Published On : Fri, Aug 19th, 2022

Superstitious practices on rise but Maha Govt yet to frame act drafted by Dabholkar

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Nagpur: “She was possessed, we did the right thing,” reportedly said Siddharth Chimne during a police interrogation. Chimne along with his family members, including an 11-year-old boy, has been accused of thrashing his five-year-old daughter to death on the pretext of performing an exorcism, to drive away evil forces in the intervening night of August 5 and 6, this year.

The horrifying incident from the Second Capital of the State, which sent ripples across the country, again brought to fore the horror of black-magic and human sacrifice. Notably, this was not the only superstitious practices incident which was reported in Maharashtra in the recent time. A family in Sangli who was in search of hidden treasure with the help of godman was killed by none other than him, as the accused didn’t want to pay them back. This was right after several other cases were reported in Pune and Satara.

While several such incidents continued to come to fore, the State Government just reiterating their order of thorough probe launched by cops and culprits will pay for what they have done!

Nine years after murder of Narendra Dabholkar, Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS) founder and noted Rationalist, the Maharashtra Government still seemed to have turned their blind eye towards the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, drafted by Dabholkar himself.

Late Narendra Dabholkar, Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS) founder and noted Rationalist

It is pertinent to mention that The Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, was passed by the state government after the murder of Dabholkar in 2013. However, showing apathy towards this Act, not a single State Government framed the rules under the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act in the state even nine years after the passage of the law.

“On August 20, it will be nine years since the murder of Dr Dabholkar. After he sacrificed his life, the then state government enacted the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act. After that three governments came and went and all the parties were in power by turns, but sadly no one had the time to formulate the rules required for its effective implementation,” said Dr Hameed Dabholkar, MANS activist and Dr Dabholkar’s son, recently addressing media in Pune.

Dabholkar had drafted the original bill and campaigned for its passage, he said and asked if the new Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government would finally frame the rules?

While debate goes on, one question still remains firm as to how many of such superstitious incidents would need to wake up Maharashtra Government from slumber?

– Shubham Nagdeve