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

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
May 10,2020

Mangaluru, May 10: A special train carrying 1,140 migrant workers stranded here in the lockdown has left Mangaluru railway station for Jharkhand.

Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Vedavyas Kamath, MLA, were present at the railway station on Saturday night when the train left.

Kamath said the workers who had registered on the state governments Seva Sindhu portal were brought to the railway station in Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses.

A health check-up was carried out before they boarded the train.

The district administration also provided food packets and water to the migrants at the station.

Three more trains will leave from Mangaluru for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand soon, he said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sindhu P Rupesh said train services are being arranged for migrant workers who have registered their names on the Seva Sindhu portal.

The workers will be informed when trains are arranged to their destinations and they need not throng the railway station unnecessarily, she said.

Around 20,000 workers have so far registered themselves online, including 5,000 from Jharkhand, 3,000 from Uttar Pradesh and 4,000 from Bihar.

Hundreds of migrant workers had on Friday staged a protest at the central railway station here, demanding that they be sent back home.

The workers went back to their camps only after district authorities and police gave them assurance that trains will be arranged in three days.

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News Network
January 7,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 7: Slogans of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ rent the air at Town Hall on Monday evening as thousands of students, social activists, lawyers, doctors and theatrepersons among others staged a protest to denounce Sunday’s attack on the students and faculty of New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

“This is unacceptable. As students living in hostels, we are now worried about our safety,” said Prakruthi Kishore, a student of National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.

Rishi Kumar, a student of Indian Institute of Science, pitched in. “JNU is an extremely protected university located in the national capital. It’s surprising that such an incident occurred amid tight security.”

Delhi police and the government need to wake up and take stringent action against the goons, Kumar said, adding: “Students can’t be treated like puppets. The government needs to act immediately.”

“The government is behaving shamelessly by sending goons to threaten students and professors of JNU,” said Alokanath Pandit, a lawyer.

With “Zor se bolo-azadi, tum din me maaro-azadi, hum raat me ayenge-azadi,” drowning the cacophony of traffic at the intersection, the sloganeering reached a crescendo around 6pm as the protesters raised their hands in a show of solidarity with the beleaguered JNU community.

Theatrepersons Prasanna and Arundathi Nag, farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar and social activists Tara Krishnaswamy and Srinivas Alavilli were present at the protest venue. “It is not fair that educational institutions are now becoming the target. First, they hiked fees and now they are attacking students. What is the government doing,” Arundathi asked.

“JNU has always been an institution which has raised its voice against atrocities across the country as its students harbour no fear. This is an alarm bell for the country and the government to wake up. Students are the future and can’t be targeted,” she added.

Chandrashekar said Narendra Modi is unfit to be the Prime Minister as he doesn’t keep his word. “Modi said he will help farmers but has done nothing for them. He said he will provide employment to students but is now making them furious,” he said.

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News Network
April 19,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 19: The Karnataka government on Saturday ordered 2 lakh Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits from DHB Global and 1 lakh from other major pharmaceuticals, for the healthcare warriors treating coronavirus patients.

According to the State Health Department, these PPEs have 10 components as per global standards like a face mask to prevent healthcare professional from any liquid sprays, goggles for additional safety, N95 masks for protection of nasal and mouth areas, surgical masks, nitrile gloves, coverall suit, shoe cover, waste disposable bag, plastic apron, and protective gear.

Each of the products should have the relevant certificate from the Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) or equivalent certification.

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