MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras HC recently expressed displeasure over the reluctance shown by the Thoothukudi district authorities in implementing various orders passed by the court to prevent and regulate obscene performances during the Dussehra festival in Mutharamman temple in Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi.
A bench of justices Anita Sumanth and C Kumarappan observed while disposing of a petition filed by an advocate, B Ramkumar Adityan of Thoothukudi, seeking direction that the above-mentioned orders are strictly followed in the 2025 Dussehra festival in Kulasekarapattinam, which took place between September 23 and October 3.
Adityan had alleged that some people are organising obscene cultural events to earn money, thereby creating a wrong impression about the festival among the public. Though the Director General of Police, pursuant to the directions of the high court, had issued several directives to be followed during such festivals in 2023, they are not being implemented strictly, he further said.
Hearing these submissions, the division bench headed by Justice Sumanth had directed the formation of a monitoring committee to ensure that the cultural programmes that are conducted during the Dussehra festival in the above temple are in compliance with the guidelines issued by the DGP.
The monitoring committee should include nominees of the jurisdictional tahsildar, Kulasekarapattinam inspector of police and the temple’s executive officer and three more members representing the local people, including a woman, a youngster and a senior citizen, the bench had said, adding that the committee should attend the programmes on all days of the festivals and file a report along with photographs at the next hearing on October 9. There should be no alcohol consumption or obscene dance or songs during the events, they had said.
Though a compliance report was filed by the committee stating that there were no instances of dances or cultural programs violating the decorum and spiritual ethos of the festival, the petitioner disagreed and submitted a pendrive containing footage of obscene events conducted during the festival.
After watching the footage, the judges observed that such dance programs do not align with the spirituality of the Dussehra festival, and also contrary to the previous orders of the court in 2017 and 2022, and the consequential guidelines framed by the DGP in 2023.
The executive officer did not dispute the petitioner’s allegations but explained that the objectionable dances shown in the footage were not performed within the temple premises. Not satisfied with the response, the judges said they prima facie feel that the conduct of the authorities is not appreciable and made the above observations.