogwarts Academy that teaches the witchcraft, and that Harry Potter.

***

Speaking of witchcraft, I've been feeling a little tired lately. Which of you is the witch which has afflicted me? I'm looking at you, Curatasaurus--lookin' at you with me peepstone.