As many as 121 people have died in a stampede at a satsanga in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. The incident has also reverberated in the Parliament, where the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has demanded a strict law to curb such incidents and to take action against fraudsters. He said that such a law exists in Maharashtra and Karnataka, and it needs to be implemented at the national level as well. On the other hand, the Maharashtra Superstition Eradication Committee has also expressed the need to implement this law at the national level. What is the anti-witchcraft law in Maharashtra mentioned by Mallikarjuna Kharge? Let’s see how it came into being and why it is being demanded to be implemented at the country level.
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say in Parliament?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge speaking in the Rajya Sabha about the Hathras stampede incident said, “People gather in such places out of superstition. However, no law exists to regulate it. Many take such programs; However, there are no rules about how they should be organized, how much space they should have and how they should be controlled.” He further said, “People flock to such gatherings without knowing anything about it and it leads to such major accidents. Some hypocrite priests are now in prison; However, in the wake of Karnataka and Maharashtra, there is a need for a nationwide anti-superstition law; So that the hypocrites who loot people in the name of faith can be banned.” On the Hathras incident, Home Minister Amit Shah or Leader of the House J. P. He also demanded that Nadda should present his opinion.
Controversy over the law and a brief history
The full name of the ‘Anti-Sorcery Act’ applicable in Maharashtra is ‘Maharashtra Prohibition and Abolition of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Inhumane and Abominable Practices and Witchcraft Act, 2013’. This Act, which came into existence on 26 August 2013, is a criminal law, and since 1989, the Maharashtra Superstition Eradication Committee had been demanding this Act. Finally, after almost 24 years, the founder of Maharashtra Superstition Eradication Committee (ANIS) Dr. This law was passed by the Maharashtra government after the assassination of Narendra Dabholkar. This law was drafted by Dr. It was produced by ‘Annis’ under the leadership of Narendra Dabholkar. Narendra Dabholkar had tried desperately during his lifetime to pass this law. Many efforts were made to prevent this law from coming into existence. Many attempts were made to oppose this Act by spreading rumors that this Act is anti-Hindu, if it is implemented, the practice of Vari will stop. This bill, which has been stuck for almost 14 years, was stalled due to many difficulties. In the end many provisions had to be dropped and the form of the Act was also softened. Originally named ‘Anti-Superstition Act’, this Act was also renamed as ‘Anti-Sorcery Act’. On 24th August 2013 ie Dr. Four days after the murder of Narendra Dabholkar, the Maharashtra government issued an ordinance regarding this law. Maharashtra became the first state to enact such a law. After that, the state of Karnataka has also implemented this act by reducing the quota of Maharashtra.
What did the superstition eradication committee say about the Hathras incident?
Hamid Dabholkar, an activist of the Maharashtra Superstition Eradication Committee, said, “It is very important that the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha has made this demand. Karnataka and Maharashtra already have this law; But if it was applicable at the national level or at least in Uttar Pradesh, today that father could have been arrested under this law. Because, he claims to have divine powers and the reason behind these 121 deaths is also due to the stampede to get the dust of this Baba’s feet. Such a nationwide law can certainly be important to take action against such types of fathers.” He further said, “This Act has been in force in Maharashtra for more than 11 years. The objection raised by the opponents that this Act is only to oppose Hinduism, has been misplaced in the last ten years. Because, because of this law, the fathers of all religions have been charged and punished. Not a single case of abuse of this law has come forward. In this background, making the provisions of this Act more stringent and implementing this Act at the national level can be an important step.”
Anti-witchcraft law in Maharashtra and its nature
The offense under the Anti-witchcraft Act is cognizable and non-bailable. If convicted under this Act, the person can be imprisoned for a minimum of six months to a maximum of seven years. A minimum fine of Rs 5000 to a maximum of Rs 50000 can also be imposed. Under the Anti-Witchcraft Act it is an offense by law to do the following,
1. Beating a person under the pretext of exorcism, forcing them to perform sexual acts in the open, forcing urine or faeces into their mouths or doing any similar act.
2. A person performing so-called miracle experiments, thereby making financial gains, deceiving or terrorizing people.
3. Adopting, encouraging or forcing inhumane, inhumane and abominable practices for the purpose of obtaining the favor of a supernatural power.
4. Committing or promoting human sacrifice or any similar inhumane, evil and abominable acts and witchcraft under the name of Karni, Bhanmati on the pretext of searching for valuables, secret wealth and water resources or for similar reasons.
5. Instilling fear in others by pretending to have supernatural powers or threatening, deceiving and tricking others.
6. Making life difficult for a certain person by saying that he practices witchcraft, sorcery or exorcism, and declaring that a person is a devil or an incarnation of the devil.
7. Beating a person, stripping her naked or restricting her daily activities under the pretext of arson, witchcraft or sorcery.
8. To create panic in the minds of the general public by claiming to invoke demons by means of mantras or to threaten a person with fear of death, physical pain or financial loss.
9. Preventing or preventing a person from seeking medical treatment for dog, snake or scorpion bites, instead treating them with mantra-tantra, gandedora or the like.
10. Claiming to perform finger surgery or claiming to change the gender of a pregnant woman’s fetus.
11. Having sex by claiming to have special supernatural powers or to be an avatar of someone else.
12. Deceiving another person by pretending that a mentally challenged person has superhuman powers.
Anti-superstition law also implemented in Karnataka
The Act was passed in the Karnataka Assembly on 17 November 2017. BJP was opposed to this law. However, after it was finally passed in the assembly, the Governor of Karnataka signed it and the Act came into effect in Karnataka. According to the law in Karnataka, practicing any black magic, committing inhuman acts and acts in search of treasure, physical and sexual abuse in the name of a technical act, nudity, removing a person from a house in the name of a ritual, encouraging inhuman act during a ritual, beating people under the pretext of demon possession, giving false information. And other practices such as creating frightening situations under the pretext of ghosts and black magic, making claims of miraculous powers and so on are banned. This Act provides that if a person is killed or injured due to superstition, a charge of murder or attempted murder can be registered in court. A vigilance officer has also been appointed in each police station for such cases.
