Don't Want To Open Pandoras Box: Madras High Court Junks Plea To Declare Thirukkural As National Book
The Madras High Court recently dismissed a petition seeking to declare Thiru Kural as a “National Book with high values and virtues of India” or the “National Literature of virtue with Ethics of India”.
Thirukural, written by Saint Thiruvalluvar, is a Tamil language text containing short couplets that deal with teachings on virtue, wealth, and love among other social and political issues.
Dismissing a petition filed by one Selva Kumar, the Madurai bench of Justice R Subramaniam and Justice Victoria Gowri said that the declaration was a policy decision, to be taken by the concerned government and was not within the domain of the court. The bench also said that it did not want to open a pandoras box as allowing the prayer would result in a situation where every high court would end up passing orders for declaring a particular text as national book.
“Moreover by its nature, our Nation has got several people speaking several languages and in such situation, if the prayer of the petitioner is allowed, it will result in every High Court in the country passing orders for recognizing a particular text or an epic or a book as a National Book of High Values and Virtues of India. We are not for a moment restricting Thirukural to Tamil Nadu alone but at the same time, we do not want to open the Pandoras box, that will lead to complete chaos,” the court observed.
Selva had approached the court to direct the State to take appropriate action to declare Thiru Kural as the National Book with an official declaration in the Gazette. He also sought for Thiru Kural to be translated in all Indian languages and taught as a curriculum in all educational institutions functioning under the Union and State government.
Apart from this, Selva had also sought for directions to the State to declare all sangam period literature as national property of India and start issuing awards in the name of Thiruvalluvar for social activities and service for the promotion of nation. He also sought for erecting a statute of Thiruvalluvar in the vicinity of new parliamentary building and to declare Thiruvalluvar as the ethical and spiritual guru of India and celebrating his birth day as a national holiday like Gandhi Jayanti.
The court, however dismissed the petition noting that it could not pass such orders since it was a policy decision.
Counsel for Petitioner: Mr.M.Sri.Vakumar Party in Person
Counsel for Respondents: Mr.K.Govindarajan Deputy Solicitor General of India, Mr.P.Thilakkumar Government Pleader
Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Mad) 317
Case Title: M Selva Kumar v Union of India
Case No: W.P.(MD) No.19007 of 2024