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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Almost eight years ago, on 20 August 2013 to be precise, Dr. Narendra Dabholkar was shot down while he was on his morning walk in Pune. The provocation was Dabholkar’s campaign to promote rational thinking and eradication of Andh Shraddha or Blind Faith. While those who planned and executed this dastardly murder are yet to face the consequences of their act, it did arouse the Maharashtra government to promulgate an ordinance for Eradication of Blind Faith on the very next day. The ordinance was replaced by the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act in December 2013. It may appear that in this instance the government moved swiftly and decisively, but keep in mind that the original draft for this legislation was submitted by Dabholkar and approved by the Cabinet of Maharashtra in 2003. Its ratification by the Central government was resisted by several organisations including The Art of Living Foundation, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and the Haji Malang Dargah, a truly ‘secular’ front. While Maharashtra has taken the lead, there is still no similar national law against superstition.
