Sanatan Prabhat > Post Type > News > National News > As Hindu majority opposes building a church near the temple, the administration must listen : Madras High Court

As Hindu majority opposes building a church near the temple, the administration must listen : Madras High Court

Interim stay given to construction of a church next to 100-year-old 'Mariyamman' temple in Coimbatore

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) – The Madras High Court has granted an interim stay on the construction of a church near the 100-year-old ‘Mariyamman’ temple in Coimbatore. ‘It cannot be denied that there is malicious intent behind the proposal to construct a big church in the temple premises,’ the Court observed. A division bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan passed the interim order on a petition filed by Balasubramanyam N. (a resident of Kalapatti, Coimbatore).

Observations of the Court

1. Coimbatore is a religiously sensitive city. It has witnessed bomb blasts and violent religious riots. The proposed church will come up within walking distance of the existing Mariyamman temple. The number of Christian families in this area is very small. If there is a proposal to build a big church in such a place, a malicious intent cannot be ruled out.

2. Hindus are in a majority in the area and have strongly opposed the construction of a church in the temple area. When Hindus are in the majority and are strongly opposed to the construction of a church in the temple area, the administration cannot ignore it.

3. Article 25 of the Constitution of India grants the right to practice and propagate religion; but this right is subject to public order. If the legal right is proven or the opposition is found to be unreasonable, the government can go to any extent to preserve that right.

4. In the present case, the bench found that there was prima facie reason to prevent the construction of the church. If an interim order is not granted, there would be immense harm to social harmony.

5. The political situation may change; but as long as the law remains in place, it is our duty to enforce it.

Latest Articles