India is secular, but dharmic-cultural events not banned, says Karnataka high court

BENGALURU: India is a secular country, but it does not mean Dharmic and cultural activities can't be entertained, Karnataka high court has observed.

The court made the observation, setting aside a city corporation's order denying permission to Malleshwaram Brahmana Sabha for holding Shankaracharya Jayanti at one of its auditoriums. Bengaluru West City Corporation had said Yoga Auditorium in Sankey Tank Park cannot be utilised for Dharmic activities as it was meant for yoga and related events.

Stating that Shankaracharya Jayanti is not only Dharmic but also a cultural activity, Justice MI Arun said "what is not prohibited is permitted".

The petitioner argued the govt had been permitting several activities in the auditorium and there were no strong grounds to reject its request. The corporation submitted the auditorium is "generally" not given for religious and political activities.

Justice MI Arun said the corporation has not been able to produce guidelines or regulations stipulating the purposes for which the auditorium can be utilised.

Further, the court said, the Constitution of India itself contains pictures from a Gurukul, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, Gautama Buddha and the like. Thus, the celebration of Indian culture, which is intertwined with Dharma, can never be considered as illegal or unconstitutional."


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