A witch doctor forces a baby to walk in a misguided and disturbing attempt to “heal” him. The incident that happened in a rural Indian village was recorded on video, which is seen below. Warning: Content is graphic and could be upsetting to watch.
The Independent reports that the 2-day-old newborn was suffering from a high fever — and had since birth. Worried parents relied on the village witch doctor to help the infant, which didn’t yield the results they were seeking. In the video, the “doctor” grabs the naked baby by his neck and forces him to walk. The video was taken by a villager witnessing the “ritual in the state of Assam.”
This video clip was shown to Morigoan police. The witch doctor who forced the baby to walk has been arrested and is in judicial custody. Another woman is reportedly arrested in connection to this event.
According to NDTV , the infant is now safe and recovering in a hospital.
Rakesh Kumar, a senior official in Morigaon, has warned mothers in rural areas of India to not seek medical assistance from witch doctors . He says their post natal care system needs to be fixed. There’s a “lack of awareness” about caring for babies and their mothers, hence witch doctors are a go-to when parents are desperate to find help for their newborns.
Kumar says: “He [the newborn] was suffering from fever, but now the baby is healthy. We must overhaul our post natal care system, have directed officials to launch a vigorous campaign.”
IB Business Times adds in its report that neither of the baby’s parents — nor his relatives — stepped in to save the boy from the horrific torture he was forced to endure with the witch doctor forcing him to walk. The helpless infant was already in severe discomfort with his fever before the woman began making him walk. Did she not realize that a 2-day-old infant simply doesn’t even stand up?
In another report by The Independent in July 2004, Indian witch doctors are dangerous to the point that their “word means death.” It’s a problem that’s called “the dark side of India.” Several villagers endured terrifying pain while being “cured” by the so-called doctors.
Aside from the witch doctor who forced the baby to walk, it’s unknown how many cases of this has played out. Fortunately for the infant in this story, he’s going to be okay and is in good hands now.
[Photo Credit: NDTV screenshot via YouTube]
