Government keen to ban backward practices

BANGALORE: Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy has said the government will eradicate socially unacceptable practices that are prevalent among various sections of the society in the state.“I have directed DCs, ZP CEOs and District Social Welfare Officers to prepare a list of socially unacceptable and backward practices and send it to the government so that an action plan can be prepared for their eradication,” Narayanaswamy told Express on Wednesday. Citing practices like made made snana and ‘nude worship’ at Chandragutti in Shimoga district, Narayanaswamy said there could be many such practices still  active which needed to be stopped. Asked if the state would enact laws to ban such practices, he said laws must act as a deterrent but certain practices based on religious beliefs were to be stopped by creating awareness.“It can’t happen overnight as they are deep-rooted. It has to be done after a great deal of persuasion by social scientists and religious leaders, and that too without hurting religious sentiments of the people. The society has to evolve, and evolution takes time. In our democratic set-up, there can’t be any radical change,” he said.“Even as arguments and fights were on for and against ‘nude-worship’, the practice became extinct when people realised that it had lost its meaning and relevance,” he said. According to Narayanaswamy, the government proposes to consult social scientists, sociologists besides NGOs in preparing an action plan to end such practices.