News Brief
Char Dham Rituals Livestreaming: India A Democratic Country Ruled By Law Not Shastras, Says Uttarakhand HC
Swarajya Staff
Jul 08, 2021, 01:11 PM | Updated 01:35 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Taking exception to the submission by Uttarakhand's Advocate General (AG) that 'Shastras' might not permit livestreaming of the rituals in the holy Char Dham, the state's High Court on Wednesday (8 July) said that India is a democratic country ruled by the law and not by 'Shastras', reports Times of India.
The development comes days after the Uttarakhand High Court had put a stay on the Char Dham yatra and asked for the rituals to be livestreamed.
The bench of Chief Justice R S Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma asked AG S N Babulkar to show provisions in the IT Act that bar livestreaming from temple.
The AG said that Devasthanam board, which manages the temples in the state, will take a decision on allowing livestreaming. He, however, cited Char Dham priests to add that Hindu Shastras do not permit livestreaming of rituals.
According to the ToI report, the Court reacted sharply to the AG's submission and said, “…Shastras do not control this country, what controls this country and guides us for our future is the Constitution of India and that’s where we stop. We cannot go beyond the constitution and the laws thereunder… We are a democratic country ruled by rule of law. We are not a democratic country ruled by the rule of shastras.”
Reportedly, AG had made similar submission in the last hearing too, to which the Court responded by saying that since our ancestors were not even aware of development of a technology which would allow livestreaming, the possibility of “shastras prohibiting livestreaming of a religious ceremony is absolutely impossible”.
Further, in the Wednesday (7 July) hearing, the HC Chief Justice added that he has read the shastras and nowhere do they prohibit such a technology.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.