S.Venkatesh And Others vs Revenue Divisional And Others

G.K.Ilanthiraiyan, J

Since the issue involved in both the writ petitions are one and the same, both the writ petitions are disposed of by this common order.

The petitioner in W.P.(MD)No.19288 of 2019 seeks for the issuance of a direction to the respondents 1 to 4 herein to conduct the Kumbabishekam of 'Sri Narayana Swami Temple' situated at Idayaarthavanai Village, Veerakeralampudur Taluk, which is scheduled to be held on 08.09.2019 and 09.09.2019, by permitting the petitioner's community people to participate in accordance to the finding in the Peace Committee meeting held by the 2nd respondent dated 03.06.2019 and by providing adequate police protection for conducting the Kumbabishekam festival.

The petitioner in W.P.(MD)No.19289 of 2019 seeks for a direction to the respondents herein to give police protection to the Kumbabishekam festival of Arulmigu Sri Ramaswamy Thirukovil, Idayarthavanai, V.K.Pudur Taluk, Tirunelveli District on 07.09.2019 and 08.09.2019 based upon the petitioner's representation dated 29.08.2019.

The petitioner in W.P.(MD) No.19288 of 2019 belongs to one particular community and there are about 70 families belonging to the same community. In their village, "Sri Narayanaswami Temple" is situated and the fifth respondent belongs to some other community and he has been serving as Nattamai for the above said Temple. The said Temple has been worshipped by various communities in the said village. While being so, the fifth respondent community people with ulterior motive and to claim exclusive right over the said Temple attempted to conduct Kumbabishekam festival by excluding the members of other communities and scheduled the festival on 08.09.2019 and 09.09.2019.

In these facts and circumstances, the petitioner community people requested them to receive their donation to conduct the Kumbabishekam festival, which was refused by the fifth respondent. Therefore, there was a dispute between them and the matter has been referred to the second respondent. The second respondent conducted the Peace Committee meeting on 03.06.2019 in which both the parties appeared and attended and resolved the issue that the Kumbabiskeham festival shall be conducted by collecting taxes from all community people and also undertook to adhere to the law and order situation imposed by the concerned jurisdiction police station.

Further, resolved that the petitioner's committee people shall collect the taxes from the petitioner community people by a person, who shall be appointed and on condition that they shall not claim any hereditary right over the Temple. Even then, the fifth respondent refused to collect any donation from the petitioner community for the Kumbabiskekam festival.

The learned counsel for the petitioner in W.P.(MD) No.19289 of 2019 submitted that a group of community people gave a complaint against the petitioner before the second respondent and F.I.R was filed in Crime No.207 of 2019 under Section 107 of Cr.P.C. and the same has been forwarded to the Revenue Divisional Officer, Tenkasi and the same is pending. Even in the Peace Committee meeting, resolutions have been passed to conduct Kumbabishekam by way of collection of donation from all community people and it was made clear that the petitioner community shall not claim right over the property of the Temple or over the Temple and in this regard, there was a dispute. Therefore, the petitioner has sought for police protection to conduct the Kumbabishekam for the "Sri Narayanaswami Temple" .

Learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the official respondents submitted that both the parties belong to different community. They agreed to the resolution passed in the Peace Committee meeting conducted by the second respondent in which both agreed to collect taxes, on condition that the petitioner community in W.P.(MD) No.19288 of 2019 shall not claim any right over the title of the property of the temple or other rights.

Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners in both the cases and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the official respondents.

The petitioner in both the writ petitions belong to different communities. There is a dispute between both the communities in respect of conducting the Kumbabishekam festival of Arulmigu Sri Ramaswamy Thirukovil, Idayarthavanai, V.K.Pudur Taluk, Tirunelveli District. Therefore the matter has been referred before the second respondent for conducting Peace Committee meeting on 03.06.2019. The second respondent conducted the Peace Committee meeting in which both the groups appeared and agreed to resolve the resolution.

"சமாதானக கூட்டத்தில க Pழ்க்கண்டவாறு த Pர்மானம நிறைவேற்றப்பட்டது:

வீரகேரளம்புதூர் வட்டம்ää சுரண்டை கிராமம மஜரா இடையவர்தவணை அருள்மிகு நாராயணசாமி கோவில திருவிழா மற்றும் கும்பாபிஷேகத்தை இருதரப்பிலிருந்தும வரிவசூல் செய்து எந்த வித பிரச்சனையும் இன்றி நடத்த கொள்ள வேண்டும்

கும்பாபிஷேக திருவிழாவில் இருதரப்பிலிருந்தும் சட்டம ஒழுங்கு பிரச்சனை ஏற்படா வண்ணம் நடந்து கொள்வது என்று இருதரப்பு நாட்டாண்மைகளும் ஒப்புக்கொண்டனர். அவ்வாறு இருபிரிவினரிடையே பிரச்சனை ஏற்படும் பட்சத்தில சட்டா Pதியாக இருதரப்பு நாட்டாண்மைகள் மீதும் காவல்துறை மூலமாக நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளப்படும் என்பது தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டது.

கோனார் பிரிவு மக்களிடம் கும்பாபிஷேகத்திற்காக வரிவசூல் செய்யும் வகைக்கு அப்பிரிவில் இருந்து ஒருவரை நியமனம் செய்ய இருதரப்பிலிருந்தும ஒத்துக்கொள்ளப்பட்டது.

கும்பாபிஷேகத் திருவிழா எவ்வித பிரச்சனையும் இன்றி நடைபெற கோனார் சமுதாய மக்கள் நம்பியார் பரம்பரை அக்குதாரர்களின் நடவடிக்கையில் தலையிடக்கூடாது என்றும முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டு இருதரப்பிலும் அதற்கு ஒத்துக்கொள்ளப்பட்டது. "

According to the resolution passed in the Peace Committee meeting, both the groups agreed to collect taxes on condition that the particular community shall not claim any rights over the Temple property or other right over the Temple. The petitioner in W.P.(MD) No. 19289 of 2019 has agreed to collect taxes from the petitioner community people in W.P.(MD) No.19288 of 2019, on condition that they shall not claim any right or title over the Temple or properties belonging to the Temple.

Considering the above said facts and circumstances, the petitioner group in W.P.(MD) No.19289 of 2019 and the fifth respondent in W.P.(MD) No.19288 of 2019 are directed to receive donation from other community people for the Kumbabisehkam festival to be conducted for the temple "Sri Narayanaswami Temple" on 07.09.2019 and 08.09.2019 and issue receipt under the caption "donation for conducting Kumbabishekam of 'Sri Narayanaswami Temple'". Further, both the community people shall abide by the resolution as agreed before the second respondent in the Peace Committee meeting, failing which, the Inspector of Police Station is directed to take appropriate action against the person who violates the resolution passed in the Peace committee Meeting.

On these conditions, the fourth respondent is directed to provide police protection to Kumbabishekam festival of Arulmigu Sri Ramaswamy Thirukovil, Idayarthavanai, V.K.Pudur Taluk, Tirunelveli District which is scheduled to be conducted on 07.09.2019 and 08.09.2019. With these observations and directions, these writ petitions are disposed of. No costs. Consequently, connected W.M.P.(MD) No. 15711 of 2019 is closed.