The right to form associations under Article 19(1)(c) of the Constitution does not include the right to hold office for life or to have a particular composition of the association, and the right to hold property under Article 19(1)(f) of the Constitution does not include the right to hold property as trustees of an association.

In these three writ petitions, the challenge is of the constitutional vires of the provisions of Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 27 of 1975, hereinafter referred to as the Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975. The petitioner in W.P. No. 92 of 1979 is the Periyar Self-Respect Propaganda Institution, Tiruchirappalli, hereinafter referred to as the Institution, represented by its Life Secretary K. Veeramani. This Institution is a Society already registered under the Societies Registration Act 21 of 1860, hereinafter referred to as Act 21 of 1860. The petitioner in W.P. No. 3427 of 1979 is the Periyar Maniammal Educational and Charitable Society, hereinafter referred to as the Charitable Society, represented by its life President K. Veeramani. The Charitable Society is also one already registered under Act 21 of 1860. The petitioner in W. P. No. 12371 of 1984 is a life member of the Institution.

2. The petitioners express a grievance that by the enactment and enforcement of Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975, the fundamental rights guaranteed to them under Art.19(1)(c) and (f) stand violated. According to them, under the provisions of Act 21 of 1860 the Institution and the Charitable Society got formed and constituted with specified objectives and with persons of involvement and commitment to the said objectives and both the Institution and the Charitable Society formulated memoranda of Association and rules, adumbrating the rights and privileges; interests and obligations of its constituents and the method and manner of their functioning and by the Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975, their right to continue the Associations as they stood formed and functioning under Act 21 of 1860 has been violated and transgressed, in that both the Institution and the Charitable Society are prevented from continuing their associations and functioning as such in the manner and the method by which they got constituted earlier. This is the essence of the submission made by Mr. K.K. Venugopal, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners with reference to violation of Art.(19)(1)(c). Coming to Art.19(1)(f), it is contended on behalf of the petitioners that by the Rules governing the Institution and the Charitable Society, properties have come to vest in their life office bearers who alone have the right of management and administration of the properties and the provisions of Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975 have done away with the vesting of and administration of such properties in and by such office bearers and have distintegrated such vesting or in other words divested the vesting already done since the very provisions of Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975 discountenance life membership, life presidentship and life secretaryship. It must be remembered that Art.19(1)(f) was there at the time when Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975 was brought into effect or brought into force on 22-4-1978. Art.19(1)(f) was deleted only by the 44th Amendment with effect from 20-6-1979. Hence, Art.19(1)(f) was there at that time when Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975 came into force and certainly the complaint that Art.19(1)(f) was violated has to be investigated and shall not be brushed aside at the threshold itself on the ground that Art.19(1)(f) is not in the Constitution as on date.

3. To impress upon the Court that the Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975 has made inroads into the fundamental rights guaranteed under Art.19(1)(c) and (f), Mr. K.K. Venugopal, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners, drew a comparison between the provisions of Act 21 of 1860, under which the Institution and the Charitable Society stood registered and the provisions of Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975. S.1 of Act 21 of 1860 contemplated for formation and registration of societies by any seven or more persons associated for any literary or charitable purpose or for any such purpose as described in S.20 by subscribing their names to a memorandum of association, and filing the same with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies. On such registr