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KOLKATA: A Facebook post by Surjodeb Basu has blown the lid off incidents of exorcism in an upscale south Kolkata neighbourhood. Close to Deshapriya Park and just a stone’s throw away from the 39 Panditya Place office of Hope Kolkata Foundation is the “abode” of exorcist Bhutnath Ghughu. Almost every evening around, Ghughu and wife Kalpana “sit” to “free” a person from some form of negative spiritual influence.According to the belief systems of various cultures, exorcism refers to the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons from a person or an area that is believed to have possessed.evening, Basu was witness to one such session in the heart of Kolkata. “It was aroundwhen I saw a crowd watching the ‘bhut tarano’ exercise. A young girl was being pinned down by a red T-shirt clad man. But, he wasn’t the priest. She kept on screaming to be let off but nobody came to her rescue. I couldn’t take this violence and complained to the cops,” Basu said.Said a senior officer of Gariahat police station, “We had sent a team of policemen to the temple but didn’t find anyone there. We also tried to enquire about the incident when we were informed that there was a woman who was undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital for several days but was not recuperating. So, her relatives brought her to the temple. But the relatives never complained of any violence on the woman and didn’t lodge a complaint.”This 21-year-old girl – a first year student at a south Kolkata college who lives in a slum on Panditya Road – told TOIevening that she was “recovering”. Her father is a driver by profession. She didn’t want to rewind to her healing episode but said: “Earlier, I didn’t believe in all these. Today, I am a believer.” Her college, she said, isn’t aware of the incident. “I had examsbut couldn’t make it to the college,” she added. She spoke in fluent English and also shared her dreams of a career as a company secretary. However, going to college doesn’t attract her much. Unlike school, she doesn’t have “any friends” in college.According to her mother and uncle, “Doctors at the hospital where she was admitted had discharged her because her reports were OK. But, she suddenly became very violent and we just couldn’t handle her. That’s why we took her for healing at the temple. After the visit to the temple, we also took her to a mazar for healing.”According to eye witnesses, people who have been inflicted with “hawa batash” issues often come for Ghughu’s healing sessions. “Spirits roam around and caress the person. That’s what we call ‘hawa batash laga’. A person has to be freed from this. Daily we see at least seven or eight people getting healed this way. Ghosts and spirits exist. I definitely believe in this process of healing,” said local shopkeeper Kanai Biswas. But tailor Sanjay Naskar, who was witness toincident, was critical. “The priest took some money and just exploited them,” Naskar alleged.However, devotees thronging the temple are quick to rubbish Naskar’s allegations. A two-minute-walk down a narrow lane past a cowshed led to this 24-year-old temple. The din of conch shells deafened the mooing of cows. Ghughu’s wife was busy distributing prasad to the devotees. Rubbishing all criticism, Ghughu said, “We never force anyone to pay us. A person can pay whatever he or she wants. We are fine even if they don’t pay anything at all. The girl had claimed that she was possessed by her sister-in-law’s spirit who had died 20 years ago. It takes five to seven minutes to free a person of the spirit.”His daughter, Phuleswari Das , claimed, “There is no violence involved in this faith healing. People come here from as far as Garia, Delhi and Mumbai,” From the wings, other devotees echoed Das’ views. Sudarshan Auddy, who works in Ballygunje, was convinced of Ghughu’s healing powers. “I come here often with my family. I have brought my daughter here when she was possessed by ‘hawa batash’. Not everything can be cured by doctors,” he insisted.However, Sambhu Nandi, secretary of Paschim Banga Bigyan Mancha ’s Kolkata district committee, was left appalled when TOI told him about this incident. Sharing the concern of many other critics of exorcism, he said that this practice might be used to abuse vulnerable people. “This is a criminal activity. It is shocking to note that such acts are still happening in the heart of Kolkata. People are taking advantage of lack of awareness and vulnerability. We will intervene immediately,” Nandi said.However, mental health practitioners are not ready to completely rubbish off exorcism. Incidentally, a rise in cases of “possessions” has prompted the Vatican to recently open its doors for its annual exorcism course. Apparently, there is a global rise in the demand for deliverance from demonic possession. It is said that the Vatican training course, which will held in Rome between April 16 and April 21, will focus on exorcism and the prayer of liberation.Back in Kolkata, psychiatrist Sabyasachi Mitra said, “Modern science is very evidence-based. It is based on double-blind randomised trials. To disbelief exorcism is premature to me. Exorcism is a part of para-psychology. Many patients with conversion disorders – earlier called hysteric disorders - tend to have a spontaneous remission after a period of time. Simultaneously, many of them are on medication. It becomes difficult to ascertain whether exorcism or medication has cured them. There are a few mental health conditions which spontaneously resolve with time.”Mental health activist Ratnaboli Ray describes this as a “very complex issue” that needs deeper interrogation. “Faith healing, especially for common mental health issues, is widely practised in Bengal. But even if a person recovers, I still strongly oppose the use of violence or exploitation within the faith healing system. However, we must also examine our assumptions that faith healing centres are regressive and full of superstition. Clinicians and faith healers should have a dialogue.”