Youth below 18 yrs can’t participate in ‘Dahi-Handi’: SC

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) The Supreme Court today refusedto relax conditions put by the Bombay High Court like barringyouths below 18 years of age from participating in ‘Dahi-Handi’ ritual of the Janmashtami festival in Maharshtraand capping the height of the human pyramid at 20 feet. "We will continue with the Bombay High Court orderrelating to banning participation of youth below 18 (years ofage) and fixation of the maximum height (20 feet). We willhear other issues in detail later," a bench of Justices A RDave and L Nageswara Rao said. The order came on a plea of Maharashtra governmentseeking clarification of an earlier apex court decision bywhich it had stayed the operation of the High Court verdictfixing the height of the human pyramid and banningparticipation of those below 18 years in ‘Dahi-Handi’ ritual. The bench was unimpressed with the plea of AdditionalSolicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Maharashtra,that ‘Govinda’ symbolises Lord Krishna and there is a beliefthat kids between the age group of 12-15 years are consideredmore appropriate for enacting ‘Govindas’. "People get hurt. We have heard Lord Krishna stealing’makhan’ but we have not heard the Lord performingacrobatics," it said. "As a matter of fact, risk factor is there in everysport," the ASG responded. The bench, which decided to hear the revived petitionagainst the order of the High Court in October this year,however suspended the operation of two directions passed bythe High Court to regulate the ‘Dahi-Handi’ festival. One of the directions, suspended by the apex court,relates to amending the existing law to bar children below 18years of age from participating in dangerous performances likebeing part of the human pyramid of ‘Dahi-Handi’ festival. The second direction of the High Court, which was alsosuspended, relates to the part of the order which makes itmandatory for the organisers to apprise the authorities 15days in advance about various aspects such as place ofcelebration, its timing and personal information, includingthe birth certificates, of participating ‘Govindas’ on theground of paucity of sufficient time. PTI ABA SJK RKSARC