Karnataka to Introduce Bill against Social Evils for the Third Time

The Karnataka Cabinet on September 27 cleared a bill called the “The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017.” This bill would be introduced in the upcoming assembly session.

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'.

In India, there exist many practices and beliefs that are against the basic tenets of human rights. Many people who expressed their views saying such practices exploit people and should be abolished have been killed. 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 to the data provided by the National Crimes Reports Bureau (NCRB), 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.

In Karnataka, the data shows that 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). There is another practice called Ajalu system (where Dalits are made to eat  human  excreta, nails, hair etc) is done in the case of Koragas in Udupi and Mangalore districts.

Often, such practices are propagated by making people believe these would cure them of certain ailments and conditions.

There were many demands to bring a law to ban the social evils prevalent in the state.

Once 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. They also came out with a report explaining the background of the law in India and other similar laws existing in other countries. The draft law was named “Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill, 2013”

But this law was not passed. 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”, but was 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.