Karna cabinet discusses anti-superstition bill inconclusively

The Karnataka Cabinet today discussed inconclusively the proposed anti-superstition bill as ministers wanted to study it in detail.
"It came up before the Cabinet today. Ministers wanted to discuss it in detail after studying it, hence the subject was deferred for next Cabinet (meeting)," ministerial sources said.
The sources said the Karnataka Prevention andEradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman Evil andAghori Practices and Black Magic Bill was similar to the act on the subject in Maharashtra.
The word 'superstitious' has been omitted from the proposed bill. The earlier bill was named the Evil, Inhuman and Superstitious Practices Prevention Bill.

According to the sources, some ministers wanted to discuss whether the usage of words 'human sacrifice' in the title was right or wrong, along with two schedules in the proposed bill.
The government, especially Law Minister T B Jayachandra who is said to be the architect of the bill, was under pressure from civil society groups to bring in an anti-superstition bill after the murder of rationalist M M Kalburgi.

Though the proposed bill is similar to the one in Maharashtra, the difference is that the Karnataka bill has schedules.
Clarifying that there were no objections to the bill as such in the Cabinet today, the sources said the members were not completely aware about the schedules in the proposed bill and it was agreed upon to give them an opportunity to study it before taking it up for discussion.

They said schedules categorise the practices that canbe tolerated and those that need to be controlled.There are about 24 practices in the bill that come under the 'to be controlled' category.
These include sacrificinga human being for gain or appeasing deity, spreading belief inhuman sacrifice, persuading others to perform human sacrifice,practicing black magic and extracting money in the name ofmiracles among others.
Sources said the bill does not interfere with the sentiments of anyone but intends to curtail practicesthat exploit someone, extract money and indulge inviolence.
Asserting that the bill does not put a restriction on 'normal' religious and traditional practices, they said consultations on Vastu, underground water source and astrologers has not been touched upon.

Sources also said practices like 'made snana', a ritual where people roll on plantain leaves left by Brahmin priests after partaking lunch in some temples, were also part of the bill. It needs to be seen what will be the outcome afterthe discussion, they said.
The suicide of Mangaluru Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathy in Kodagu district yesterday also came up for discussion in the Cabinet meeting among other issues.
Minister K J George who has been named by Ganapathy claimed that he has nothing to do withthe incident.
He said Ganapathy had come to meet him only once seeking intervention for revoking his suspension.