Rajasthan government sitting on a draft bill to prevent ‘witchcraft’ for 3 years

JAIPUR: The state government has been sitting on a draft bill aiming to prevent the social evil of branding women as witches and torturing them for the past three years, even as the high court ‘rebuked’ it on Thursday for failing to prevent such heinous instances.
Social activists say that there would have been no need for the court to intervene and ask the government to enact a law to put a check on this practice, had the government acted on its undertaking given before the high court’s Jaipur bench in 2011 in which it promised that Rajasthan Women (Prevention & Protection from Atrocities) Bill, 2011 would be introduced in the state.
In the bill, a major thrust had been given to protecting women who are tortured or killed after being branded as witches, an evil practice prevalent in many rural areas. However, even three years after making this promise, the bill is yet to see the light of the day.
According to the bill, whoever accuses or defames a woman by calling her Dayan or Dakan or Dakin, Chudail or Bhootni or Bhootdi or Chilavan or Opri or Ranndkadi or any other name or symbol suggesting her to be a witch, and accuses a woman of performing witchcraft or her performing any puja, use of mantra, tantra etc. aimed at harming any person; shall be punishable with imprisonment up to a term of three years with minimum fine of Rs 1,000 which may be increased to Rs 5,000.
Furthermore, whoever, in the name of performing witchcraft or her being possessed one, uses criminal force against a woman and/or instigates or provokes others in doing so with intent to harm and/or to displace her from the house, place or the property, lawfully occupied or owned by her or to coerce her to leave the area of which she is a rightful resident or a visitor, shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term up to seven years and with fine which may extend to Rs 20,000.
Sources said that a day after the high court directed to enact a law by February 11, the government may consider some changes in the existing draft bill. A panel of lawyers may be roped in to analyze various aspects of the bill and suggest necessary changes.
“We would set up a panel of lawyers to inspect the various aspects of the existing draft and prepare a new one,” said a senior official.