Strongly condemning the murder of two women in the guise of human sacrifice, the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala has stressed the need for a new legislation to curb such superstitious practices, and urged strict implementation of the existing laws in this regard. “Such an incident which shocked the human conscience, cannot be prevented by law alone but a mass public movement and awareness should emerge in the society against such practices,” the state secretariat of the Left party said in a statement on Wednesday, October 12.
“The ‘witchcraft killing’ that took place in Elanthoor of Pathanamthitta district exposed the severity of superstitious beliefs existing in the state and the necessity for a strong fight against the menace,” it said. Quoting figures of the National Crime Records Bureau, the Left party said as many as 73 murders, in connection with superstitious beliefs, had been reported in the country in the last year alone.
No one would have thought that such a situation would prevail in a state like Kerala, it said adding that "the party strongly condemned the incident which shocked the human conscience”.
"Besides the strict implementation of the existing laws, a new legislation should also be considered if necessary," the CPI(M) said. However, the party's state secretariat did not comment on the affiliation of the second accused, Bhagaval Singh, with the CPI(M).
Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan also pitched for a stringent legislation to curb the menace of superstitious beliefs and rituals.
"We will urge Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to consider a bill for the same and to pass it in the next Assembly session itself," he said on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran reiterated his charge that one of the accused in the case had links with radical groups and that his terrorist links should be probed.