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Today I woke up with all the pleasantness of a Sunday morning with pleasant leisurely routine ahead in my head .The first one a cup of string tea at the round the corner tea shop and curious Sunday edition of Asian Age in hand: "India shocks India” and “Police attack Lahore lawyers”.
My eyes traveled down through the scratch +2 lenses and got transfixed on “Village ghost spoils harvest”. Sharing the left wall with other columns on its head was the portrait of a beautiful Indian housewife decked in gold ornaments and white and red fresh flowers.
The dusty field, the pond and the spotless white cow tethered to a solitary neem tree and a small motley crowd of men, women and children washed in mellowed golden light of the evening sun, with philosophical expressions on their faces as they surrounded the Patrakar Sahib (correspondent). Their simultaneous narrations were intelligible only to the trained faculties of the reporter.
“She screamed all night in pain and even peeled off her burnt skin,” said Ramdas, the village headman.
Another intoned, "We could only take Anjamma to the hospital late the next morning when a jeep became available. The hospital is 35Km away."
“But by the time we reached the ill equipped hospital she had given up her ghost already”.
“ No one in the village was ready to participate in her last rite initially.”
“She has possessed scores of people ever since. She first caught Chandramma the very day when her last rites were performed.”
“And now it is Pavatamma and Sunita, the daughter of Chandramma”
“Chandraamma was possessed by Ajamma. She said I am not going to leave this world until I fulfill all my desires,” revealed 12-year-old Kathamma.
“There are other women who are behaving hysterically.”
An eerie pall seemed to have descended on the village. Villagers were afraid to venture out in the night. Casual guests were insisted upon to stay on even by the most impolite guest haters for reassurance.
The ghost of Anjamma was making the life of villagers of makta Venkatapur in Kulkcharia mandal of district Rangareddy in the state of Karnataka miserable. The ghost haunted hearts and minds and the street without a pause so much that it wrecked the economy of the village beyond repair.
The wild boars destroyed their standing crops for they wouldn’t come out in the night come what may, afraid of catching a glimpse of Anjamma or getting possessed and facing all the troubles that are associated with ghosts.
G. Anjamma wife of Mr. Chemnaiah of this village had set herself ablaze on February 15, 2007 because of her differences with her handicapped husband.
To be continued...
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shakil
I am a lawyer and a human rights worker.
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