BENGALURU: IT may not be a smooth road, after all, for the state government in implementing the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017, which was tabled in the legislature on Tuesday. Even before the Bill can pass the muster of the legislature, various individuals, organisations and religious institutions are gearing up to approach courts. The Bill has been proposed with the aim of putting an end to various superstitious practices including fire walking, black magic, witchcraft or any inhuman act in the name of religion that causes harm to humans or animals. However, some practices like Kesha mudi (plucking/ tonsuring of hair), vaastu and astrology have been spared.
Those who violate the provisions can be sentenced to jail for seven years and slapped with a penalty of up to `50,000. The move to introduce the Bill has been met with opposition from various sections across the state. Sreedharan Swamy, chief priest at Sri Drowpathy Amman temple in Shivajinagar said that the temple authorities have been organising firewalking rituals for the last 46 years during May/ June where Karaga bearers and others walk on burning coal. On an average, every year about 700 people from far and near take part in the ritual. “These people are driven by faith and perform the ritual. No one has been hurt so far,” he claimed. In fact, Sreedharan said they take an undertaking from devotees who perform firewalking that they are doing it on their own.
“The government has no business to interfere in one’s faith,’’ he said. When asked what would be the next course of action, he said legislation will not stop people from practicing such rituals and that it will continue. “If needed, we are ready to go to court,’’ he said. Senior advocate Ashok Harnahalli pointed out that all may not be bad with ‘Vaamaachara’, the tantrik tradition. “Rituals like human sacrifice are definitely bad, but some are conducted with lemons, which are not bad, actually. When a Bill is drafted, words should be carefully used and there should be clarity on the rituals that will be barred. If something is not acceptable to people and they go to court, the verdict may not necessarily be in favour of the government,’’ he said. Also, there are chances of people misuing the bill. “If someone wants to send a person to jail, the Bill could be misused,’’ he cautioned. Historian Suresh Moona said practices like animal sacrifice did exist, but over a period of time, with animal activists opposing such practices, the rituals are conducted symbolically using vermilion water. “Any change of customs and rituals will obviously see resistence in the initial days. But by and large, if it is good, people will accept change,’’ he said.
