CHENNAI, INDIA, September 10, 2013 (Samachar.com): HPI Note: We’ve added an explanation below the news report of this unusual event and ruling.
News report:
Refusing to show any indulgence to caste organizations holding annual guru puja to celebrate their idols [HPI note: in this case, they mean “idol” as “revered hero,” not as a murthi for worship, which has led to some confusion on the Web as to what was being banned], the Madras high court has dismissed petitions seeking permission for hired vehicles from other districts to converge in Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli districts. Justice N. Kirubakaran has dismissed all the three writ petitions filed by three different castes for seeking a direction from the court to bring outside vehicles, relax prohibitory orders and give police protection.
While Sivakumar of Ramanathapuram district secretary of Tamil Pulikal Organization wanted to hold a guru puja for Ondi Veeran (a famed freedom fighter of the Thevar community) at Nerkattumseval in Tirunelveli, Vijaya of Cuddalore district wanted the court to direct the authorities not to restrain them from participating in or holding a memorial function for Immanual Sekaran function at Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district. Both the petitions were dismissed by Justice Kirubakaran on Tuesday. He had received the verdict on August 31 at the Madurai bench of the court.
A similar petition, filed by one Velayuthasamy of Tirunelveli district seeking permission to conduct a meeting for one more caste hero, Poolithevan, had already been dismissed by the same judge in Madurai. Meanwhile, the first bench comprising acting Chief Justice R. K. Agrawal and Justice M. Sathyanarayanan issued notices on a PIL filed by one Varaaki seeking blanket ban on all such guru pooka and caste-based memorial functions in Tamil Nadu.
Explanation offered to HPI from a Tamil Nadu resident:
“Two communities are involved in this. One is scheduled caste or, as they are called in local parlance, Pallan. They are dalits and renamed themselves as Devandra Kula Vellalar. The other is the Thevar community. They regard themselves as warriors or kshatriyas, and sometimes say they were former kings and chieftains. Both have conducted annual Guru pujas for their heroes. In the past these turned violent, leading to loss of life and extensive damage to properties as each community vowed to show their supremacy. Large numbers are brought to the site of the guru puja by hired vehicles, then indulge in unruly activity leading to clashes with the opposite community. That is why there is this ban. The political parties are also exploiting the situation.”