Latest news with #KarnatakaDevadasi
New Indian Express
25-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Devadasis in Karnataka seek inclusive re-survey
BENGALURU: Devadasi women and children from 15 Karnataka districts have come together to form a forum and have demanded the immediate implementation of the Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief and Rehabilitation) 2018 Bill and called for a re-survey of all Devadasi women without an age limit. The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, in a directive dated June 23, instructed the Chief Secretary to complete a statewide survey of all Devadasi women and submit a report by October 24. In response, the Department of Women and Child Development is preparing for a survey. However, the department's proposal to include only women aged 45 and above has drawn strong criticism. Former minister H Anjaneya, highlighting the problems in the past surveys in 1982 and 1993-94, said, 'The surveys did not capture the full scale of Devadasi women and their children, as many Devadasi women fear coming forward due to the fear of punishments, leading to their exclusion from support schemes.' In light of past surveys that failed to capture all Devadasi women due to age-based limitations and other factors, the community has demanded that the upcoming re-survey be more comprehensive. Yamanurappa, a member of the forum, said, 'We want the government to drop the proposed age limit of 45 for its upcoming re-survey.' He further stated that the government should conduct door-to-door surveys instead of relying on in-office enumeration.
Hans India
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 24th July 2025
Dharmasthala episode must be exposed This refers to the editorial 'The Dharmasthala imbroglio shocks India'. It is good to know that the Karnataka government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive and impartial probe into a series of alleged crimes, including murders, sexual assaults and unnatural disappearances of women and girls spanning over two decades in and around the Dharmasthala region of Dakshina Kannada district. The whistleblower in this regard is a former sanitation worker employed by the Dharmasthala temple administration, who told the police he was forced to burn and bury the bodies of hundreds of women, including schoolgirls, between 1998 and 2014, by the side of the riverbed - Netravati. He claimed the victims were raped and murdered before being disposed of in secrecy. It is an unfortunate irony that parents and guardians of the missing are coming out now and demanding a probe into the mysterious disappearances of people. Reportedly, no complaint was entertained by the temple trust or police officials earlier. K V Raghuram, Wayanad A glimmer of hope for devadasis The proposed Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief & Rehabilitation) Bill marks a long overdue but progressive shift in eradicating a dehumanising tradition. Recognizing devadasi children as legitimate heirs with rights to property and facilitating paternity through DNA finally gets institutional apathy. However, enforcement must not echo past failures wherein conviction rates remain dismal. Legal reform must encompass rehabilitation, land rights and dignity. Without empathetic implementation, the law risks becoming another symbolic gesture in a lineage of forgotten promises. Karnataka must lead not just in legislation but in justice rooted in compassion. Dr Vijaykumar H K, Raichur-584170 Civic body should bring relief from monsoon traumas Incessant rains inundating the streets and roads in several low-lying areas in the city during monsoon due to lack of proper storm water drains has been a cause of concern as residents bearing the brunt for years together. It is unfortunate that urban sanitation remains completely inadequate. The government, it seems, is only interested in planning and executing work in select areas and is least bothered about the plight and anguish of people in other localities. Despite several representations highlighting the problems that winter brings along even basic problems remain unresolved. It is time the civic officials wake up and come up with permanent solutions instead of patch-up works here and there. K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad Centre must come clean on Dhankar's quitting Citizens of the country have the right to know the goings-on behind the unexpected and out of the blue resignation of Jagdeep Dhankar as the Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha. Quite apparently, there is more to it than meets the eye. Does it have to do anything with the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose official residence a large amount of unaccounted cash was recovered? The government must come clean on this issue, as it involves the sanctity of Indian democracy and its functioning. Dr George Jacob, Kochi
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- The Hindu
Karnataka proposes a new Devadasi legislation with clauses on paternity test, right to property
In a bid to strengthen the legislation against the centuries-old Devadasi system, the Karnataka government is working on introducing a new law. It intends to do away with the need for the father's name in application forms and government identity cards, besides recognising the right of the child of Devadasi to identify the father by provisioning DNA test to prove paternity. The new legislation, Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief and Rehabilitation) Bill, is currently being discussed to replace the more than four-decade-old Karnataka Devadasi (Prohibition and Dedication) Act, 1982. Devadasis and their children have been for long seeking a comprehensive legislation that could end the evil system and provide for proper relief and rehabilitation. 'Legitimate child' Among other proposed provisions in the legislation, being drafted with the assistance of the Centre for the Study of Social Inclusion, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), are that any child of a Devadasi will be deemed as a 'legitimate child' and will have the right to property with inheritance and succession following the Hindu Personal Law. The proposed legislation also provides the option for unwilling children of a Devadasi not to be compelled to declare the name of their father while applying for government identity cards such as such as passport, PAN, Aadhaar, and driving licence. Since the Karnataka Devadasi (Prohibition of Dedication) Act, 1982 33 cases reported FIR lodged in 22 cases Conviction in four cases Seven cases in trial stage Acquittal in 11 cases Providing the right to maintenance to the child, the proposed law puts the burden of disproving paternity on the person named as the father of the child. The provision provides the right to be availed of by a male child until he is a minor and a girl child until marriage. It suggests DNA test to establish paternity upon refusal after the child approaches the taluk committee seeking recognition of paternal bond. However, provision is also made to the person indicated as father to retain the right to disprove claim of paternity through appropriate biochemical evidence. Penal clause While the existing law has set punishment to be a maximum of three years for those performing, permitting, taking part or abetting the performance of any ceremony or act for dedicating women as a Devdasi, the proposed law increases the imprisonment term to a maximum of five years with minimum imprisonment to be two years and a fine of ₹1 lakh. Survey of Devadasis 1993 – 22,873 2007 - 46,660 2025 - Fresh survey ordered by the SHRC to be conducted before October Ballari and Vijayanagara districts estimated to have around 9,000 Devadasis 'The new Bill was first proposed in 2018 after experts deliberated on the lacunae in the existing legislation. There is a need to overhaul the legislation to protect the interests of Devadasis. Consultations were held with Devadasis and their children before the proposed Bill was drafted,' said R.V. Chandrashekar, a researcher at the Bengaluru-based NLSIU. Consultation process Sources said that the inter-departmental consultation is almost complete, and the proposed Bill could soon be brought before the Cabinet ahead of it being piloted in the legislature. Among the many other perceived benefits of the Bill is comprehensive rehabilitation for Devadasis, many of whom do not have land or house of their own, and are struggling with both social and acute economic backwardness, besides battling health issues. Activists say that while only 46,660 Devadasis have been identified, a large number remain outside the list based on which benefits, including pension, are being provided by the government.
