Record dances, also known as cabarets, during temple festivals are a strict no-no, Madras High Court has ruled. Reason: They portray women in an indecent manner.
Justice K. Chandru recently dismissed a batch of petitions by M. Palani-samy and others seeking permission to organise a cultural programme, which included Indian dances, during Salem’s Mariamman Temple Fest.
The judge said, “It must be noted that deity Mariamman is worshipped in a female form. During the festival in the Tamil month of Panguni, the petitioners cannot be allowed to have indecent portrayal of women through such dances, called record or cabaret dances in popular lingo.
Portrayal of women in an indecent fashion itself is an offence under provisions of Indecent Represen-tation of Women (Prohibi-tion) Act. This court cannot be a party to such illegal acts by the petitioners.”
HC said the petitioners had not elaborated what the term Indian dance meant. It said of late, there were reports in the Press that such dances bordered on vulgarity and obscenity.
The court said in most places, there were ill-clad women gyrating to the tunes of obscene film songs and there were public protests against such dances in the vicinity of Mariamman Temple.
“If the petitioners arrange such a programme in a private hall, there will be scope to decide legal right. Supreme Court has emphasised the content of Articles 25 and 26 to mean what is protected by these Articles is only the integral part of a religion. A dance programme in connection with Mariamman Temple Festival is not an essential part of Hindu religion.”