HC refuses to allow cultural dance programmes in temple fests

Madras High Court today refused to allow cultural dance programmes in temple festivals, saying it was a recent creation and not borne out by any tradition or culture.
"Such a requirement to conduct dance festivals in temples is a recent creation and not borne out by any tradition or culture," Justice B Rajendran said, dismissing petitions filed by members of public of Salem, Namakkal and Erode districts.
The Court said it had been brought to its notice that such dance programs are conducted only to lure young minds and to take them to wrong path and that audiences there are mostly intoxicated. Besides they use the area where the programmes are held for unlawful activities. Such practices have to be curbed, the court said.

The petitioners wanted to conduct cultural dance programmes in the annual temple festivals on different dates in February/March 2014.
Dismissing the petitions,Justice Rajendran quoted several Judgements of High Court and Supreme Court, saying the petitioners in all these cases sent representations to Station House Officers just two days prior from post offices in the area and filed petitions even before these reach them.
The court said the practice of sending representations to SHO's seeking permission to hold such festivals to give police protection, which have not even been received by officials, alleging their representations have not been considered and seeking a direction from the court, has to be curbed.

The Judge said the petitioners have not cited any Statute which imposes an obligation or public duty on authorities to permit them to conduct such dances.

He further said police alone are competent to ensure if permission can be granted or denied. When police deny it, the court normally cannot interfere, he said and dismissed the petitions.
On March 4 also, the court had dismissed a batch of petitions seeking a direction to relevant officials to permit organising cultural dance programs in connection with annual temple festivals.
It had said the petitioners are private individuals who seek to make use of temple festivals for dance programmes and not for propitiating the presiding deities of those temples, but for arousing basic instincts of those assembled there under the garb of devotees.