He said thirteen superstitious rituals have classified as evil practices and amount to severe punishment according the draft model legislation on anti-superstition.
The bill, which envisages the creation of a Karnataka Anti-Superstition Authority, has listed practices such as siddubhukti, maata, okuli, bettale seve, panktibheda and made snana as criminal offences. Also, future predictions that result in harm caused such as stigmatization of a person or severe financial loss have also been penalized as non-cognizable offences.
The draft law — The Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill, 2013 — proposes death sentence for human sacrifice in the name of black magic. The bill also seeks to penalize broadcast, propagation or promotion in any manner of superstitious practices. "We have tried to define superstitious practices as those that cause grave physical or mental harm, financial or sexual exploitation or offends human dignity," S Japhet, professor and director of the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP) at National Law School of India University (NLSIU) said.
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) was tasked with preparation of anti-superstitious bill by chief minister Siddaramaiah after Maharashtra enacted the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Ordinance following the killing of Pune-based rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.
"The draft has been prepared after rigorous research and several rounds of consultations with eminent thinkers and legal experts within and outside Karnataka for about a month," Japhet said.
Siddaramaiah said he would try to table this bill in the upcoming winter legislative session in Belgaum scheduled to start November 25. "We have to get rid of superstitious practices. There is already a law on this in Maharashtra and our government is also serious to enact a similar law here. Advocate general Ravivarma Kumar has been asked to examine the draft," the CM said.
Experts, who were part of preparation of the draft model legislation include G Ramakrishna, K Marulasiddappa, Siddalingaiah, Nitin Ramesh, Srijoni, Sanhita, Aravind Malagatti, AS Nataraj, CS Hanumanthappa, Vasundara Bhupathi, BT Lalitha Nayak, VS Sreedhara and Japhet.
Human sacrifice, adopting violent methods to cure diseases, proclaiming to have possessed godly and spiritual powers, promising to provide solution after monetary consideration, throwing babies on bed of thorns to cure diseases and keeping pregnant and menstrual women aloof.
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