[Shirur Mutt] Does law prevent a 16-year-old from being a swami? Karnataka High Court to examine

The Karnataka High Court will examine whether there is any legal bar on minors taking up sanyasa..A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum appointed Senior Advocate SS Naganand as amicus curiae to look into various legal aspects surrounding the same."Is there any law that prevents a 16 year from being a swami? Look at Buddhism", the Karnataka High Court remarked.The Court was hearing a plea a petition questioning the legality of anointing a 16-year-old minor as the Matadhipathi (chief pontiff) of the Udupi Shiroor Mutt community.The petition was moved by the managing trust of Sri Shiroor Mutt Bhaktha Samithi, Udupi, represented by P Lathavya Acharya and others."How old is the child? 16 years and you treat him as a child," the Bench further asked the petitioner..At this juncture, the counsel appearing for the State government submitted that there is no judgement which stipulates that a minor cannot be a swami. .Adding on, it was contended that issues such as marriage etc. will be decided by the minor when he turns 21. "He always has that choice," it was said. .He cannot be forced to have formal education, if he wants to go to a gurukul and learn about Upanishads, it was submitted. ."Shankararchya became swami at age of 12, the Division Bench interjected to add. .State counsel then apprised the Court that married men have never become sanyasis. Advocate appearing for the petitioner said, "The important question here is, in the scheme of Constitution, can material abandonment be forced upon a child? This decision cannot even to be taken by guardian as per judgement in Sheela Barse.".The Court termed it an important issue and proceeded to appoint Naganand as amicus curiae. The matter will be next heard on September 23..During one of the earlier hearings, the Court had opined that a "minor may not understand the consequences of what he is doing," and urged the State government to reconsider its stand on the issue of anointing a minor as the Matadhipathi of Shiroor Mutt.