Temple festival is a celebration of diversity and inclusion, not caste hierarchy
Temple festival is a celebration of diversity and inclusion, not caste hierarchy
Pandiarajan v. The District Collector Virudhnagar, The Tahsildar Thiruchuli & The Inspector Aruppukaottai
WP 30303/2023
Before High Court of Madras at Madurai
Hon’ble Mr. Justice B. Pugalendhi J disposed of the Writ Petition on 19.12.2023 directing the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment Department to ensure that all the devotees including the schedule caste people are permitted in the temple festival.
Facts
Petitioner a Scheduled Caste was excommunicated from participating in the temple festival of Arulmighu Chelliyaramman Temple.
The people from Maravar community of the Village were not permitting the Scheduled Caste people to participate in the temple festival and they were preventing them from taking mulaippari and not collecting tax from them for the temple festival.
The Tahsildar had conducted a peace committee meeting on 13.06.2023 with both the groups in the presence of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tiruchuli.
A resolution was passed in the said meeting that the village festival has to be performed only as per the advice of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment (HR & CE) Department that no community people is entitled to conduct the festival by collecting tax separately that the parties are restrained from spreading any rumors in the social media.
Submission of the Counsel of the Petitioner
The Hindu caste people were not permitting the scheduled caste people to participate in the Margazhi festival of the above temple.
Wherefore, the present petition was filed to implement the proceedings of the Tahsildar, held on 13.06.2023.
Submission of the Counsel for the Respondents
There was a peace committee meeting held on 13.06.2023 in the presence of the officials, wherein, the parties were advised to conduct the temple festival peacefully.
Observation of the Court
As per the peace committee meeting resolution dt. 13.06.2023, the villagers shall not prevent any body from offering prayers to the deity and from participating in the temple festival.
It was also resolved that the temple festival has to be conducted only by the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment (HR & CE) Department.
No person nor any group can restrain a person from performing his religious duties and it is the right guaranteed by the Constitution.
The temple worshipped by the public is a public temple and the HR & CE Department is having every right to interfere with the affairs of the temple.
It was, in fact agreed between the parties in the peace committee meeting that the festival has to be conducted by the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment Department.
Order
The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department shall conduct the Margazhi festival to Arulmighu Chelliyaramman Temple.
The Tahsildar shall ascertain from the Village Administration Officer and other revenue officials that if any untouchability issue prevails in the Village, he will submit a report to the District Collector and the District Collector shall take appropriate action.
The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment (HR & CE) Department has to ensure that all the devotees including the schedule caste people are permitted in the temple festival and also to take appropriate action by appointing a fit person after ascertaining the report of the Tahsildar.
Seema Bhatnagar
