HC directs police to allow meetings of pro-Tamil outfits

The Madras High Court today permitted two pro-Tamil outfits to hold meetings to commemorate those, who laid down their lives during the 'Eelam war' between 1989 and 2009 in Sri Lanka, at Kolathur in Salem district and at Palanisamy grounds in Alamoor on November 27.
Justice M.M. Sundresh allowed two different pleas filed by C Ramamurthy, town secretary of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam and by P Bharathi of Sethiathope in Cuddalore district, a functionary of Naam Thamizhar Katchi, praying for direction to police to permit the meetings.
The judge directed the respective police authorities to allow the petitioners to conduct the meetings.

Ramamurthy submitted that he had been conducting the meeting for the past 10 years. But when he applied for permission on November 6, police refused the same and sought a direction to police to allow the meeting.
The judge, while quoting earlier orders passed by the Madras High Court on similar petitions, based on the rulings of the Supreme Court, said "the same can be made applicable to the case on hand. Sec. 30 (2) of TN Police Act is only regulatory in nature and there cannot be a blanket prohibition on any meeting. Petitioner is proposing to hold the meeting in a private land and directed the police to grant permission with the conditions as they impose."

Allowing Bharathi's plea, the judge said "there is no material to come to the conclusion that the meeting will create law and order problem as the petitioner has been conducting the meeting for the past 20 years without any trouble. The permission for the meeting is sought for only one day and the authorities can very well regulate it by fixing the time and venue."
"It is now agreed that the meeting can be held at Palanisamy Grounds Situated in Alamoor. Therefore, the respondents can very well regulate the meeting by imposing the conditions including the time and manner in which the meeting has to be conducted. They can take appropriate action if any of the conditions imposed is violated.