Madras High Court order barring school kids in MGR fete stays

Chennai: The Madras High Court refused to vacate the stay granted by it on Wednesday preventing the government from forcing school children to participate in the centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran.

The division bench comprising Justice S. Vaidyanathan and Justice R. Subramanian, before which the petition to vacate the stay was filed by the state government came up for hearing in a special sitting on Thursday, stated that the stay is an absolute one.

Highlighting its plea, the government submitted there would be lectures to motivate the school children and to prevent them from taking extreme steps such as committing suicides.

The bench said, “We should not be misunderstood as suggesting that such lectures or motivational programmes should   not be organised by the government. We are only concerned with the manner in which the students are brought to the venue and taken back from the venue, as well as safety of the students when they are seated in the venue”.

The bench also pointed out that the risks involved in organising such a huge gathering, particularly of students, will definitely outweigh the advantages. Even though we have requested the Advocate General to produce the invitation for the programme to be held on September 30, 2017 at Salem, it was not delivered to us till we dictated the order. There is no minute by minute programme also. We therefore do not see any reason to either modify or vacate the interim order granted on September 27, 2017.”

“At the same time we make it clear that it would be open for the students who are involved in cultural functions as well as students who are to receive prizes / awards from the dignitaries for any competition that had already been held, to participate in the programme. We also make it clear that any student of any age group who chooses to attend the programme along his/her parents or friends are not prevented by this order of injunction from attending the programme,” the bench said.

The bench “what we have prohibited is only a compulsory gathering at the behest of the government organised by orders issued orally to the schools to bring their students in full strength to the venue in proper uniform and identity cards.”

Dismissing the petition the bench posted the matter for further hearing after the Puja holidays. On Wednesday, when a petition filed by Change India represented by its Director A. Narayanan came up for hearing, the bench prevented the authorities from bringing school children to attend the centenary celebrations.