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Karnataka's new anti-superstition Bill proposes to ban 23 ugly practices

[email protected] (DHNS)
July 9, 2016

Bengaluru, Jul 9: The new version of an anti-superstition Bill?proposes to ban 23 practices, including human torture in the name of rituals and display of miracles' to earn money.

1uglyThe draft Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifices and other Inhuman Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill-2016 is a modified version of the Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill-2013.

The copy of the Bill was circulated at the state Cabinet meeting on Friday.

The Bill will be debated in the next Cabinet meeting, too, and introduced in the ongoing legislature session, according to Law Minister T?B Jayachandra.

The 2013 Bill had met with resistance from various quarters as it proposed to ban numerology, astrology among others, and was referred to the scrutiny committee for modification. The 2016 Bill is yet to be made public.

According to sources, it lists out practices which are proposed to be banned and those which will not apply under the provisions of the Bill. (See chart) Besides social evils like human sacrifice and Aghori, the Bill proposes to ban made snana', the practice of people rolling over leftovers after Brahmins have partaken food in temples; and fire-walking, the act of walking barefoot on redhot embers, which is a common practice in Karnataka.

Unhealthy rituals

Human sacrifice; propagation of human sacrifice

Practices like made snana', fire-walking, banamati', bettale seve'

Torture in the name of exorcism

Display of miracles to earn money or terrorise people

Inhuman, evil and Aghori practices which endanger life

Practice of black magic in search of precious things

Creating fear in others by claiming to have supernatural powers

Creating panic by threatening to invoke ghosts

It won't apply to...

Worship

Teaching of ancient and traditional learning

Performance of prayers

All religious celebrations

Piercing of ears, nose in accordance with religious rituals

Advice of vastu shastra', astrology and advice with regard to source of groundwater

Comments

Rajesh Sequira
 - 
Saturday, 9 Jul 2016

How can they pass this bill? Hindu religion is based on superstitions and the brahmins are preying upon the fears created on the lower classes.

Ahmed Ali K
 - 
Saturday, 9 Jul 2016

Please also add in the ban list - worshipping dead.

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News Network
February 4,2020

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs of Government of India today clarified to the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the so called “Love Jihad” is not defined under the extant laws and no such cases have been reported by any central agency.

It was ministry’s formal response to questions about whether the central government is aware of the observation of Kerala High Court that there is no case of Love Jihad in Kerala.

“The term ‘Love Jihad’ is not defined under the extant laws. No such case of ‘Love Jihad’ has been reported by any of the central agencies. However, two cases from Kerala involving interfaith marriages have been investigated by the NIA,” said the reply.

Communal and anti-Muslim political outfits backed by a section of media often use the term “Love Jihad” to accuse Muslims of marrying Hindu and Christian girls and then forcing them to change religion. Dr Hadiya’s conversion was also termed ‘love jihad’ by the BJP and media. The Supreme Court finally ruled that it wasn’t.

In January 2020, an influential Catholic Church in Kerala had said that “love jihad is a reality” and alleged that scores of women from Christian community from the southern state were being lured into the trap of Islamic State and used in terror activities.

The Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had welcomed the Church statement and called for a united fight against ‘Love Jihad’ in Kerala Society.

The response comes weeks after the MHA, responding to an RTI query, said it has "no information" concerning the 'Tukde Tukde Gang' -- a term that has been used a number of times by PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to attack opponents.

The RTI application was filed by activist Saket Gokhle on December 26 last year. In his RTI application, Saket Gokhle said Home Minister "Amit Shah addressed a public event in New Delhi, and in his address said, 'The Tukde Tukde Gang of Delhi needs to be taught a lesson and punished'." Gokhle's RTI asked for details of the 'Tukde Tukde Gang'.

The home ministry, in its reply to Saket Gokhle's RTI application, said, "Ministry of Home Affairs has no information concerning tukde-tukde gang."

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News Network
August 7,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 7: Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, the state's health department issued fresh guidelines for the disposal of bodies of COVID patients.

"Although an increased risk of COVID infection from a dead body to health workers or family members who follow standard precautions while handling the body is unlikely, the lack of scientific data requires the utmost care to avoid the inadvertent spread of COVID-19 during these times," the statement from the health department's press release read, emphasising on the dignity of the dead and the religious and cultural tradition.

The 23-page press release elaborated on guidelines regarding testing, handling of dead bodies and other specificities in relation to the management of COVID-19 bodies.

"Testing should not be insisted in every case of death, but only when they have a recorded history of influenza-like symptoms. The body should be handed over to the family members/ relatives in a dignified manner immediately after swab collection and hospitals should provide handouts with a list of dos and don'ts in English and Kannada laying down relevant information," the statement said.

It added, "At the mortuary, health care workers, mortuary staff and the family of the deceased body shall not come in direct contact with the dead body and must wear full personal protective equipment (PPE). If the family or relative are for any reason unable to cremate or bury the body, the local health authority shall arrange for the dignified last rites as per the religious traditions of the family."

Regarding autopsies (post mortem) on COVID-19 bodies, the state department said that they should be avoided, except in necessary circumstances.

The statement also gave detailed guidelines regarding the appropriate recording of COVID-19 deaths in line with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines.

Additionally, the health department made a statement about the admission procedure for COVID positive patients referred by other district administrations saying, "It is now mandatory for all the referrals from the BBMP admission and discharge of COVID positive patients to be done through the online COVID Hospital Bed Management System (CHBMS)."

The state's count of coronavirus cases was 1,51,449 in the past 24 hours.

So far, a total of 2,804 people have died due to COVID-19 in the state, while the average recovery rate in Karnataka is 49.3 per cent.

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News Network
January 26,2020

Udupi, Jan 26: The late seer of Pejawar Mutt Vishwesha Tirtha Swami has been posthumously honoured with Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to spiritualism.

The seer, who passed away in December last, was known as a Hindu reformist spiritual leader.

He was also among the religious heads to be in the forefront of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and was a vocal proponent for the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

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