Religious heads demand law against superstition

Close to 200 heads of various mutts from across Karnataka, along with writers, thinkers and social activists, staged a demonstration at the Freedom Park on Monday, supporting the Anti-Superstition Bill and demanding an end to social discrimination.

The protest by Pragathipara Matadeeshara Vedike (Progressive Pontiffs’ Forum) will go on till Wednesday.

 Shivanubhava Charamurthy Shivarudra Mahaswami of Beli Mutt, Bengaluru, said: “In the name of Made Snana, people of the lower castes are being harassed. Supporting superstition in the name of religion is wrong. Such practices should be banned. The State government should take serious steps towards this end.”

Veerabhadra Chennamalla Swami, the head of Nidumamidi Mutt (seminary), Kolar, said: “Even after the Supreme Court making its displeasure clear over Made Snana, people are promoting this practice. Rolling on the floor will lead to wastage of food. It’s wrong to believe that people will become clean from all sins by practising it.”

He went on: “Most of our demands are for the welfare of society, while the rest are rooted in religious grounds. The government should have promulgated the law against superstition last year itself. But it developed cold feet as vested interests resorted to misinformation.”

Volunteers of the Dalit Sangharsha Samithi too supported the agitation. They took out a procession from Anand Rao Circle at 11.30 am and converged at the Freedom Park.