DHARMA AMID RULE OF LAW

Centuries of discrimination against dharmic sentiments’ and colonial-era disparagement of Indian traditions have left a residue of trauma in the collective Hindu consciousness.

- TDG NETWORK NEW DELHI

A recent Supreme Court case in In_dia highlighted the friction between religious sentiment and secular law.

The Court dismissed a petition seeking to reconstruct a damaged idol of Lord Vishnu at Khajuraho's Javari Temple - a UNESCO-listed heritage site calling it a "publicity interest litigation." During| the hearing, Chief Justice B.R. Gavai remarked that the devotee-petitioner should "go and ask the deity himself to do something," pointing out that the matter fell under the Archaeological Survey of India's jurisdiction. This quip, perceived by some as flippant or disrespectful, sparked outrage. Days later, an advocate in the Supreme Court attempted to hurl a shoe at the Chief Justice, shouting "Sanatan Dharam ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan," meaning "India will not tolerate disrespect towards Sanatan Dharma". This dramatic protest - unprecedented in India's highest court - underscored a growing trend of public anger when devotional sentiments collide with legal constraints. In this report, we delve into the history of such protest incidents, the psyche behind defending Sanatan Dharma in contemporary India, and the legal principles (like the Archaeological preservation laws and worship acts) that often find themselves at odds with these religious claims.