Will Karnataka Succeed in Passing an Anti-Superstition Bill Third Time Round?

A PTI report quotes minister T B Jayachandra stating that the bill prohibits practices which have black magic, etc. or involve rituals that “include facilitating any person to roll over leaves of leftover food by other persons in any public or religious places or similar practices that violate human dignity.” There are also provisions that outlaw ‘Forcing any person to perform evil practices — killing of an animal by biting its neck, forcing anyone to ‘fire walk’.

India, has many practices and beliefs that violate basic human rights and dignity. Resistance and reform against such practices has been arduous.  Reformers have faced wrath,  even death. Rationalist leaders — like Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi and Govind Pansare — who were working to dispel superstitions through their writings and programmes were murdered in the recent past.

According National Crimes Reports Bureau (NCRB) data , 135 women in the country were branded as witches and killed in 2015. Lower-caste, destitute and single women who have property are usually branded as witches by the dominant villagers and then killed.

Karnataka, too,  had such incidents.  Three “witches” were killed in 2015. There are other forms of social evils prevalent in the state as well. For example, the Devadasi system where young girls from the lower castes are offered to the village deity. Devadasis are sexually exploited by the landlords from the village.

Another form of oppressive practice that received wider publicity and condemnation from human rights groups is the “Made Snana”.

‘Made Snana (where Dalits are made to roll over the leftovers of  food eaten by the Brahmins). Another such  derogatory  practice is the Ajalu system (where Dalits are made to eat  human  excreta, nails, hair etc).  This is prevalent among the Koragas in Udupi and Mangalore districts.Often, such practices are legitimised by making people believe that,  if practised,  these would cure them of certain ailments and conditions.

Karnataka,  as other states,  has had persistent demands to enact a law to ban social evils prevalent in the state. These demands grew and the clamour increased after Siddaramaiah, a rationalist, became the Chief Minister of Karnataka, the demand of the progressive people received attention. The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore was asked to draft a law on the issue. A background report laying out the need for such a law,  comparing the situation with other countries was also prepared.  The draft law was named “Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill, 2013”

This law was not passed,  however. Another Bill was introduced in 2016 called “The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2016”.  This was also sent to a committee for further scrutiny.The Bill that was cleared by the cabinet yesterday is a third such Bill being taken up in the state.