GUWAHATI: The Assam Assembly on Monday passed ‘The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024’, criminalising non-scientific ‘magical healing’ practices conducted by individuals with malicious intent. The Bill aims to bring social awakening in society and create healthy, science-based knowledge and a safe environment to protect human health against the evil and sinister practices thriving on ignorance and ill-health of people.
The Bill says no person shall take part in healing practices and magical healing propagation for treatment of any disease, disorder or condition relating to health, directly or indirectly, giving a false impression of treatment to cure diseases, pain or trouble. It further says no person shall take part in any sort of advertisement relating to any kind of medicine, remedy directly or indirectly relating to any false claim or misleading to any particular material.
”…commission of any act of inhuman, evil or magical healing or propagation or promotion of such practices or black magic acts in violation of the provisions of the Act by any person himself or through another person shall constitute an offence under the provisions of the Act and person guilty of such offence shall be punishable,” the Bill says.
In case of first offence, the convict will face imprisonment for one year which may extend up to three years or with a fine of Rs 50,000 or both. In case of a subsequent conviction, the person will face imprisonment which may extend up to five years or with a fine of Rs 1 lakh or both. The Bill says a police officer, not below the rank of sub-inspector, has the power to enter and inspect any practices within the local limit of jurisdiction of such person where he has reason to believe that an offence under this Act has been committed or is likely to be committed.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government would not prevent individuals from indulging in traditional healing practices if done with a good intention. The Congress objected the bill.
“We feel this Bill is an attempt to bring the Uniform Civil Code in Assam. There is no clear definition of the evil practices here,” party MLA Debabrata Saikia said.