Assam: Government tables Bill against ‘magic healing’

Assam introduces bill to ban magical healing practices, sparking controversy over religious freedom and public health protection.

GUWAHATI

The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024, was tabled in the 126-member State Assembly on Wednesday.

The Bill was introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had earlier said it was needed to ban magical healing practices with the explicit goal of curbing evangelism.

The proposed legislation seeks to promote social awakening and foster a safe, science-based environment to protect public health against harmful practices based on ignorance and ill health apart from eliminating “non-scientific healing practices used with malicious intent to exploit innocent individuals”.

According to Section 3 of the Bill, the government is empowered to ban evil or magical healing practices for treating certain diseases and health disorders. Section 4 allows the government to prohibit misleading advertisements for such practices.

The bill includes several key sections for curbing “inhuman, evil, or magical healing” practices. Section 5 empowers the government to punish any act or promotion of such practices while Section 6 extends this to include imprisonment for a year, extendable up to three years, or a fine of ₹50,000, or both.

For repeated offences, the convicted could face up to five years in jail or a fine of ₹1 lakh, or both.