The crusade
against superstition, rituals of blind faith and black magic went on for nearly
twenty years, but the much awaited law never got passed. The crusader got
killed in a brutal and cowardly attack in Pune yesterday, and the day after the
Government of Maharashtra finally saw enough reason to clear an
anti-superstition Ordinance to eventually replace the Bill that was first
introduced in 1995 and even after 29 amendments in the draft failed to see the
light of ‘reason’. The total closure in Pune today and spontaneous protests
across a shocked and stunned Maharashtra seemed
to have forced the government to take the decision. The Maharashtra
cabinet today decided unanimously to promulgate the Ordinance for enacting the
Maharashtra Eradication of Blind Faith Bill as a law.
If the fraud
Babas, the money-rich self-styled godmen, the regressive fundamentalists and
the brazen exploiters of religious sentiments heaved a devilish sigh of relief
yesterday it is rank bad news for them today. The new measure will empower the
government to bring under its ambit social and religious evils, human or animal
sacrifices, rituals to drive out evil spirits or ensure a male progeny, witchcraft
and wizardry practitioners, often cheating the gullible public.
The mortal
remains of Dr. Narendra Dabholkar had been consigned to the flames in his
hometown Satara attended by the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Cabinet colleagues,
other political leaders and thousands of his followers.
Meanwhile the
police have been unable to nab the assassins despite deploying eight special
investigating teams on the job. A staunch right-wing group under the scanner
today held a press conference to announce that they had absolutely no hand in
the killing and that they were equally shocked and stunned by the murder.
Thanks to the
dedicated movement by Narendra Dabholkar Maharashtra becomes the first state in
India
to enact a law against social evils that have deep roots and powerful vested
interests in the society. The next session of the state Legislative Assembly
will be in December and it can be safely assumed that the Law would be enacted
by then well before the Ordinance lapses—that is six months from now. Let reason,
good faith and tolerance prevail in a much divided nation called India.
