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Madras HC rejects caste bar on pulling temple cars

A division bench of the Madras high court today ruled that the public, irrespective of caste and creed, should be permitted to pull temple cars after rituals were performed according to the tradition.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice M S Liberhan and Justice K Govindarajan, gave the ruling while admitting a petition filed by 'Puthia Tamizhagam' party president Dr K Krishnasamy, MLA, seeking a direction to the state government and the temple authorities to permit Dalits in and around Devakottai taluk in Sivaganga district to enter all the temples in the taluk and participate in pulling of the respective temple cars without any hindrance.

The court also ordered issuance of notice to the state government, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board, management of the Swarnamootheshwar temple at Kandadevi village in Devakottai taluk, returnable in eight weeks.

It also directed the state administration to take steps to hold the festival in a peaceful manner and ensure the participation of peace loving citizens in the Swarnamootheshwar temple rituals, to be held tomorrow.

According to the petitioner, though the Kandadevi village consisted of only 120 upper caste families, people from 200 surrounding villages including Dalits used to take part in the temple festival and pull the car. But this time, people belonging to a particular community were attempting to exclude and prevent the Dalits from participating in the festival, he submitted.

UNI

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