The Allahabad High Court recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Sanjay Kumar Nishad, which sought modifications to the statue of King Nishad Raj and Lord Shri Ram at Sringverpur Dham in Soraon, Prayagraj. The petitioner argued that the current depiction of the statue, showing King Nishadraj in a hugging position with Lord Ram, did not align with the descriptions in the Ramcharitmanas and thus, violated their constitutional right to worship.
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The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Donadi Ramesh, concluded that the matter falls within the domain of the Executive and not the judiciary. They also noted that they were not convinced of any violation of constitutional rights as claimed by the petitioner. While dismissing the PIL, the court allowed the petitioner the liberty to seek other appropriate remedies.
For context, the Ramcharitmanas narrates an episode where Lord Ram, along with his brother Lakshman and wife Sita, stayed for a night in a village before their forest exile. They encountered reluctance from boatmen to ferry them across the Ganges. King Nishadraj, demonstrating profound devotion, offered to carry them across if Lord Ram permitted him to wash their feet. Lord Ram consented, and Nishadraj washed his feet with water from the Ganges, symbolizing his deep reverence.
The petitioner’s contention was that the statue’s portrayal in a hugging position did not accurately reflect this historical and religious narrative, thereby necessitating changes to respect the community’s worship practices. However, the court’s decision emphasizes the separation of powers, indicating that such matters of religious depiction and cultural representation are typically handled by the executive branch of the government, rather than the judiciary.