Padmashri Dr Birubala Rabha was invited to for an interactive session by Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRDE), Lok Sabha Secretatriat. It was a three day programme from March 23 to March 25, 2022. The presentation was meant for the benefit of Honourable Members of Parliament.
A total number of 21 Padma Awardees were invited. The programme which was held in the Extension part of Parliament House Annexe was inaugurated by Honorable Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla on March 23, 2022. In his speech, he acknowledged the great works done by the Awardees and hailed their efforts. He mentioned that this programme has been organised to provide an opportunity to the Members of Parliament to acquire knowledge about the efforts of the Awardees in their fields. A booklet named ‘Sarvashrestha Pahal’was released by the Speaker as well. Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary General of Lok Sabha and Prasenjit Singh, Additional Secretary of Lok Sabha Secretariat, Dr Seema Kaul Singh, Director of Lok Sabha Secretariat were present in the inaugural session besides a host of Members of Parliament.
The presentations which started after the inaugural session was recorded by Lok Sabha TV. The venue was the Committee Room 1 of the Annexe. Dr (Hon) Birubala Rabha’s presentation was about her crusade against witch hunting and her mission to eradicate the menace from the society. Anamika Baruah, her co worker and an executive member of the NGO, Mission Birubala gave a brief presentation about the evil in which women and men are branded as witches, brutally harassed and killed. She introduced the works of Dr Rabha and informed that she had started her first crusade against the social evil in 2000 when 5 women of her village were accused as witches and thrown out of the village. In a public meeting where 300 women were present as well as those 5 women it was only Birubala Rabha who stood up against the accusation of the 5 women. This act led to a lot of hardships in her life. She and her family were ostracized in the village for 3 years. The villagers even tried to brand her a witch. But they could not succeed as Birubala Rabha was a strong force and did not budge. In 2011 she mobilized like minded people to start the NGO, Mission Birubala to fight towards the eradication of witch hunting.
Dr Rabha started her presentation in Assamese which was translated by Anamika Baruah. She spoke about the underlying reasons behind witch hunting like outbreak of illness, property dispute, intention of grabbing land, jealousy, enmity, rejection of love proposals, objections against sexual advances etc. Mission Birubala has undertaken many activities to fight against the menace like rescue of victims on information, organizing awareness programmes, cultivating scientific temperament, reintegrating the victims in their families and villages (most incidents take place in rural parts of Assam), rehabilitation of the victims, etc. The efforts of the NGO had diminished witch hunting incidents to a good extent.
Dr Birubala Rabha and the NGO have played an important role in the drafting and enactment of The Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2015.
Dr Rabha proposed some steps to eradicate witch hunting like eradication of illiteracy, quality health care facility in rural areas, encourage scientific temperament, proper investigation and prosecution of the cases, swift and adequate punishment to culprits as per The Assam Witch Hunting Act, 2015. She presented the data of CID, Assam Police regarding witch hunting incidents counting from 2010 to 2020. According to the data, Kokrajhar district (15 women and 8 men were killed) tops the list followed by Chirang (13 women and 7 men were killed)and Tinsukia districts (4 women and 2 men were killed).
Police Administration, Village Panchayat, VDP (Village Defence Personnel), Legal Service Authority are important stakeholders in this field she mentioned. She further remarked the fact that witch hunting still persists is not a healthy sign for the progress of our society no doubt Mission Birubala will continue its work. She concluded her presentation with a song”Aami Mahila Axom Dekhor”.
