Taking a serious view of obscene aadal paadal programmes being conducted as Kuravan-Kurathi Aattam, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the State to ensure that no dance performance takes caste’s or a tribal community’s name.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and J. Sathya Narayana Prasad directed authorities not to grant permission for cultural programmes or aadal paadal programmes depicting obscenity and denigrating the social status of people of Kuravar community. If any complaint was made, action should be taken against the offenders.
Further, the court directed the Cyber Crime Department to open a separate portal for the public to post their complaints with necessary evidence about scandalous dance videos. The officials concerned should verify and expunge the videos besides taking criminal action against the offenders, the court directed.
The court observed that Kuravars’ culture was intertwined with nature and environment with a deep attachment to their lands. However, the members of the community had been denied access to basic amenities, education and employment opportunities, leading to lack of representation in the mainstream. It had resulted in a feeling of alienation among them.
Therefore, the State must take proactive measures to address their concerns and ensure that they were provided with all the rights, privileges and amenities available to others, the judges observed.
Kuravan-Kurathi Aattam was one of the art forms performed in village festivals. Initially, the dance performances were related to social problems and politics. However, this has changed during recent times and the performances began incorporating obscene dances.
Such misrepresentation and misappropriation of Kuravars’ indigenous art form would hurt the community’s feelings and the acts of objectification ultimately led to their being disrespected and ostracised though they were not involved in the performances.
Therefore, the names used in the videos on social media, identifying the dance performance with Kuravars, should be expunged and appropriate criminal action initiated against violators by creating a separate portal by the Cyber Crime Department to enable the public to make their complaints with supportive documents, the judges observed.
The court passed the directions on a public interest litigation petition filed by Muthu Murugan of Vilangudi in Madurai district who sought a direction to the authorities to take appropriate action against the conduct of obscene dance programmes in the name of Kuravan-Kurathi Aattam.
