Thiruvananthapuram, June 26 (UNI) Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad has raised objections to the Kerala government's decision to withdraw from enacting a law to counter exploitations based on superstitions and blind beliefs in the society.

In an affidavit submitted before the Kerala High Court on the matter, the Kerala government revealed its decision to withdraw from the process of enacting a law to tackle the exploitation and atrocities committed under the guise of superstition, the Parishad said in a statement.

"This withdrawal by the government is deeply concerning and highly objectionable. It is also worth noting at this juncture that states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have already enacted laws against exploitations rooted in superstition," it said.

"In recent times, there is ample evidence to show that people are increasingly drawn towards superstition and irrational practices. Supporting this fact, numerous scams, murders, and other criminal acts linked to blind beliefs are continuously coming to light," it said.

In this context, the demand for a robust law to tackle the exploitation and atrocities committed under the guise of superstition is a strong and legitimate one emerging from the general public, the Parishad opined.

On the first death anniversary of Dr Narendra Dabholkar, who was martyred for his fight against superstition, the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad submitted a draft bill to the state government in 2014 seeking legislation against exploitation in the name of blind beliefs.

However, even after a decade of this demand, successive governments have failed to take the necessary steps to enact such a law, it added.

Additionally, the Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham (Rationalist Association) too had submitted a draft bill to the government. Subsequently, some Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) introduced this as a private bill.

Later, when the Left government came to power, the Parishad once again submitted a memorandum directly to the Chief Minister, urging the immediate passage of the anti-superstition exploitation law. The Law Reforms Commission headed by Justice K.T. Thomas had also recognised the importance of this legislation.

However, disregarding all these efforts, the government has now informed the High Court through an affidavit that it is withdrawing from the legislative process, it added.

UNI DS ARN