These practices are now banned with Karnataka's Anti-superstition Bill
The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill 2017 has been passed by the state assembly on November 16th.
The initial draft of the bill was prepared by experts at the National Law School University, Bengaluru. Later, an expert committee formed by the government made the first form of the bill from the draft.
The bill which was not cleared in 2016, when it was first placed before the assembly, was cleared in 2017.
The Maharashtra's 'Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013' on which the Karnataka Bill doesn't specify the superstitious practices.
The Bill was tabled by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya on Tuesday and passed by voice vote.
The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evi Practices and Black Magic Bill of 2017 specify 23 practices.
Read some of the practices banned in Karnataka according to the bill:
- Declaring a person 'Shaitan' or the devil's incarnation.
- Hanging a person upside down and subjecting them to chilli smoke, touching body organs with heated objects to ward off evil spirits.
- Black magic acts like Banamathi and Mata-mantra to trace precious things.
- Throwing stones on houses at night in the name of Banamathi.
- Threatening to invoke ghosts/spirits with black magic.
- Threatening people with consequences if they don't listen to someone who allegedly has supernatural powers.
- Claiming to have powers to change the sex of a fetus.
- Not allowing someone from taking medical help in case of snake, dog or scorpion bite.
- Killing animals by biting their neck.
- Propagating, persuading, facilitating rituals which likely involves self-harming activities like hanging from a hook.
- Piercing tongue and jaws with a rod.
- Throwing children on thorns from a height.
- Parading women naked.
The practices not banned includes:
- Astrology, Vastu Sastra
- Astrology programmes on TV
- Teaching, propagation of ancient art practices
- Performing prayers, Upasana etc rituals at home or religious places.
- Pradakshina, pilgrimage and parikrama at religious spaces.
- Kirtan, Harikatha, Pravachan, and Bhajans
- Speeches on miracles done by saints.
- Distributing literature about miracles of religious preachers that cause physical injury.
- Keslochan practice of Jains.
- Nose, ear piercing of kids.