The petitioner requested that the term ‘Adi Dravidars’ be used instead of ‘Oorars’ (which refers to villagers) in the invitation for the annual festival at the Pattukottai Nadiamman temple in Thanjavur.
Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that temple festivals should be inclusive and open to all people belonging to the Hindu religion, including Scheduled Caste (SC) communities.
The court criticized the exclusion of an SC community from the invitation for a temple festival, stating that their non-inclusion was based on the unjust reason that they had not contributed money to the event. The court also ordered authorities to avoid mentioning any caste names in future festival invitations.
A bench consisting of Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete passed this judgment in response to a petition filed by KP Selvaraj, President of the Naduvikottai Adi Dravidar Welfare Association.
The petitioner requested that the term ‘Adi Dravidars’ be used instead of ‘Oorars’ (which refers to villagers) in the invitation for the annual festival at the Pattukottai Nadiamman temple in Thanjavur.
The issue arose because the temple’s executive officer had listed the names of various sponsors along with their caste identities in the invitation. However, the Adi Dravidar community was not mentioned explicitly. Instead, they were collectively referred to as ‘Oorars’ on the grounds that they had not donated money to the festival.
The court noted that a similar controversy had taken place at the same temple in 2009, which had led to a peace committee meeting. The judges condemned the practice of identifying dominant caste groups while keeping Dalits under a generic label, thereby denying them recognition and visibility.
The bench criticized the executive officer for supporting such discrimination, despite being a government official.
The judges stated, “It is strange that the executive officer, being a government officer, is supporting this.”
Dalits Must Be Recognized Without Forcing Caste Identity
Justice AD Maria Clete emphasized the importance of acknowledging Dalits without making them declare their caste identity.
He remarked, “This selective visibility reinforces systemic inequality, denying Dalits both social value, privacy and meaningful participation in society.”
Further, he explained the dilemma faced by Dalits due to such discrimination.
“The failure to explicitly recognise Dalits forces them into a dilemma — either accept invisibility or assert their caste identity to gain acknowledgment.”
The judge stressed that real inclusivity means ensuring Dalits are recognized without being compelled to declare their caste identity.
“True inclusivity must reconcile this contradiction by ensuring that Dalits have the right to be recognised without being compelled to declare their caste identity, thus balancing their dignity, privacy, and equitable participation in public religious affairs.”
Participation Must Be Genuine, Not Symbolic
The bench also observed that even if temple authorities claim there is no restriction on Scheduled Caste individuals from attending the festival, their participation must be meaningful and not just a formality.
The judges noted, “The core issue is not nomenclature, so merely passing an order to include their name will not necessarily ensure them genuine participation and equality in the festival.”
Reaffirming the need for true inclusivity, the court pointed out that simply allowing Dalits to worship is not enough if they do not have an equal role in the festival’s celebrations.
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Justice Clete reiterated the harmful impact of selective recognition.
“This selective visibility reinforces systemic inequality, denying Dalits both social value, privacy and meaningful participation in society.”
