MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed to exclude people who oppose Adi Dravidars from participating in a temple’s mandagapadi event, from joining the temple festival.
A division bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and G Arul Murugan, while hearing a joint petition filed by Kasinadhan, Tamilarasan and Swaminadhan, said the Aadi festival at Kamakshi Amman Temple in Melamangalam North village of Pudukkottai district will commence from July 21 with 'Kappu Kattuthal', and the festivities would continue for 10 days.
Each day, a mandagapadi event would be held as per the custom, which has been followed for several years. All villagers, irrespective of their sect, community or caste would be permitted to participate in the mandagapadi event on the 1st and 10th day.
"However, the petitioner Kasinathan’s contention is that Adi Dravidars are not permitted to join or perform mandagapadi,” the court observed.
The court added that the additional government pleader submitted that a peace committee meeting was convened by the revenue tahsildar on July 16, where all the stakeholders were invited.
"Let the tahsildar or any other revenue official, who conduct such peace committee meeting, explore the possibility of involving people of all communities in the mandagapadi on either the 1st day or the 10th day, including Adi Dravidar families residing in the village. If that is agreed upon unanimously, a decision can be recorded and placed before this court".
Further, the court said if any individual or group oppose the participation of Adi Dravidars, the revenue officials can take a note of such people and they would be excluded from joining the festivities. This can be made clear to those people and accordingly, an amicable solution can be explored and finalised by the revenue officials. A detailed report shall be filed before this court on July 18, the bench stated.