The Madras High Court on Tuesday noted that it is the moral obligation and also the mandate under the provisions of Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorisation Act, 1947, for the Nagapattinam district authorities to permit people belonging to scheduled caste community to have right of worship at Sri Badrakaliamman temple in Kallimedu village, and to perform rituals during Aadi festival.
‘Arrive at compromise’
“This court hopes that the petitioners will be alive to the said situation and work out some compromise, so that at least in the next year during the Tamil month of Aadi, the temple festival is performed without any problem or hitch,” Justice M. Sathyanarayanan said while hearing a plea moved by M. Shanmugavelu and two others of the village.
‘Cancel order’
The petitioners wanted the court to quash an order of the Nagapattinam Collector dated July 30, cancelling the Aadi festival at the temple due to a dispute over mandagapadi (Sponsoring a day’s event) and consequently direct the Collector and the Joint Commissioner, HR and CE, Thanjavur to conduct the festival as per agama principles. They also wanted an inquiry to be ordered to probe the excesses committed by the officials.
“From time immemorial three mandagapadi were performed as a special right by people of Kallimedu West, East and Thamaraipulam village. During the last year’s celebration, people of Pazhag Kallimedu also wanted to offer mandagapadi ,” the petitioners said.
In 2015, the people of Pazhag Kallimedu moved the High Court raising the issue, while another section of them announced that they would embrace Islam if they were not allowed to perform the special right.
A peace meeting was arranged by the district administration on July 30 in the presence of Textiles Minister O.S. Manian. As no amicable solution was arrived at, the authorities cancelled the festival.
The present petition was moved claiming that the order passed by the Collector was unlawful and that the authority has no power to alter, stipulate conditions or cancel the rituals and procedures.
