Witch Hunting Prohibition, Prevention and Protection Bill long forgotten

In the wake of incidents triggered by superstition and ignorance including the brutal attack on two youths at Dokmoka in Karbi Anglong, Assam government has planned to introduce an awareness programme named 'Sanskar', but amidst all these the government has forgotten about the Witch Hunting Prohibition Bill introduced three years earlier.

Under the Witch Hunting Prohibition, Prevention and Protection Bill, 2015, making any offence is treated as a non-bailable, cognizable and non-compoundable. This Bill was tabled to eliminate superstition from the society.

Birubala Rabha has been tirelessly fighting the cause of witch-hunting since the 1980s but it looks like the Bill has been long forgotten. Pertaining to various issues, the Bill from the past three years has been lying in the President's office in order to be passed by the concerned authority.

Unfortunately, taking advantage of this delay in making this Bill a law, various offences pertaining to superstition and orthodox beliefs are still being committed and innocent souls are still falling prey to it.