Bastar, Chhattisgarh:

Chhattisgarh’s tribal-dominated Bastar region has often made headlines for kangaroo courts in which Maoists mete out punishments. But Bastar has another court that meets once a year and even Gods are not immune to its sentences. This court, which meets at a temple, holds Gods guilty and also punishes them.

The Bastar region, where tribals account for 70 per cent of the population, is seeped in myth and folklore. The tribes — Gond, Maria, Bhatra, Halba and Dhurwa — practice many traditions that are unheard of outside the region and form a key part of Bastar’s rich heritage. One of them is the jan adalat — meaning people’s court — that meets at Bhangaram Devi temple during Bhado Jatra festival every year during the monsoon.

Trial And Punishment

During the three-day festival, the temple’s deity Bhangaram Devi presides over trials in which Gods are accused and animals and birds — often hens – are witnesses. The villagers are the complainants — complaints range from a failed harvest to a lingering illness and can include anything for which prayers were not answered. The punishments are harsh. A God found guilty is sentenced to exile — their idols, mostly wooden totems, lose their place inside the temple and are banished to its backyard. Sometimes, this punishment is for life or till they mend their ways and get their seat in the temple back. People from around 240 villages gather to see the gods on trial. A feast is arranged for them.

Behind the festival, which is a symbol of India’s rich diversity, is an idea that even Gods are accountable to the people.

A Chance Of Redemption

Trials at Bhangaram Devi Temple are not just about punishment, but reformation too. Gods are given an opportunity to redeem themselves. If they rectify their behaviour and answer the people’s prayers, they get their temple seat back. If not, the exile continues. Historian Ghanshyam Singh Nag says, “This tradition represents the idea that the relationship between gods and humans is reciprocal. Gods protect and provide for the people, and in return, they are worshipped. If this balance is disturbed, even gods are judged.”

The people approach the divine court if they believe their Gods failed them during times of need — this may include disease outbreaks, natural calamities or a bad harvest. Then the Gods are summoned and punished after trial. If the Gods mend their ways — the village gets rain or good fortune — they are welcomed back from exile. Farsu Salam, a member of Bhangaram Temple Committee, says, “If villagers believe that the Gods responsible for solving their problems have failed, they are brought here for trial. This happens once a year.”

Lawyers And Witnesses

Village leaders serve as lawyers in this divine court and hens are witnesses. A hen is brought to the court and set free after the trial, marking the end of its testimony. The sentence is pronounced by a village leader, believed to be voicing the goddess’s instructions.

The punished gods are then removed from the temple and sometimes placed under trees — a symbolic imprisonment. The gold or silver decorations on the idols are not removed. There have been no reports of theft as the tribals believe such an act will invite divine justice.

Like any court, a ledger is maintained that lists details of every case – the number of deities accused, the nature of their alleged crimes, the witnesses, and the final judgments.

“We maintain a register where we document everything, from how many gods appeared to how many were punished,” Farsu Salam said.

Appeals Against Sentences

In the regular legal system, a sentence can be appealed in a higher court. But at Bastar’s divine court, the appeals must be filed before Bhangaram Devi, who pronounced the sentence. If the exiled Gods seek forgiveness and convince the deity, their exile sentence is suspended and they can return to the temple.

Poetess Poonam Vasam says, “This is a social system. It is believed that just as humans are responsible for fulfilling their duties in the society, the gods too must bear responsibility. If they fail to protect or help their people, they too face punishment.”

The Temple And The Deity

The tribes in Bastar have their gods and goddesses. According to the local folklore, many of them were humans earlier and were elevated to the divine status for their noble deeds.

Bhangaram Devi, local residents believe, came to Bastar centuries ago from Warangal in present-day Telangana. Along with her came “Dr Khan” from Nagpur. The temple, according to local residents, was built in during the reign of King Bhairamdev in the 19th century.

Local village Sarju says, “When Mai ji came from Warangal, she asked the local king for a place to settle. She was given land near the mountains of Keshkal. Along with her came Dr Khan, who served the tribals during cholera and smallpox outbreaks.” Over time, Dr Khan has acquired divine status and is known as Khan Devta or “Kaana Doctor”. Villagers now offer lemons and eggs to the deity. ‘Khan Devta’ resides along with other deities at Bhangaram Devi temple.

A Chhattisgarh father beat his eight-year-old daughter to death and severely injured her sister, 9, after they fought over a toy in front of him, police said. 

Alisha Parveen (8) and Alina Parveen (9) got into an argument over a toy at their home in Janjgir-Champa. Their father, Salman Ali (35), who works as a mechanic, saw the two children fighting and lost his temper.

He unleashed a violent assault on both daughters, the neighbours said, adding that he kicked and punched the girls even using a belt to strike them.

Neighbours rushed to help the girls after hearing their screams. They found Salman attacking his daughters with a belt. Both girls sustained severe injuries and were taken to the hospital by neighbours.

While eight-year-old Alisha was declared dead, her older sister, Alina, is in critical condition.

The incident was reported to the police by the hospital staff and neighbours. They arrived at the hospital, took Alisha’s body into custody and sent it for postmortem investigation. 

Salman has also been taken into custody from his home and is currently under interrogation. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Yadmani Sidar said that Salman was known to be a volatile individual.

Salman’s wife had separated from him due to frequent fights. Despite the separation, Salman had custody of both daughters and their mother visited them occasionally. 

Janjgir-Champa:

A man was arrested for allegedly beating to death his 6-year-old daughter after she and her sibling were fighting over toys in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district, a police official said on Sunday.

The victim and her 8-year-old sister were fighting and arguing over toys on Saturday when an irate Dishan alias Salman started hitting them with a wooden stick, the official said.

“When he went to wake up his daughters for dinner, the elder sibling was groaning in pain while the younger one was lying motionless. He rushed both of them to a nearby hospital where doctors declared the younger child dead on arrival. The elder daughter is undergoing treatment,” the official said.

The accused’s wife is living separately due to a fight between the couple, he added.

Salman, who was arrested this morning, was charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for murder and other offences, the official informed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Raipur:

Five members of a family were hacked to death while another person was found hanging in Chhattisgarh’s Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district on Saturday, police said.

The incident took place at Thargaon village under Saliha police station limits, around 200 km from Raipur, district Superintendent of Police Pushkar Sharma told PTI.

Those killed were identified as Hemlal Sahu (55), his wife Jagmoti Sahu (50), their daughters Meera Sahu (30) and Mamta Sahu (35), and the couple’s grandson Ayush (5). Manoj Sahu, a resident of the same village, was found hanging on the premises.

The five family members bore axe injuries. “Circumstantial evidence suggests that Manoj killed them before hanging himself,” the SP said.

After being alerted by locals, a police team rushed to the spot and sent the bodies for autopsy, the official said.

A forensic team has also been sent and further probe was underway, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bastar, Chhattisgarh:

Doctors at a government hospital in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on Saturday had to treat injured patients under phone’s flashlights as there has been no power at the building for five days now following a fire caused by a short-circuit.

Two people were killed and 18 injured in a collision between a truck and a bus in Kilepal on Friday evening. The injured were rushed to the hospital, and discovered on reaching there that it was without power. Some of the injured were in critical condition and had to be sent to Dimarapal Medical College for better treatment.

The hospital ambulance had also not reached the site of the accident despite being called, and the injured were taken to the hospital in the vehicles of Chitrakoot MLA Rajman Benjamin, who lives near the hospital, and the Tehsildar of Bastanar village.

There was a lot of anger among the families of the passengers injured in the accident. They have demanded strict action against the responsible officials for this negligence. The local villagers also supported the families, and said that this is the only big hospital in the entire Bastanar block, which all the nearby villagers depend on.

MLA Rajman Benjamin said that he has directed the electricity department to arrange alternative arrangements and fix all issues at the hospital immediately. 

PWD’s Electrical Engineering Department official Ajay Kumar Temburne, when asked about the issue, claimed that initial repairs were done in the building immediately after the short circuit incident.

Block Medical Officer of the area, Dr Arijit Chaudhary, has said that a letter was sent to the electricity department a month ago for repairs. He claimed the letter also pointed out that there is dampness on the walls due to rains, which could cause a short circuit. Dr Chaudhary has now written a letter to the higher officials of the department demanding a generator for the hospital.