While Students Appearing For Board Exams Should Not Be Inconvenienced, Stopping Temple Festival Not The Solution: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation filed by a man seeking postponement of Panguni festival celebrations in light of the public examination. 

The bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy held that while it was important not to cause any inconvenience to the students preparing for the exam, stopping an annual temple festival was not the solution. The court however directed the concerned village authorities not to use loudspeakers on the days of the examination. 

"No doubt children can't be inconvenienced but stopping the festival is not a solution. The children can be made to prepare in a secluded place during the day. Exam is not only life. Festivals are also important."

The petitioner had submitted that both his son and daughter were preparing for the board exams which are scheduled to be conducted in the months of March and April. While so, the temples of Sri Sarvasithi Vinayagar, Sri Mariyamman, Sri Kaaliyamman, Sri Muniyappan Kadakadappan temples issued an invitation for "panguni" festival which is one of the grandest festival happening in the month of March for about a month till April. 

Since there are several schools functioning in the vicinity of the temples, the petitioner submitted that the celebrations would adversely affect the preparation of the students and would be a source of distraction. He also argued that the authorities should not have placed the temple festivities on priority and granted permission prior to the examinations. Thus, he sought directions to forbear the conduct of festivals and to postpone the same to another time. 

The court however was not in favour of this argument. It noted that thousands of children were preparing for the examinations while battling hurdles and thus an entire festival could not be stopped. 

The court also took note of the State's submissions that anti-noise pollution norms will be strictly adhered to by the village authorities and all security arrangements will be made. 

Case Title: S Murugesan v. The Commissioner HR&CE and others

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 88

Case No: WP 7725 of 2023