“What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or
fears.” An alibi to avoid bad omens obligate men to experiment
, not just with faith but life too . The
provenience of these inspections is fear
, an unpleasant emotion caused by beliefs yielding to pain or threat which for decades has held the human race in
abeyance , perforating them to practice things that otherwise would be
inappropriate .
In the backdrop of Maharashtra Assembly passing the
Anti-Black Magic Bill , the question over its feasibility and variableness
comes into picture . Revised and amended more than 20 times since 2005 , the
bill aims at bringing social awakening and awareness in society . As an
ordinance passed on 21 August 2013 , it did manage to bring cognizance but as a whole remained a mere ordinance governing people rather
than protecting them .
Introduced in 2003 as Maharashtra Eradication of Black
Magic, Evil and Aghori Practices Bill , the bill saw anti-superstition activist
and the founder of Maharashtra
Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti ( MANS) Narendra Dhabolkar losing his life to an
age old battle against black magic . Unlike its name , the clause defining the
bill has a lot to its reference . The concern over its praxis to harm people
belonging to a particular religion has lead to confrontation and opposition by the
BJP , the Shiv Sena and other religious
organizations on various occasions. Touted as ‘redundant’ and influenced by
‘foreign ideas’ the bill saw a massive protest , not just in favour of the bill
but also in its opposition .
Inspired by Anti- Black Magic ordinance , The Karnataka
government proposed Karnataka Prevention
and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman Evil and Gory Practices
and Black magic Bill which unlike the former
would have no ambiguities in its legalization . Taking into account the brutal killings of
witchcraft practitioners and cut-throats , the Maghalaya government too has
contemplated an ‘anti -superstition bill’
. While the state governments are doing their bit by advocating laws , the corporation
between the police and the public and mass awareness is crucial for their implementation .
“If you believed in Christianity or Islam it was called
'faith', but if you believed in astrology or Friday the thirteenth it was
Superstition!” – Was Jostein Gaarder right ? While demands of law and morality
have escalated, the probability to reflect more deeply into the depths of faith
have diminished . The thin line between faith and atheism has blurred ,
confusing people , sending mixed moral messages . Inspite of Anti-witchcraft bill being
legalized in Jharkhand , cases of deaths due to witchcraft have raised over
decades , questioning the credibility of these laws backed by various IPC
sections .
Whether China or India , our blind faith in power of law
have failed us all the time . As a country entrenched in religion and culture ,
the battle with self to adhere to the customs by blindly following beliefs
established by the former or to fight lest you be withdrawn of your rights ,
the possibility of laws functioning is minimal . As Johann Wolfgang puts in,
“superstition is the poetry of life” , It is no longer about ‘Science vs religion’ but ‘mind vs soul .’
Image source : http://www.blackmagic.ws/
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