The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought a law mandating all women, regardless of marital status, to celebrate the Hindu festival of Karwa Chauth. The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, dismissed the plea and imposed a token cost of ₹1,000 on the petitioner, directing the amount to be paid to the Poor Patient Welfare Fund at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
In its January 22 order, the Court emphasized that the subject matter falls under the exclusive purview of the legislature, making judicial intervention inappropriate.
The petitioner, Narender Kumar Malhotra, had argued that certain sections of women, particularly widows, are often excluded from participating in Karwa Chauth rituals. The festival traditionally involves married Hindu women fasting from sunrise to moonrise for the well-being and longevity of their husbands. The petitioner contended that all women—irrespective of their marital status, including widows, divorcees, legally separated women, and those in live-in relationships—should be allowed and encouraged to observe the festival.
Malhotra further proposed declaring Karwa Chauth as a universal festival for women, renaming it “Maa Gaura Utsav” or “Maa Parvati Utsav,” to promote inclusivity. He urged the Court to direct the legislature to enact laws making it compulsory for women to celebrate the festival, with penalties for non-compliance.
The petition also called for legal measures to ensure that no group or individual could deny any woman the opportunity to participate in the festival.
However, the Court expressed its reluctance to entertain the plea. Following this, the petitioner’s counsel sought to withdraw the petition, which the Court permitted, but not without imposing the cost.
