HC tells TN officials not to mention caste names in temple fest invitations

OBSERVING that temple festivals should be inclusive and celebrated by all people belonging to the Hindu religion, including those belonging to Scheduled Caste communities, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently criticised the exclusion of a SC community from a temple festival invitation on the ground that they did not donate any money for the festival. It ordered the authorities not to mention caste names in future invitations of the temple concerned.

- JEGADEESWARI PANDIAN @Madurai

A bench comprising Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete passed the order on a petition filed by KP Selvaraj, president of the Naduvikottai Adi Dravidar Welfare Association, seeking a direction to print 'Adi Dravidars,' instead of 'Oorars' (referring to the villagers), in the invitation for the annual festival