The Madras high court, on Thursday, granted permission to release the book ‘Nadar Varalaru Karuppa, Kaviya’ (Is Nadar’s history black or saffron) at the World Tamil Sangam in Madurai. 

A bench consisting of Justice GR Swaminathan permitted the book release and observed that the building belonged to the public and that the book release was not a communal or religious function. Stating that history could be viewed in more than one way, the court said that the contents of the book that the author had written projects his opinions on the topic.

The order came after the author of the book, R Lajapathi Roy, moved the court seeking an intervention over the denial of permission to release the book in Tamil Sangam. Lajapathi Roy had written to the Tamil Sangam, requesting permission to release his book at the venue and had also paid Rs 40,000 for the purpose. However, he was informed of the refusal vide a letter written by the Director of the World Tamil Sangam, Dr P Chandra. “Based on the subsequent letter dated March 6, 2019, we hereby inform that permission for the event is denied as those who hold contrary views to the government are participating as chief guests and also because it appears to be a caste and religious-oriented function,” the letter said. 

Referring to the letter of denial of permission sent to the author, the court observed that the permission cannot be denied on the ground that people opposed to the government were going to be guests and added that the government changes in a democracy.

The book is set to be released by former Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna and the first copy will be received by writer Sampath Srinivasan who had written a book on Nadar’s struggle for equality. Anti-nuclear activist SP Udhayakumar, film directors Ameer and Karu Palaniappan, writer and activist A Marx, and advocate Prabhu Rajadurai will be among the participants at the event.