What is the issue?
- There are many regions in the country which still witness human sacrifices, abuses and exploitation in the name of religion.
- India needs a targeted legislation to effectively curb such inhuman superstitious practices.
What is the need?
- IPC - The provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is not equipped to take care of crimes committed on account of black magic and other superstitious practices.
- The cognisance of human sacrifice is in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) only after the murder is committed.
- Nature - The relationship between a devotee and so-called godman is of a peculiar nature, often marked by subtly identifiable violence.
- Also, the acts involving human sacrifice cannot be stopped as they are often preceded by some puja and offerings.
- These religious ceremonies are certainly not banned under any law.
What is Maharashtra's legislation in this regard?
- Maharashtra has implemented the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.
- This anti-superstition law primarily addresses exploitation in the name of religion.
- The legislation has a capacity to act as a deterrent for many inhuman practices.
- It has considerably curbed the act of human sacrifice as it is banned under the law.
- A section in the legislation specifically addresses and checks claims made by ‘godmen’ who say they have supernatural powers.
- The law also makes it possible to curtail activities of so-called godmen before they become too powerful.
What is the way forward?
- Opponents to the legislation in Maharashtra had claimed that the law would affect the religious practices of the Hindus.
- However, superstitious practices that are utterly dehumanising, brutal and exploitative need to be dealt with by a specific law.
- India should seriously consider bringing in place a legislation similar to that of the Maharashtra anti-superstition law.
- It is not to be denied that every superstition could not be removed by the force of law; social and mental changes are also necessary.
Source: The Hindu
