No permission required for bhajan, reciting Rama Nama in private halls: TN government to Madras High Court

Conducting annadanam (donating food) and bhajans (devotional song) and reciting Rama Nama (name of Lord Ram) in private halls is not prohibited and would not require police permission, the Tamil Nadu government told the Madras High Court on Monday [L Ganapathy vs The Assistant Commissioner of Police and Anr]..Single-judge Justice N Anand Venkatesh recorded the State's submission while also saying that all such activities must be done in a pious and responsible manner without creating any law and order issues. "The above stand taken by the State Government and the Police makes it quite clear that conducting the function considering the auspicious occasion, singing Bhajans / uttering Rama Nama / Annadhanams is not per se prohibited or restricted and it must be borne in mind that all this will be done in a responsible and pious manner today without giving rise to any law and order problem," the Court observed.The single-judge underscored that bhakti (devotion) towards God is for peace and happiness and not to disturb the equilibrium in the society"No misinformation or wrong information must be permitted to be spread and this will be kept in mind by all parties concerned. Ultimately everyone concerned must keep in mind that Bhakti towards God is only for peace and happiness and not to disturb the equilibrium prevailing in the society," the Court said..The Court was hearing a petition by one L Ganapathy challenging an order of the Assistant Commissioner that rejected permission sought for bhajan and annadanam on January 22 at a marriage hall..When the matter was taken up for hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) A Damodharan informed the Court that permission had been granted subsequently..However, since many such functions were going to be held, the Court sought to understand the stand of the government and the police with regard to granting permission to conduct such functions..APP Damodharan clarified the following:Functions held in private enclosures do not require police permission. Organizers are responsible for making arrangements for live streaming of Pran Prathishta.If there is a possibility of the function extending to areas accessible to the general public, organizers must inform the police in advance to allow the police to take necessary measures to control the situation.For functions within temples under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR & CE Department), organizers must inform the relevant department official beforehand. Permission will be granted with reasonable conditions imposed by the Department.In areas deemed sensitive by the police, they have the authority to impose restrictions to prevent any potential law and order issues arising from the function..Considering this stand, the Court noted that that annadanam, singing bhajans and uttering Rama Nama were not per se prohibited.It, therefore, proceeded to dispose of the plea.The petitioner was represented by Senior Advocates G Karthikeyan and S Ravi along with advocates Abhinav Parthasarathy and Tarun Rao Kallakuru..[Read Order]