K KARUNTHAMALAI Vs. DISTRICT COLLECTOR, RAMANATHAPURAM DISTRICT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The instances of questioning the administration in regulating procession on a particular route to maintain law and order are not new for the Court, as it had seen number of such challenges. One of such challenge is by the petitioner, claiming to be the President of Maravar Sangam, Mandalamanickam Village, as espoused before this Court in this writ petition.

(2.) Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar's 102nd Jayanthi is to be held on 30th October, 2009 at his birth village, namely Pasumpon. Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar was an icon in the political life in Southern Tamil Nadu, later on recognised as such in the national stream. He had adopted a simple and strict life style and interacted with all caste people in local communities. Pillars of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar's political thought were among spiritualism and nationalism. Muthuramalinga Thevar's Jayanthi to be held on 30.10.2009 has given cause for the petitioner to approach this Court for a direction to the respondents to permit the villagers belonging to Mandalamanickam village to worship Muthuramalinga Thevar statue in the said village, while they come back from Usilampatti to Pasumpon via. Madurai, Kariapatti, Thiruchuli, Muthuramalingapuramputhur, Mandalamanickam, Kamuthi, Kottai Medu, before they reach Pasumpon Village.

(3.) According to the petitioner, he is a freedom fighter and he and the villagers had been conducting Thevar Jayanthi and Guru Pooja function every year on 30th October for the last 47 years. The practice hitherto adopted was that the villagers, presently numbering 60, will leave Mandalamanickam village to Usilampatti, through Muthuramalingapuramputhur, on 28th October, they take Torch from Usilampatti and come back to their village on 29th October only through Muthuramalingapuramputhur and after having darshan at Muneeswaran Temple and Muthuramalinga Thevar Statue in their village, they leave to Pasmpon Village. This year, the respondents are not allowing the villagers to go to Usilampatti via.Muthuramalingapuramputhur and again from Usilampatti to their village through Muthuramalingapuramputhur on the ground of anticipated law and order problem. There is no reason exist for such an apprehension and if the route is diverted, the procession had to further cover 60 kilometres more, resulting in hardship.