Witches: Through Changing Contexts Women Remain the Target

Abstract

This paper deals with the phenomenon of witch-hunting among indigenous peoples in peninsular India. It looks at this phenomenon in a number of different contexts: the struggle over domination in the sphere of rituals, and also contestation in more mundane spheres, such as control over land and property and new forms of accumulation. The phenomenon of witch-hunting is a form of violence, violence mainly against women but also at times including other members of the family.