All Are Equal Before God: Madras High Court Dismisses Plea For Caste-Based Restriction On Temple Trustees
The petitioner had challenged a recent government notification that invited applications from the general public for the position of non-hereditary trustees.
Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Madras High Court
The Madras High Court dismissed a petition that sought restriction on the appointment of temple trustees at the Arulmigu Karneeswarar Thirukoil in Chennai to members of a specific caste.
The Court made it unequivocally clear that caste-based discrimination has no place in the administration of religious institutions, affirming that before God, all persons are human beings.
The petitioner, who serves as the secretary of a caste-based organization, had challenged a recent government notification issued in April 2025 that invited applications from the general public for the position of non-hereditary trustees. The petitioner argued that historically, such trustees were appointed exclusively from the Sengunthar community, and he sought judicial directions to reinstate this practice by allowing only members of that caste to be eligible for trustee elections.
A Bench of Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed the plea stating that “caste is not a religious denomination” and that no caste has the exclusive right to manage or administer a Hindu temple. The Court added, “Before God, all persons are human beings and therefore, there cannot be any discrimination based on caste. Accordingly, the grievance of the petitioner cannot be entertained by this Court and cannot be countenanced."
Advocate L. Dhamodharan appeared for the Petitioner and Advocate K. Karthikeyan appeared for the Respondents.
In a powerful reflection on the spiritual and philosophical underpinnings of Indian society, the Court cited prominent figures who had long challenged caste-based hierarchies. He invoked the words of Swami Vivekananda, who said:
“The soul has neither sex nor caste nor imperfection.”
He also referenced the famous Tamil poet Bharathidasan, who wrote:
"இருட்டறையில் உள்ளதடா உலகம் சாதி இருக்கின்றதென்பானும் இருக்கின்றானே."
(“The world is inside a dark room; the one who says caste exists is also there within.”)
Additionally, the Court invoked Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, who asserted that caste is a construct of the mind and has no physical existence.
Cause Title: K.V. Venugopal v. The Secretary To The Government Of Tamil Nadu & Ors.
