‘No cooperation, no festival’, Madras High Court tells rival groups before directing state-led festivities at Moliyappalli temple

‘Interest of villagers protected’

• The temple festival is to be held from February 17.
• The Inspector of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) is directed to conduct the festival this year to ensure that both parties participate in the festival without causing law and order problems.
• The police concerned shall grant protection for the temple festival.

• Since the temple is allegedly managed by the villagers belonging to the locality, the HR&CE has no right to take over the temple.
• This observation will sufficiently take care of the interests of the villagers.

‘Temple private and hereditary’

• Appearing for the petitioner, advocate P Manivannan argued that his client is the managing trustee of the said temple, which is a private and hereditary temple.
• He further mentioned that his client has been conducting the temple festival from time immemorial.
• Manivannan also mentioned that for the present year, his client has decided to conduct an annual temple festival from February 17 to February 26.
• It was further submitted that the petitioner had sought permission and police protection to conduct the festival through a representation, on February 14, before the police authorities concerned.
• Manivannan also highlighted a 2024 order of this court where the same petitioner sought similar relief for the same festival.
• Additional Public Prosecutor K M D Muhilan, on the contrary, submitted that three other persons have made representations claiming that they are the trustees of the said temple.

‘No first honour’

In another related case, the Madras High Court observed that there should not be any discrimination in religious celebrations in connection with the Kumbabishegam festival at several temples in Melapanankadi village of Madurai.

It directed the formation of a representative committee to conduct the festival concerned.

While hearing the plea of a man seeking directions to form a committee which includes the members of all communities, Justice S Srimathy said on February 2, “The Kumbabishekam cannot be conducted by an individual, especially when there are five communities in the village.”

The high court further emphasised that there should be no “first honour” to any person or community, nor any discrimination.

‘Global importance’

However, in another case, the Madras High Court denied permission to a private village committee to conduct the famous Jallikattu festival, observing that the state government itself is the organiser of this internationally renowned event.

A bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan was hearing the plea filed by one P Murugan seeking directions to the authorities to grant permission and provide police protection to conduct the festival in Avaniyapuram village in Madurai district.

“Considering the international importance of the Jallikattu conducted at Avaniapuram, Alanganallur and Palamedu, the State itself is directly organising the events. Therefore, the petitioner cannot have any independent request to grant permission for his Committee to conduct Jallikattu at Avaniapuram Village,” the high court said in its January 7 order.