Madras High Court: Preventing Dalits From Temple Entry is Untouchability

The Madras High Court has held that preventing a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste from entering a temple on casteist grounds amounts to the practice of untouchability and violates the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 17 of the Constitution [Sundaram Vs District Collector].Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy said that no person can be denied entry into a temple or prevented from participating in a temple festival on the basis of caste."If any person prevents another person from entering the temple on casteist grounds, particularly if a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste is prevented from entering the temple, such an act would amount to the practice of untouchability and would constitute a violation of the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 17 of the Constitution of India,” the Court said.The Court added that a person responsible for such an act would be liable to be prosecuted in accordance with law.Justice D Bharatha ChakravarthyThe observations came in a petition filed by V Sundaram seeking equal representation for members of the Milagu Kattan Adidravidar Community in the Arulmigu Muthu Mariamman Temple chariot festival at Ramanayakkanpalayam in Salem district.Sundaram sought directions to the district authorities to ensure that members of the community were permitted to participate in the festival on an equal footing with other sections. He also sought directions against certain private respondents from preventing their participation.During the hearin