Guwahati: All forms of traditional healing practices — tantra-mantra, jhaar-phook and sprinkling of water — are permissible, but any “non-scientific healing practice with ulterior motive” would be banned, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said in the Assam assembly.
Sarma made this remark Monday during the debate on the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024 that was passed by the assembly on the concluding day of the Budget Session.
The Bill aims to eradicate traditional healing practices “with ulterior motives” to exploit people, he added.
His remarks is being seen as a softening of stance towards the Christian community that had slammed the bill tabled by the BJP government in the assembly Wednesday.
The Archbishop of Guwahati Archdiocese John Moolachira and the Assam Christian Forum had told ThePrint that there is no such phrase as “magical healing” in Christianity, and that the community does not approve of the government making healing practices “illegal and punishable”.
Sarma clarified that his government is not banning healing practices. “We are making a very simple design (Healing Bill). Let people do whatever they want; we won’t stop anyone. We will only eradicate the non-scientific healing practices with ulterior motives. We are not banning healing practices,” he said.
Explaining the caveat on “ulterior motive”, the chief minister made a mention of opposition leader and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal.
असम में बदरुद्दीन अजमल जैसे कुछ मौलवी लोग हैं जो सार्वजनिक सभाओं में "चमत्कारी" पानी छिड़कने का दावा कर अपने राजनीतिक लाभ के लिए जनता को गुमराह करते हैं।
हमारी सरकार ने ऐसी प्रथाओं पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है। pic.twitter.com/GJeGRrbwdD
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 26, 2024
Sarma took a swipe at Ajmal’s ‘jhaar-phook’ involving the use of healing water to purportedly cure sickness, asserting that it was a political gimmick with the ulterior motive to lure voters during elections.
“…In churches, water is sprinkled over devotees. It is not with any sinister motive, but for world peace, for welfare of families. But when Ajmal drinks and recites prayers over holy water, there’s a sinister motive behind it.”
“There’s no problem in him (Ajmal) muttering ‘dua’ (prayers) into the water, but buying votes with the holy water is an offence. When he goes for an election meeting, and takes stage to offer that holy water to people, it’s an ulterior motive to capture votes. Do it any time else, but not in Dhubri election campaigns,” the chief minister said.
He also made it clear that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the Healing Bill are unrelated, while acknowledging there was earlier a misunderstanding in this regard.
Targeting the Congress, Sarma made reference to the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act introduced in 1954 by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The Act prohibits advertisements of drugs and remedies that claim to have magical properties, and makes doing so a cognizable offence.
“By objecting to this bill, Congress is indirectly criticising Nehru. Nehru (through the 1954 Act) banned talisman, kavach, and charms holding miraculous powers. We believe in tantra-mantra and the Muslims offer kavach for healing.”
“If we would have implemented this legislation, the traditional practices of the people of Assam would have been lost. And so we thought of revising this bill,” Sarma said.
The CM further said his government would send a request to the Centre on implementing the state bill instead of the Magic Remedies Act.
Stating that Assam has a long tradition in astrology and healing practices, Sarma spoke about Mayong village in Morigaon district that is widely known for its folklores, dark arts, occult practices and magical powers said to be handed down generations.
“There is nothing to object in this legislation. People practise Reiki for healing, tribal community believes in sacrifice for ushering world peace… Mayong has powers, the Leader of Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, had himself agreed,” Sarma said. “We don’t want to destroy the tribal traditions and culture. As long as it’s (healing practices) not with ulterior motive, everything is clean.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)