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Despite law against black magic, Maharashtra government yet to get rid of its demons

Lack of awareness has robbed Anti-Superstition Act of its true potential

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Maharashtra may be the first state in the country to enact a law against black magic and superstition, but poor implementation and lack of awareness seems to have defeated its purpose.

Ever since the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, was published in the government gazette on December 20 last year, around 104 cases have been registered under it across the state. Activists say this is just a fraction of the actual number of cases, and most haven't been exposed because many police officials are not aware of the Act. Moreover, not a single person has been convicted under this law.

Most cases registered under this Act pertain to the sexual exploitation of women devotees by so-called godmen. There have been 13 cases of rape, 5 of murder and 4 of human sacrifice. There have been 6 known cases of attempted human sacrifice and 13 cases of cheating, in which godmen fleeced disciples on the pretext of finding a solution to their health problems.

"Passing the law alone is not enough. It needs widespread publicity across the state and implementation by the police," Dr Hamid, son of slain anti-superstition activist and the architect of this movement, Dr Narendra Dabholkar, told dna over the phone from Satara. Dr Hamid is the secretary of the Maharashtra Andhanirmulan Samiti, the rationalist group founded by his father, which works against black magic.

The late Dr Dabholkar fought for over 18 years to get the anti-black magic bill passed in the assembly, which was done, quite hastily, only after his death. The 69-year-old social activist was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants on August 20 when he was out for a morning walk on the Omkareshwar Temple bridge in Pune.

For the past year, the Maharashtra Andhashradha Samiti has been working hard to create awareness about the law. The group has workers across the state, who gather data from the police. Interestingly, the cases are not just from rural areas, but also cities like Mumbai, Pune, Solapur and Nasik.

"The number of registered cases is a small number in comparison to the real picture. The state's social justice department should educate the police about this law. Due to lack of information, the police don't register such cases. We have recorded cases of godmen raping women, human sacrifice, murder, and looting in the name of treatment," said Dr Hamid.

Talking about the delayed probe into his father's murder, Dr Hamid said, "It speaks volumes about the law and order situation in our state. After 14 months, the police and CBI have made no progress in the investigation. Not just our family, even workers of the Maharashtra Andhashradha Nirmulan Samiti are upset with the government's attitude."

Punishable clauses
The Act has 12 clauses which are punishable offences as per the law:
1)
On the pretext of removing a ghost from a person's body, tying that person with a rope, chain or stick, assaulting them or asking them to drink water soaked in footwear, hanging them to the roof, plucking their hair, asking them to touch heated objects or force them to conduct sexual acts in the open or force the intake of urine or stool.

2) Make financial profit by displaying so-called miracles. Cheating and terrorising people with the aid of such miracles.

3) With the objective of attaining supernatural powers, doing something or asking others to do something that might cause injuries or risk to life.

4) On the pretext of searching for hidden treasure or water source, doing something that is inhuman, gruesome and asking or encouraging or suggesting human life as prasad (offering).

5) Creating a feeling of fear by giving an impression of having supernatural powers or pretending that someone else has such powers or threaten that evil will befall if he/she doesn't obey the person having such powers.

6) Creating suspicion about a person claiming that he/she performs black magic/evil practices and making life difficult for that person or declare that someone is Satan or a form of Satan.

7) Beating up a person or having a procession of a naked woman saying she is a witch.

8) Threatening to invite a ghost and creating fear and misguiding people by claiming to cure a disease with the help of mantras.

9) Preventing medical aid and instead claiming to cure a person bitten by snake, dog or scorpion by chanting mantras or by tying threads etc.

10) Claiming to change the sex of a foetus in the womb by inserting fingers.

11) Giving an impression that one has supernatural powers or that the devotee was his/ her wife/ husband or paramour in the past birth, thereby indulging in sexual activity. Having sex with a woman yearning for a child, claiming to make her pregnant with supernatural powers.

12) Claiming that a differently abled person has supernatural powers and using him/her for business.

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