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Changing Dimension of Sorcery

Life is dynamic. The dynamism in the Sabar society through generations has ushered in sev­eral changes in the qualities of life of the people. Now-a-days, numerous health awareness programmes are organised in health centres to motivate these poor and illiterate people.

The majority of the villagers now earn their livelihood by engaging themselves as daily labourers. Hunting-gathering is another means of subsistence. Notwithstanding all of these activities, blind faiths also exist among the people. Sorcery and its effects have become so embedded in their daily life that several Sabar inhabitants still prefer sorcery as their pri­mary remedial measure during sickness. In the earlier days, sorcery was the first choice for curing snake bites and not any health centre. As a result, they confronted the death of many of their loved ones. Tuna Sabar, 68 years old, of the village stated, “In my childhood, I have seen three sorcerers. They used to provide all the essential remedies for running our daily life. Out of them, the eldest sorcerer died of high fever. The second one left Bangthupi. At present Lalu Sabar, the youngest among the three, is the lone sorcerer in this area”.

It appears that preference of sorcery outwardly might have reduced, but as evidenced through their comments and flashes of activities, faith in mystical practices silently resides in their hearts.

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Source: Behera Maguni C. (ed.). The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Readings on Tribe and Religions in India: Emerging Negotiations. Routledge,2024. — 502 p.. 2024

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