GUWAHATI: President Ram Nath has given assent to the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015, making it a law to struggle the threat of this superstitious follow that claimed a number of lives and ostracized many within the ultimate decade.
The President gave his assent to the Bill, which imposes most imprisonment up to seven years and most fine up to Rs 5,00,000 for branding anyone as witch, on June 13 this 12 months. The Assam meeting passed the bill unanimously in 2015.
"Now that the bill has become the law, it will add more teeth to our enforcement agencies to fight the evil of superstition of witch hunting in an effective way," principle secretary of house division, LS Changsan advised TOI. She mentioned the federal government had issued a gazette notification on June 29.
Changsan mentioned that the law has strict penal provisions including imposition of fines at the neighborhood in the event that they have been discovered to blame of indulging within the crime of witch searching. She mentioned consciousness will likely be performed among the communities concerning the law in rooting out the superstitious follow from society.
Birubala Rabha, herself a survivor of witch-hunting and now spearheads the marketing campaign "Mission Birubala" mentioned that the law and taken hope in preventing the threat of witch-hunting which has transform a bane for lives within the geographical region.
"I cannot be more happy at the bill becoming a law. For all those years in the past, the enforcement agencies had to deal with the crime of witch-hunting without a specific law for it. As a result there was no deterrent for the particular crime of witch-hunting. Now this vacuum has been filled up," Birubala mentioned.
All India People's Science Network joint secretary, Isfaqur Rahman mentioned that while the law will lend a hand in curtailing the witch-hunting, there could also be the need to make the legislator extra broad-based by means of covering all other different kinds of is superstitious practices including quackery.
"We welcome that the bill has been made into a law. But at the same time we hope that in subsequent time, the law will be amended to include other superstitious practices which are equally posing threat to our society," Rahman mentioned.
Social activists curious about anti-witch-hunting marketing campaign, estimated since 2002, at least 150 other people killed within the state up to now.
Over 70 other people sustained accidents, while many subjected to humiliations or leading an ostracized life.
On October 2014 Debojani Bora, a national-level athlete who represented the state at various nationwide occasions, was once also tortured by means of a group of villagers and a priest after branding her as witch at Dokmoka area of Karbi Anglong district.
In 2015, the 12 months the bill was once passed, a 60-year previous Adivasi lady was once dragged out of her area and beheaded by means of a mob at Bhimajuli area of Sonitpur after charging her of practising witchcraft.
A 40-year-old guy was once lynched by means of six other people, including two girls, inside a Jorhat tea lawn in 2017 on charges of witchcraft.
The President gave his assent to the Bill, which imposes most imprisonment up to seven years and most fine up to Rs 5,00,000 for branding anyone as witch, on June 13 this 12 months. The Assam meeting passed the bill unanimously in 2015.
"Now that the bill has become the law, it will add more teeth to our enforcement agencies to fight the evil of superstition of witch hunting in an effective way," principle secretary of house division, LS Changsan advised TOI. She mentioned the federal government had issued a gazette notification on June 29.
Changsan mentioned that the law has strict penal provisions including imposition of fines at the neighborhood in the event that they have been discovered to blame of indulging within the crime of witch searching. She mentioned consciousness will likely be performed among the communities concerning the law in rooting out the superstitious follow from society.
Birubala Rabha, herself a survivor of witch-hunting and now spearheads the marketing campaign "Mission Birubala" mentioned that the law and taken hope in preventing the threat of witch-hunting which has transform a bane for lives within the geographical region.
"I cannot be more happy at the bill becoming a law. For all those years in the past, the enforcement agencies had to deal with the crime of witch-hunting without a specific law for it. As a result there was no deterrent for the particular crime of witch-hunting. Now this vacuum has been filled up," Birubala mentioned.
All India People's Science Network joint secretary, Isfaqur Rahman mentioned that while the law will lend a hand in curtailing the witch-hunting, there could also be the need to make the legislator extra broad-based by means of covering all other different kinds of is superstitious practices including quackery.
"We welcome that the bill has been made into a law. But at the same time we hope that in subsequent time, the law will be amended to include other superstitious practices which are equally posing threat to our society," Rahman mentioned.
Social activists curious about anti-witch-hunting marketing campaign, estimated since 2002, at least 150 other people killed within the state up to now.
Over 70 other people sustained accidents, while many subjected to humiliations or leading an ostracized life.
On October 2014 Debojani Bora, a national-level athlete who represented the state at various nationwide occasions, was once also tortured by means of a group of villagers and a priest after branding her as witch at Dokmoka area of Karbi Anglong district.
In 2015, the 12 months the bill was once passed, a 60-year previous Adivasi lady was once dragged out of her area and beheaded by means of a mob at Bhimajuli area of Sonitpur after charging her of practising witchcraft.
A 40-year-old guy was once lynched by means of six other people, including two girls, inside a Jorhat tea lawn in 2017 on charges of witchcraft.
State welcomes President's assent to anti-witchhunt bill
![State welcomes President's assent to anti-witchhunt bill]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
July 16, 2018
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