Page:Acts of the Parliament of India 1955.pdf/122

(c) 'place of public entertainment' includes any place to which the public are admitted and in which an entertainment is provided or held.

Explanation.— 'Entertainment includes any exhibition, performance, game, sport and any other form of amusement;

(d) 'place of public worship' means a place, by whatever name known, which is used as a place of public religious worship or which is dedicated generally to, or is used generally by, persons professing any religion or belonging to any religious denomination or any section thereof, for the performance of any religious service, or for offering prayers therein; and includes all lands and subsidiary shrines appurtenant or attached to any such place;

(e) 'shop' means any premises where goods are sold either wholesale or by retail of both wholesale and by retail and includes a laundry, a hair cutting saloon and any other place where services are rendered to customers.

Punishment for enforcing religious disabilities. 3. Whoever on the ground of "untouchability" prevents any person—

(a) from entering any place of public worship which is open to other persons professing the same religion or belonging to the same religious denomination or any section thereof, as such person; or

(b) from worshipping offering prayers or performing any religious service in any place of public worship, or bathing in, or using the waters of, any sacred tank, well, spring or watercourse, in the same manner and to the same extent as is permissible to other persons professing the same religion, or belonging to the same religious denomination or any section thereof, as such person;

shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both.

Explanation.— For the purposes of this section and section 4 persons professing the Buddhist, Sikh dr Jaina religion or persons professing the Hindu religion in any of its forms or developments including Virashaivas, Lingayats, Adivasis, followers of Brahmo, Prarthana, Arya Samaj and the Swaminarayan Sampraday shall be deemed to be Hindus.

Punishment for enforcing social disabilities. 4. Whoever on the ground of "untouchability" enforces against any person any disability with regard to-

(i) access to any shop, public restaurant, hotel or place of public entertainment; or