Blasting influence of age-old hooey practices, Kerala to bring in Anti-Superstition Bill
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Thiruvananthapuram, Jul. 15: India is a land of many mysterious traditions, which are get contaminated in the flow of time and become superstition. The superstitions are grasping the rationale of society which resulted in evil practices.
In recent time, Kerala witnessed an increased number of ‘black magic’ cases. Now, blowing these evil practices, Kerala is bringing a new bill to curb "inhuman" practices and exploitation in the name of superstition.
The Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill, 2019 has been submitted to the CPI(M)-led LDF government for its consideration to pass as legislation.
On the lines of the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Bill, passed by Maharashtra and Karnataka, the state-run Kerala Law Reforms Commission has drafted the bill to fight superstition and eradicate "inhuman evil" practices propagated in the name of black magic.
The draft bill suggests, stringent punishment for any kind of evil practice and cheating in the name of black magic, ranging from "expelling ghost" to isolating women for menstruation and postpartum. It also aims at raising social awareness in the society with a view to protecting people against fraudulent and exploitative practices thriving on ignorance.
On this bill, K Sasidharan Nair, Vice Chairman, Kerala Law Reforms Commission said, “Unlike the bills passed by Maharashtra and Karnataka, we have given special thrust to a series of intense awareness programs in our bill for the government to implement. Because superstition seems to be so deep-rooted in the minds of Keralite people nowadays”.
According to Bill's Draft-
- No person shall by himself or through any other person, promote, propagate or practice, black magic or sorcery.
- The offenses punishable under this Act shall be "cognizable and non-bailable”.
- Whoever commits any act in violation, shall on conviction, be sentenced for a term which shall not be less than one year and may extend to seven years and with a fine of Rs 5000 to Rs 50,000.
- In the case of the death of a person, the accused shall be deemed to have committed an offense under Section 300 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and shall be punished accordingly.
- said performing any "inhuman" evil act, black magic or sorcery, parading naked or putting a ban on a person's daily activity or using such alleged practice to extort, threaten or assault a person in search of precious things, are punishable offenses.
- that it would not be applicable to any form of worshipper formed at any religious or spiritual places and the performance of religious rituals at home, temple, church, mosque or other religious places, which do not cause physical harm to any person.
- All religious celebrations, festivals, prayers, and processions, and advice with regard to 'vasthusastra' or advice by astrologers (unless such advice results in cheating, defrauding or exploiting any person) are also exempted.
Interestingly, this bill has different significance in Kerala because it is known for its high literacy rate and advanced outlook.