The State government is likely to appeal against the Kerala High Court order banning fireworks display at places of worship at odd hours.
Devaswom Minister K. Radhakrishnan told reporters here on Sunday that the government would consider going in appeal against the order. “The ban on fireworks is unfortunate,” he said.
Pointing out that it would be difficult to conduct festivals in places of worship in the State without fireworks, Mr. Radhakrishnan said Devaswom boards and temple trusts had already decided to challenge the High Court order.
On Friday, the High Court banned bursting of firecrackers at places of worship at odd hours. The court observed that prima facie there was no commandment in any holy book to burst crackers to please God. It directed all the District Collectors and District Police Chiefs to issue instructions to all the places of worship in the State to enforce the ban. The court said the failure to implement the order would invite contempt proceedings.
It also directed the district administration to conduct searches with the help of the police in places of worship and seize crackers stored illegally.
The Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms involved in the Thrissur Pooram festival have said that they would challenge the order. They contend that fireworks display is an integral part of the Pooram festival.
The court passed the order on a writ petition filed by six residents of Maradu, near Tripunithura, alleging that indiscriminate fireworks display using large amounts of explosives at Kottaram Bhagavathy Temple during the February-March period every year caused environmental pollution and posed threat to nearby buildings. The windows of buildings and cars were shattered in the impact of the explosions, the petitioners submitted.
