Karnataka cabinet discusses anti-superstition bill

 

The Karnataka Cabinet, today, discussed the proposed anti-superstition bill inconclusively, as ministers wanted to study it in detail.

 

"Ministers wanted to discuss it in detail after studying it, hence the subject was deferred for next Cabinet (meeting)," ministerial sources said.

 

The sources said the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill were similar to the act on the subject in Maharashtra.

 

However, the Karnataka bill has schedules unlike that of Maharashtra's.

 

The word 'superstitious' has been omitted from the proposed bill. The earlier bill was named the Evil, Inhuman, and Superstitious Practices Prevention Bill.

 

Law Minister TB Jayachandra, the architect of the bill, was under pressure from civil society groups to bring in an anti-superstition bill after the murder of rationalist MM Kalburgi.

 

There were no objections to the bill in the Cabinet meeting, sources said. 

 

The cabinet members were not completely aware of the schedules in the proposed bill and it was agreed upon to give them an opportunity to study it before taking it up for discussion.

 

The bill includes schedules which categorise superstitious practices that can be tolerated and those that need to be controlled. There are about 24 practices in the bill that fall under the controlled category.

 

These include sacrificing a human being for gain or appeasing a deity, spreading belief in human sacrifice, persuading others to perform human sacrifice and practicing black magic.

 

Asserting that the bill does not put a restriction on 'normal' religious and traditional practices.

 

According to sources, practices like 'made snana', a ritual  where people roll on plantain leaves left by Brahmin priests after partaking lunch in some temples, were also part of the bill.