The Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), which had in 2014 submitted a draft ‘Superstitions and Evil Practices (Prevention and Eradication) Bill’ to the State government, has urged the government to waste no time to enact such legislation.
Describing the human sacrifice at Elanthoor as ‘shocking’, the popular people’s science and cultural movement said the spread of a consumerist culture along with the invasion of an apolitical outlook had created a sense of insecurity in Kerala society in which human gods and superstitions gained increasing currency.
“There have been intentional attempts recently at the national level to give credence to superstitions. Campaigns to sell mythical tales as history and superstitions as science have gained strength. There is also an influx of advertisements about magical devices for financial well-being and prosperity. While there are people who try to exploit belief in superstitions for monetary and other benefits, human gods and religious leaders are hand in glove with them. Superstitions growing to the level of occult practices, black magic, and financial transactions are a dangerous trend. It is the weaker sections in society and women and children who fall prey to such evil practices,” the Parishad said in a press release.
The agency cited the enactment of such legislation in States like Maharashtra and Karnataka and urged the Kerala government to enact a law and strictly enforce it to prevent recurrence of such heinous crimes.
