Why is 'literate Kerala' society witnessing superstition-driven horrifying crimes?

Kerala, which boasts of being a highly literate and politically aware society, is hanging its head in shame with the police unravelling the brutal killing of two women as part of what was allegedly a case of ritualistic human sacrifice. There are also disturbing reports that the accused couple purportedly consumed human meat on the advice of a sorcerer.

Experts said that such evils were promoted due to the pursuit of happiness, pleasure and spirituality based on superstitions and supernatural beliefs, a lack of efforts from authorities to send strong messages against superstitions through awareness programmes and laws, and the availability of uncensored digital platforms.

A shocking facet of the killings of the women concerned the background of the accused couple from Kerala's Pathanamthitta District. Hailing from a family of traditional healers, Bhagwal Singh was a respected person in the community and was involved in social, political and literary activities. Their neighbours had nothing negative to say about his wife Laila either.

Also read: Human sacrifice: Kerala couple hacked victims to pieces, likely consumed the flesh

Psychiatrists felt that the two of them could be hiding their true natures. "Many people with illogical beliefs try to paint a picture in society that they are quite socially inclined," said consultant psychiatrist Dr Arun B Nair. "It's actually a mask to protect themselves from social scrutiny about their secret activities." He said that Singh might have shared his Haiku poems on social media to create an intellectual aura for himself.

Nair said that people who were financially and socially well-settled were known to be curious about certain aspects of existence like 'life after death' and 'heaven or hell'. They may also be vulnerable to negative influences. Many have elements of anti-social and narcissistic personalities, with severe self-love and a lack of empathy, he said.

A Hemachandran, Kerala former director general of police-rank officer, said that a lack of awareness was a reason why miscreants exploited people over spirituality and superstitions. "Measures like enacting laws to effectively deal with acts of wooing people to superstition through misleading publicity will send awareness in society against such acts," said Hemachandran, who had drafted a law against superstitions about 10 years ago but it was never taken forward.

He also said that the socio-cultural and political outfits that worked at the grassroots level should take initiative in spreading messages against acts of superstition.

Nair said that digital media offered a more active platform for miscreants to project 'intellect' and attract victims. He said, "Victims who get embroiled in it are also confused souls who have concerns about spiritual issues, for which these miscreants provide concrete answers, thanks to their gift of the gab and intellectualisation."

As per NCRB data, out of the six human sacrifice cases reported in the country in 2021, two were in Kerala and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. A 6-year-old boy was hacked to death by his mother purportedly as a human sacrifice at Palakkad district in Kerala last year.