Wednesday, November 22, 2006

India's Supreme Court Will Consider Whether Superstition About 13 Is Religious

India's Supreme Court has agreed to review an unusual case in which a man from Kerala charges that superstitious avoidance of the number 13 by the government violates the India's secular constitution and is based on Christian ideas. His suit challenges the High Court of Kerala's decision not to have a Court number 13. Yesterday Reuters reported that the lower court held N.K. Chandramohan's suit was "frivolous" and fined him 10,000 rupees for trying to "malign" the court. But the Supreme Court on Monday said that "such superstitious behavior cannot be encouraged", and said it would hear the appeal soon.