Witch hunting is act of hunting for people believed to be practicing in sorcery. It is prevalent among the people who are deeply rooted in superstitious belief. It is mainly the female who is targeted due lack of education and poor health facilities and infrastructure. In Assam witch Hunting is prevalent among the Adivasis and tribal communities of rural areas. In Northeast Assam , Kokrajhar district is recorded the highest number of witch hunting cases according to the report in year 2000, five villages were branded as witches and killed. According to data of CID, Assam registered 152 incidents of witch hunting from 2010 to 2020, in which 119 people branded as witches were killed.
Social Indian Activist of Assam, Birubala Rabha, from Thakurvila village of Goalpara district campaigns against witchcraft and witch hunting in Assam. She was also nominated in 2005 for the Noble Peace Prize and in January 25.2021, Birubala Rabha was honoured with the Padma Shri award. She has been running an organization called Mission Birubala since 1980s in different part of state to create awareness against witch hunting.
