A Game Theoretic Explanation of Witch Hunting with Special Reference to Assam

Abstract

The long-drawn battle between scientific outlook and superstitions has manifested in recent times in India as well as Assam, in particular, in the form of witch hunting. In the background of increasing witch hunting cases surfacing through media reports and number of police cases this paper intends to make an analytical study of the problem with the help of simple game theory techniques considering the different group of individuals involved in such criminal incidents (both victims and culprits) as players and also tries to suggest possible moves to eradicate the problem from a purely technical point of view. Based on secondary data sources, this paper is analytical in nature. Outcomes of Game simulations have depicted the process of victimization as well as the factors responsible for deviations of Nash Equilibrium solutions from socially desirable set of solutions. A careful note on the factors responsible for this deviation can enable the policy makers to formulate effective policies to shift Nash-equilibrium solutions to socially desirable one. It is possible to outline conscious human behaviour that leads to crimes such as witch hunting and identify the parameters controlling which these types of crimes can be controlled.