Bengaluru, Jan 25, 2020: Karnataka’s Bharatiya Janata Party government has notified an act to prevent and eradicate black magic and other superstitious practices.

The BJP had opposed the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, when it was in the opposition.

However, the party took a U-turn when the state’s Social Welfare Department, which is the nodal department, formally notified the Act to make it a law from January 4. The act was earlier passed by the Congress government under Siddaramaiah in 2017.

The law bans several practices, including facilitating any person or persons to roll over leaves on which others have eaten food in any public or religious places or similar practices that violate human dignity. It also bans coercing persons to perform firewalk at the time of religious festivals, causing physical injury.

The law forbids the practice of piercing rods from one side of jaw to the other, including the tongue, (baibiga practice); pelting stones in the name of banamati; and mata-mantra on residential houses during night or day.

According to the new rules, the government will take up programs to create awareness among citizens about the “ill effects of the inhuman evil practices and black magic” apart from providing medical relief to persons injured because of superstitious acts.

Vigilance officers will be appointed to monitor implementation of the law and they will be assisted by the police, it said. Persons who obstruct the discharge of duties of the vigilance officers would face imprisonment for not less than three months or a fine of up to 5,000 rupees or both.

The Act states that a half-yearly review will be done to check the status of the implementation of the law and the State police chief is expected to submit district-wise details on cases that have been filed.

The Siddaramaiah government, which had worked on, finalized and framed rules for the law against superstitious practices back in 2017, had refrained from notifying the Act fearing protests from Hindu organizations and possible electoral setback. The BJP, then in the Opposition, had strongly opposed the Act.

T.B. Jayachandra, who piloted the Bill as the Law Minister then, told The Hindu on January 23 that the government then framed rules for the Act but refrained from notifying them expecting public outrage.

Source: thehindu.com