No caste can claim rights over temples, observes Madras HC
Every group should be entitled to peacefully participate and worship the deity in their own customary manner, ordered the judge.
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: Abandoning footsteps of faith, people stick to caste identities, triggering discrimination and disputes by negating Swami Vivekananda’s saying that religion’s ultimate motive is to cleanse one’s soul, and the soul doesn’t align with ‘caste’, observed the Madras High Court, and refused to conduct caste-based festivals in temples.
“No caste can claim any exclusive right over the temple or any leadership over the temple festival, and there can be no caste discrimination at the place of worship. Each social group has the right to worship the deity in their customary way, and no one should be prevented by other groups from doing the same,” held Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy while disposing of a petition seeking to conduct a temple festival on caste based leadership.
The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department should conduct the festival under its leadership in a secular manner, ensuring common treatment to all castes; every group should be entitled to peacefully participate and worship the deity in their own customary manner, ordered the judge.
These directions were issued by the HC while hearing a petition moved by M Bharath, Paramathi Velur, Nammakkal, seeking to conduct the Masi Festival at Arulmigu Maha Mariamman under the leadership of a particular caste abiding by the traditional customs of the village.
It was submitted that on March 7, HR&CE conducted a peace committee meeting, and it was agreed that the age-old customary practice of allocating each date to a particular caste to conduct the Masi festival will be continued. However, it was submitted that a dispute arose between two groups regarding the leadership to conduct the festival, hence the petition was moved.
After hearing the parties, the court held that the festival should not be conducted as per the terms agreed in the peace committee meeting based on castes and directed the HR&CE to conduct the festival in a secular manner without giving any preference to any caste or group. There is no question of cutting a cake and giving a piece to each caste. All are entitled to the customary rights in respect of their manner of worship and ceremonies conducted according to their own beliefs, held the bench.
It may be noted that recently, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy held that castes are not religious denominations, and anything towards perpetuation of caste can never be considered by any court of law while handling a case with a similar plea claiming temple rights based on caste.
