Karnataka dilutes Anti-Superstition Bill

BANGALURU: The Karnataka cabinet has cleared a watered-down version of an anti-superstition bill that sought to balance CM Siddaramaiah’s avowed ‘rationalist’ stand with the necessity of keeping all sections happy in an election year.

The bill is to be introduced for passage in the Karnataka legislature during the winter session in December.

Siddaramaiah has been trying to get this bill cleared right from the beginning of his term CM in 2013, but has faced stiff opposition from all quarters including several senior ministers. He had entrusted the job of drafting the bill to a committee under academic S Japhet. A draft bill was prepared by November 2013 after widespread state-wide consultations, banning more than 13 religious practices and seeking death sentence for people carrying out superstitious practices like human sacrifice.

The final Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifices and other Inhuman Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017, was cleared “unanimously” by the cabinet, as stated by law minister T B Jayachandra said. However, it dilutes or works around several issues and avoids most of the practices listed as unlawful in Japhet’s draft.

It seeks a punishment of between one to seven years and a fine of Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 for violators, but specifies that if there is a death resulting from any of the practices, it should be taken up under section 302 of the IPC.