The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024 was passed in the Assam Legislative Assembly in a voice vote on the last day of the budget session on February 26.
Assam Assembly Passes Assam Healing (Prevention Of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024
The Bill aims to eradicate unscientific healing practices with “an ulterior motive for exploiting innocent people and thereby destroying the fiber of public health in the society”.
Speaking on the Bill on the floor of the House, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The Bill has no connection with Union Civil Code. We are not resisting any traditional healing practices. But all healing with an ulterior motive will be treated as offence. We want to ban any such thing which is done with an ulterior or sinister motive to earn money from people by claiming to cure incurable diseases.”
“No person shall take part in any sort of advertisement relating to any kind of medicine, remedy directly or indirectly relating to any false claim to cure diseases through healing practices,” CM Sarma added.
“We feel this Bill is another attempt to bring Uniform Civil Code in Assam. There is no clear definition of evil practices and each community in Assam has some ways or curing illnesses and healing them based on traditional herbs/medicines and practices,” said the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia while speaking in the Assembly before the Bill was passed.
