Padma Shri Chhutni Mahato meets Jamshedpur SSP, seeks action against witch-hunting

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, April 27: Renowned social activist and Padma Shri Chhutni Mahato met East Singhbhum’s Senior Superintendent of Police Piyush Pandey at his residence, urging intensified efforts to combat witch-hunting and superstition in the region.
During the meeting, Mahato recounted her deeply painful journey—from being branded a “witch” and ostracized by her husband and villagers, to rising as a nationally recognized crusader against superstition. She shared how she was once forced to live under a tree with her four young children after being driven out of her village. Over the years, she transformed her personal suffering into a mission, risking her life to protect other women accused of witchcraft and to challenge entrenched superstitions.
Highlighting that such practices still persist in parts of East Singhbhum, Mahato appealed to the SSP for stronger institutional support. She requested that police be directed to act swiftly and sensitively in cases of witch-hunting and related violence.
Responding positively, SSP Piyush Pandey assured full cooperation and emphasized the administration’s commitment to tackling such social evils.
To mark the occasion, Mahato presented him with a book titled Danga Rajneeti Trasadi, authored by Jamshedpur-based journalist-poet Kumar.
The book documents four decades of Kolhan’s political, social, human rights, and communal conflict history, adding a reflective dimension to the interaction.