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Taking note of frequent instances where land encroachment is committed by or on behalf of religious institutions, the Madras High Court has called on the state to take appropriate measures to counter the same.
In an order passed on Friday, Justice SM Subramaniam emphasised,
“An Encroachment is an encroachment. Encroachment can never be approved or allowed. Even Deity as a legal person, cannot commit an act of encroachment. If a Deity in a Temple commits an act of encroachment, that is also to be dealt with, in accordance with law and because it is a Deity, the Rule of law cannot be diluted…All concerned are bound to follow the rule of law and respect the law for an orderly society and to respect the sentiments of their neighbours and all other citizens.“
The judge was prompted to make the observation in a case involving a plea to remove an unauthorized construction in the name of a Vinayagar Temple in Coimbatore. The plea lead the Court to take up the broader issue of land encroachment by religious institutions in general as well. As noted in the order,
“This Court is of an opinion that [a] large number of Temples on the public roads, Government Poramboke areas, Water bodies and water resources are being constructed by few land mafias and few greedy men for their personal gains and for unlawful enrichments.
Such Temples are being constructed by these men either to grab the land or for personal unlawful enrichment. The growing trend across the Country is that on public roads by causing inconvenience to the vehicular traffic and passer-by, few men are constructing Temples and thereafter, causing greater nuisance to the vehicular traffic and for the movement of the people in that locality.
Such Temples in Road sides are constructed without obtaining proper permission from the competent authorities. Such Temples are constructed by way of an encroachment. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department cannot encourage such attitude of the people in respect of construction of Temple by encroaching the public lands and the public roads. It amounts to abuse of sentiments and emotions of the people with reference to their Religious faiths and sentiments.“
The Court went on to emphasise,
“Under these circumstances, the Temples, Churches, Mosques or any other Religious institutions, if constructed by encroaching the public roads causing inconvenience to the vehicular traffic or if any constructed in water resources and water bodies, depriving the citizen to get the water resources, then all are to be dealt in accordance with law as stated earlier by this Court.
Deity being a legal person cannot be allowed to encroach the public land with the help of few land mafias or some land grabbers.”
Concerned authorities of the state’s Home Department, Municipal Administration Department, Highways Department and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department have been suo motu impleaded by the Court in the matter. The Court has directed that relevant statistics concerning the encroachment of public land by religious institutions be filed so that it may take appropriate action.
The matter has been posted for January 21.