Despite resistance from the state government, Supreme Court upholds a 2014 Bombay High Court order that forbade those under 18 from participating in human pyramids
After years of uncertainty, the matter has been cleared once and for all. No one under the age of 18 will be allowed to participate in dahi handi formations any longer.
Kids are lighter in weight and can easily climb to the top of the pyramid and increase its height, but many end up getting injured in the process. File pic
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In its ruling on the matter, the Supreme Court upheld a 2014 order from the Bombay High Court that introduced several new safety regulations for Dahi Handi festivities, including a ban on the participation of any minors in the human pyramids.
In 2014, Bombay High Court Justices VM Kanade and PD Kode had issued an order asking the state government to not allow Govindas below the age of 18 to participate in human pyramids. The bench also asked the state to ensure that the height of the pyramids don’t exceed 20 feet. The HC had also made ten suggestions that included giving all Govindas helmets and safety belts, putting cushions on the ground where Govindas perform, and listing the dahi handi formations under the Dangerous Performance Act.
Big blow
This a was a big blow to the mandals, as children are light and can easily climb to the top of the pyramid. However, the court was concerned about their safety after several injuries were reported.
The state government had managed to persuade the SC to stay the order in 2014, arguing that just eight days were left to implement the changes before the festival. The next year, the state government claimed that the apex court had not given clarity on which of the rules were to be followed. As a result, some dahi handi mandals ended up violating the order during the festival last year.
Spot of bother
In fact, BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar was the chief guest at one such mandal in Kherwadi. After activist Swati Patil of Utkarsh Mahilla Samajik Sanstha filed a contempt petition against the Handi organisers and Shelar for violating the order, the HC asked the state to seek clarity from the apex court.
Apex court nod
Accordingly on August 3, as per the orders of HC, the state approached the Supreme Court on the issue.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices AR Dave and L Nageshwar Rao upheld all points in the High Court order.
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