Satyagraha with a slap !
They have waited for over five years and they cannot wait anymore. Faced with the apathy of the State government, Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS), an organization dedicated to eradicate superstitions, is now on the satyagraha path.
The MANS had advocated an anti-superstition and anti-witchcraft bill, which is pending with the government for past five years. In protest against the delay, activists plan to start an agitation in which they will slap themselves.
Eradication of Maharashtra Black Magic and Undesirable and Dreadful Practices Bill, 2005 as meant to get rid of the superstitious and anti-rational activities. It was sent to the Central government for approval in 2003 and thereafter was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The MANS had been demanding such law for 14 years. The bill comes up in the agenda for the discussion in each session of both houses of Maharashtra Legislation, but has gotten stuck in a limbo ass it is not discussed upon at all.
The MANS is now planning it to agitate against the State’s apathy. Explaining the rational behind the agitation, Narendra Dabholkar, executive president of Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti, said , “Ours is a satyagraha. The basic idea behind the satyagraha is to take penance for the wrongs committed by others and ourselves. We sincerely think that we have done a wrong by electing the government. Therefore, we will start slapping ourselves from the first day of the monsoon session of legislature.” The agitation will start from the Mahatma Gandhi statue near the Pune Railway Station and will spread all over the Maharashtra.
Giving the timeline of the journey of the bill, Dabholkar said, “the original bill was tabled in the Legislature Assembly on April 13, 2005. It was deferred because Congress members were not happy with it. After the changes, it was passed in the Assembly’s winner session on December 16, 2005. Thereafter, it was sent to the Legislative Council where it was never taken for the discussion. Instead, it was sent to Joint Select Committee where it is gathering dust for more than one year.
The Committee has not conducted any meeting since August 2007. It had invited objections and suggestion on the bills. It received 80,000 letters supporting the bill and 50,000 letter opposing it. We have sent suggestions received to the legislative members. But the bill is not progressing for lack of political will.”
Pune Mirror Source : 7-7-2008
The MANS had advocated an anti-superstition and anti-witchcraft bill, which is pending with the government for past five years. In protest against the delay, activists plan to start an agitation in which they will slap themselves.
Eradication of Maharashtra Black Magic and Undesirable and Dreadful Practices Bill, 2005 as meant to get rid of the superstitious and anti-rational activities. It was sent to the Central government for approval in 2003 and thereafter was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The MANS had been demanding such law for 14 years. The bill comes up in the agenda for the discussion in each session of both houses of Maharashtra Legislation, but has gotten stuck in a limbo ass it is not discussed upon at all.
The MANS is now planning it to agitate against the State’s apathy. Explaining the rational behind the agitation, Narendra Dabholkar, executive president of Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti, said , “Ours is a satyagraha. The basic idea behind the satyagraha is to take penance for the wrongs committed by others and ourselves. We sincerely think that we have done a wrong by electing the government. Therefore, we will start slapping ourselves from the first day of the monsoon session of legislature.” The agitation will start from the Mahatma Gandhi statue near the Pune Railway Station and will spread all over the Maharashtra.
Giving the timeline of the journey of the bill, Dabholkar said, “the original bill was tabled in the Legislature Assembly on April 13, 2005. It was deferred because Congress members were not happy with it. After the changes, it was passed in the Assembly’s winner session on December 16, 2005. Thereafter, it was sent to the Legislative Council where it was never taken for the discussion. Instead, it was sent to Joint Select Committee where it is gathering dust for more than one year.
The Committee has not conducted any meeting since August 2007. It had invited objections and suggestion on the bills. It received 80,000 letters supporting the bill and 50,000 letter opposing it. We have sent suggestions received to the legislative members. But the bill is not progressing for lack of political will.”
Pune Mirror Source : 7-7-2008
posted by deepamariam @ 6:31 AM
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