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Journalism of Courage
The slew of amendments proposed in the law to prevent Sati have run into resistance from within the Cabinet on two grounds — one, essentially legal and the second, on its implementation.
Amendments to the Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 that propose to call Sati a murder and increase prison terms for those committing as well as glorifying the practice came up for Cabinet clearance last Thursday. But the Cabinet sent back the proposals to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, asking it to work with the Law Ministry to redraft the amendments.
Official sources told the The Indian Express that Union Minister for Mines Sis Ram Ola, who hails from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, wanted to know that if the law were to outlaw glorification of any kind, what would happen to the existing Sati temples or how would the government deal with the age-old tradition of worship at these temples.
Speaking to The Indian Express over phone from Jhunjhunu, Ola made the same point. “As far as Sati temples go, how can one stop the 500-year-old tradition of worshipping at these temples?” Referring to the 1987 Roop Kanwar incident in Deorala in Rajasthan as the turning point, Ola said, “Only the arrangements after 1987 should be stopped. Even the Group of Ministers recommended the same.”
Another minister, Kapil Sibal, pointed to holes in the proposed Bill which says DMs, village panchayats and onlookers will be held responsible for any act of Sati. Sibal pointed out that Sati involves festivities, including a procession. All this, he said, cannot take place without local police knowledge and they too should be made liable.
