The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered notice to authorities on a petition seeking to quash an order of Revenue Divisional Officer prohibiting the conduct of a local temple festival in Uthapuram in the district.
Admitting the petition by Uthapuram Vellala Community President N Muthiah, who also sought police protection for the ongoing festival at Sri Muthalamman temple, Justice P N Prakash ordered notice to the officials.
The petitioner charged that the RDO of Usilampatti was prohibiting the peaceful conduct of the festival, when everything was smoothly proceeding, by issuing the order.
He pointed out that in 2012 itself the high court had ordered that the Superintendent of Police should monitor and implement the agreement reached between caste Hindus and Dalits in the village and ensure participation of all the communities in the festival.
The 11-day festival began on October 13 and was being celebrated smoothly when all of a sudden the RDO on October 16 pasted a backdated order prohibiting the holding of festival citing objection by some, the petitioner claimed.
Uthapuram was in limelight for an ‘untouchability’ wall erected separating the entry and exit of Scheduled Castes people of the village after a clash in 1989. Later the wall was demolished.
Then the SC people demanded right to worship in the temple and after clashes the peace committee meeting was convened and it was agreed to conduct the festival smoothly.
