Karthigai Deepam Row Ends As Madurai High Court Clears Lighting of Lamp
The Madurai High Court has upheld a single judge's order directing the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at the stone pillar atop Tamil Nadu's Thiruparankundram in the city, bringing closure to a long-standing and contentious issue. According to a division bench of Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan, the issue over the lighting of the 'deepam' has been "politicised unnecessarily".
The Court observed that the district administration ought to have treated the issue as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the communities through mediation. It further held that since the hill is a protected site, any activity carried out atop must strictly comply with the provisions of the Act.
