Bhubaneswar: Folk performing arts such as Dasakathia, Pala, and Kandhei Nach are stepping beyond mere entertainment in Odisha, serving as powerful vehicles for public awareness, social consciousness, and meaningful societal change.
In a creative and culturally rooted initiative, Ganjam district police have partnered with Dasakathia artistes to fight superstition, witch-hunting, and the brutal targeting of women branded as “dahani” (witches).
The campaign, launched recently, deploys traditional Dasakathia performers to deliver hard-hitting messages through storytelling, music, dance, and drama. Performers, using clappers (kathia), rhythmically engage audiences while dramatising real-life tragedies, the false branding of women as witches by ojhas (witch-finders), the resulting community pressure, violence, ostracism, and murders.
Ganjam SP Suvendu Patra emphasised the potency of these ancient art forms: “The most ancient storytelling forms are not just cultural relics. They are living technologies of social change and are most powerful when pointed directly at the problem that needs to be immediately solved. A woman should never live in fear of a term like dahani. In Ganjam, the Dasakathia artistes are now making sure that a woman does not have to face such ordeal ever.”
Deep-Rooted Problem
Odisha enacted the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act in 2013, yet the practice persists. Reports indicate that a significant portion of cases are concentrated in districts including Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, Gajapati, and others with high tribal populations. Between 2018 and 2022, hundreds of witchcraft-related killings were documented statewide, highlighting the gap between legislation and ground-level awareness.
Recent incidents, such as a 2025 clash in Ganjam’s Kharipalli village that claimed three lives over suspected witchcraft, underscore the ongoing challenge.
Accusations of practising black magic or causing misfortune often mask ulterior motives such as land grabbing, settling personal rivalries, or reinforcing patriarchal control. These incidents frequently escalate into brutal violence and murders, especially in rural areas.
By embedding anti-superstition themes into familiar cultural performances, the Ganjam initiative aims to resonate deeply with rural audiences where formal campaigns may fall short.
