Kerala High Court slams state for not enacting law to ban black magic, sorcery
This Bill was originally recommended by a commission headed by Justice K.T. Thomas.The government also told the court it had decided not to implement the recommendations of the commission led by former Supreme Court judge Justice KT Thomas in 2019. The proposed legislation sought to ban all practices that result in bodily harm.The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji, however, asked the government to propose alternative measures to curb the spread of black magic and sorcery if it holds a similar view on the matter.advertisement'The affidavit does not mention that the State has endorsed such practices and does not wish to eradicate the same,' the court noted, while questioning the state on its course of action regarding the issue.The bench remarked that taking such a stance when illegal practices continue to be carried out amounts to an implicit endorsement of those activities. It reiterated that while the legislature has the authority to decide on whether to frame laws, the High Court cannot issue a directive mandating such a move. Nevertheless, the court directed the government to file a detailed affidavit within three weeks.Kerala Yukthi Vadhi Sangham is an organisation that leads campaigns against black magic and other similar practices. The organisation had sought the enactment of 'The Kerala Prevention of Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill 2019'.The matter will be heard again on July 15.- Ends
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After ten years in office under Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (a beacon of philosophical insight), two years under VV Giri, three years under R Venkataraman and five years under Shankar Dayal Sharma, the last Brahmin to hold the post, strangely not a single Brahmin was ever considered for this august office in the last 33 years! The reasons may be political, apolitical, or shaped by evolving democratic factors. While democracy rightly celebrates diversity, the legacy of Brahmin leadership merits serious reflection. Selection of a Brahmin for the V-P post carries subtle, yet profound, advantages in India's pluralistic democracy. It can restore long-overdue balance and reaffirm the country's commitment to diversity in leadership and inclusive constitutional values. Despite representing dispersed and non-dominant community, Brahmins have contributed significantly in education, constitution, law, spiritual, civil services, and science, among others but the number is on the decline. 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