Madras HC quashes PIL seeking Withdrawal of Annai Tamil Archanai scheme

Madras HC Non bailable warrant - law insider

Snehal Upadhyay

Published on: September 4, 2021, at 10:40 IST

The Madras High Court quashed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition which wanted withdrawal of the Annai Tamil Archanai scheme which was introduced by the State government recently. 

The scheme promoted mantras during any pooja to be chanted in Tamil rather than being chanted in Sanskrit in the temples. 

The Division Bench comprising Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu denied hearing any such PIL. The PIL was filed by Rangarajan Narasimhan.

Earlier, a Division Bench in the year 2008 adjourned a bunch of cases that were filed in the year 1998 and stated that Agama Sastras does not stop anyone from chanting mantras in Tamil.

With this as its reference, the Court stated that “Nothing that the petitioner cites would permit the court to take a contrary view on an issue that has already been decided.”

The petitioner contended that the HR&CE departments had tried to translate verses and hymns from Sanskrit to Tamil, and this is nothing but blasphemy.

In the PIL, the petitioner had further contended that chanting mantras in Sanskrit is being practised for a very long time, hence if it would be translated then it will destroy the essence, and he also said that the translation is not done properly.

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