The East Punjab (Removal of Religious and Social Disabilities) Act, 1948

1. (1) This Act may be called the East Punjab (Removal of Religious and Social Disabilities) Act, 1948. (2) It extends to the whole of the [Union Territory of Chandigarh].

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,— (a) “Hindu” includes a Buddhist, Jain, or Sikh, a member of Arya Samaj or Brahmo Samaj and a convert to Hinduism; (b) “excluded class” means any caste or class of the Hindu or Sikh community which, by reason of any custom or usage, is excluded from entering any temple or gurdwara or offering worship therein and includes a Class, caste or tribe mentioned in the Schedule to this Act or which the [Central Government] may by notification add to the Schedule; (c) “place of public amusement” means any place, enclosure, building, tent, booth or other erection, whether permanent or temporary, where music, singing, dancing or any diversion or the means of carrying on the same, is provided and to which the public are admitted; (d) “Place of public entertainment” means any place, whether Enclosed or Open, to which the public are admitted and where any kind of food or drink is supplied for consumption on the premises and includes a refreshment room, coffee-house, boarding-house, lodging-house or hotel; (e) “Sikh” has the same meaning as is given to it in section 2 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925; (f) “shop” means any premises where goods are sold either by retail or wholesale or both and includes a laundry, a hair cutting saloon or such other place where services are rendered to customers; (g) “temple” means a place, by whatever name known, which is dedicated to, or for the benefit of, or used as of right by, the Hindu community in general, as a place of public religious worship, and includes subsidiary shrines attached to such place; (h) “gurdwara” means a place, by whatever name known, which is dedicated to, or for the benefit of, or used as of right by, the Sikh community in general, as a place of public religious worship, and includes subsidiary shrines attached to such place; (i) “worship” means such religious service as the bulk of the worshippers may offer, or participate in, in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be made under this Act.

1. (1) Notwithstanding any law, custom or usage to the contrary, persons belonging to the excluded classes shall be entitled to enter any temple or gurdwara and offer worship therein in the same manner and to the same extent as Hindus or, as the case may be, Sikhs in general; and no member of any excluded class shall, by reason only of such entry or worship, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, be deemed to have committed any actionable wrong or offence or be sued or prosecuted therefor. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions; it is hereby declared that the right conferred by sub-section (1) shall include the following rights if, and to the extent to which, they are enjoyed by Hindus or, as the case may be, Sikhs in general not belonging to the excluded classes:— (a) the right to bathe in, or use the waters of, any sacred tank, well, spring or water-course appurtenant to the temple or gurdwara whether, situated within or outside the precincts thereof; (b) the right of passage over any sacred place or hillock or a road, street or pathway, which is requisite for obtaining access to the temple or gurdwara.

The trustee or other authority in charge of a temple or gurdwara shall have power, subject to the control of the [Central Government] and to any rules which may be made by them, to make regulations for the maintenance of order and decorum and the due observance of the religious rites and ceremonies performed therein, but such regulations shall not discriminate in any way against the members of the excluded classes.

1. (1) No suit for damages, injunction or declaration or for any other relief, no prosecution for any offence, and no application or other proceeding under any other law, shall be instituted in respect of any entry into or worship in any temple or gurdwara, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, on the sole ground that such entry or worship is against the custom or usage which excludes certain classes of Hindus or Sikhs from such entry or worship. (2) No suit, prosecution, application or proceeding of the nature aforesaid, instituted before the commencement of this Act, shall be continued thereafter, without the sanction of the [Central Government].

If any question arises as to whether a place is or is not a temple or gurdwara as defined in this Act, the [Central Government] shall decide the question and their decision shall be final and shall not be liable to be challenged in any court of law.

(1)... (2) No person belonging to an excluded class shall— (a)... (b) be prevented from— (i) having access to or using any river, stream, spring, well, tank, cistern, water-tap or other watering place, or any bathing place, burial or cremation ground, any sanitary convenience, any road or pathway which the members of all other castes and classes of Hindus or Sikhs have a right to use or have access to; (ii) having access to or using any public conveyance licensed by the [Central Government] or any local authority to ply for hire; (iii) having access to or using any building or place used for charitable or public purposes maintained wholly or partially out of the revenues of the [State] or the funds of a local authority; (iv) having access to a place of public amusement or a place of public entertainment; (v) having access to a shop to which the members of all other castes and classes of Hindus or Sikhs are ordinarily admitted; (vi) having access to or using any place set apart or maintained for the use of Hindus or Sikhs generally but not for the use of any particular section or class thereof.

No person incharge of any of the places referred to in sub-clauses (i), (iii) (iv), (v) and (vi) or any conveyance referred to in sub-clause (ii) of clause (b) of section 7 shall impose any restriction on a member of an excluded class or act in a manner as to result in discrimination against him merely on the ground that he is such a member.

Whoever— (a) prevents any person belonging to any excluded class, from exercising any right conferred by section 3; or (b) prevents any person, by reason of his being a member of an excluded class, from having access to or using any of the places referred to in sub-clauses (i), (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi), or any conveyance referred to in sub-clause (i) of clause (6) of section 7 or abets the prevention thereof; or (c) contravenes the provisions of section 8 or abets the contravention thereof, shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to Rs. 200 or with both.

If any person who has been convicted of an offence punishable under this Act is again guilty of the same offence he shall be punished on the second conviction with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to Rs. 500 or with both and if he is again so guilty shall be punished on the third or any subsequent conviction with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to Rs. 1,000.

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, an offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable by the police.

No court shall recognise any custom or usage imposing any disability on any member of an excluded class on the ground that he is a member of such excluded class.

No local authority shall in carrying out the functions and duties entrusted to it under any law recognise any custom or usage imposing any disability on any member of an excluded class.

If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act the Central Government, as the occasion requires may, by order, do anything which appears to them necessary for the purpose of removing the difficulty.

The Central Government may make Rules, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act.