Ignorance and utilization: mental health care outside the purview of the Indian state

Abstract

The paper discusses different positions by psychiatrists and anthropologists taken towards 'folk' mental health care and summarizes what has been said in favour of the folk sector. Further, examples indicating a changing relationship between the Indian state and the folk sector are outlined, including the impacts of the fire tragedy at the dargah of Erwadi in 2001. On this basis it is argued that a prevailing ignorance of the folk sector has provided it with some autonomy, while at the same time, recent attempts at collaboration tend to utilize folk practitioners rather than valuing their positive elements in their own right.