Threat to Thillai!

Magh Krushna Pratipada

The verdict given by the Single Judge of the Madras High Court upholding the appointment of an Executive Officer by the HR & CE Department of the Tamilnadu government in order to take control of the administration of the Chidambaram (Thillai) Natarajar Temple seems to be a hasty one. The very fact that the HR & CE Department officials and the police were ready to enter the temple within a few hours of the pronouncement of the judgment and attempted to do the same gives rise to the suspicion that they were in the know of the coming verdict. 

The Chidambaram Temple issue has been alive for many years and right from the constitution of the HR & CE Department, which itself is deemed unconstitutional, the alternate Dravidian governments have been trying their might to take over the great temple, which is famously known as the Kailash of the South (Then Kailayam). The ‘denomination’ status of the Temple and the Dikshidar community has been clearly affirmed by the Supreme Court way back in 1958 and the apex court has also declared that no government has the authority to interfere in the affairs of a temple with the ‘denomination’ status in many cases. But then, driven by dubious motivations, the successive Dravidian governments have been repeatedly attempting to take over this temple and every time they have been snubbed by the courts of law. 

As the Dravidian parties have become more and more powerful over the years and as their influence in the pillars of democracy has also improved to a large extent, the micro-minority community of Dikshidars have been finding it extremely difficult to fight against their might. Over a period of time the temple’s land holdings have also been taken over by the government and they have also been either leased out or sold out and the income of the Dikshidars have come down drastically rendering them very poor, surviving with the meager income provided by the devotees visiting the temple. 

Also, the very fact that the single judge has refused to give the required time for the Dikshidars to go for an appeal gives room for various suspicions… And the HR & CE department had taken no time in appointing the various office bearers and the next afternoon the appointed officers have gone around the temple and started finding faults on a number of things and making statements through the media causing immense damage to the reputation of the temple and the Dikshidars. The government, which ‘liquidated’ all the temple lands, has turned its focus on taking control of the temple jewels and making money by placing a huge hundi near the sanctum sanctorum. 

The government’s statement that Chidambaram Temple will be promoted as heritage tourist centre along with the nearby Pitchavaram Lake as eco-tourist spot smacks of total disregard for the religious tradition, which has been maintained by millions of devotees for thousands of years. While the department of tourism has set its eyes on the temple in the name of heritage tourism, the HR & CE Department has worked out plans for construction of choultry, marriage hall, trade and commercial venues within and outside the temple premises. These moves are a real threat to the sanctity of the temple and will certainly prove sacrilegious, as evidenced by the atrocious commercialisation of hundreds of great temples like Srirangam Ranganathar, Madurai Meenakshi, Thiruvannamalai, Pazhani Murugan, Chennai Kapaleeshwarar, Thiruchendur Murugan and many others, which are surrounded by even meat shops and urinals. 

Also the involvement of vested interests such as ‘Makkal Kalai Ilakkiya Kazhagam’ (People’s Art & Literature Forum) and ‘Makkal Urimai Padhukappu Maiyam’ (Protection Centre for People’s Rights), which are dominated by atheists and minorities makes it all dubious and the support extended to them by political parties like PMK, VCK and MDMK, and the government’s intention of allowing those outfits a free run shows the unholy nexus between them. Even yesterday, it is reported that, some hooligans have stayed put inside the temple refusing to go out at the time of closing in the afternoon creating a ruckus. Such motivated actions seem to be intended to provoke the Dikshidars and create a racket inside the temple. 

These outfits have created havoc last year, just a day before Shivarathri, leading to the arrest of a dozen Dikshidars on foisted charges. The action of the HR & CE department and the Police force at that time amounted to abuse of power and dereliction of duty and also resulted in absolute sacrilege. The sacrilege continues and the famous Thillai Temple is under real threat. It is high time a Temple Protection Movement is started in Tamilnadu and the government’s motives and records are legally challenged resulting in the scrapping of the unconstitutional HR & CE Department. 

Source: newstodaynet.com

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• Hindu Dharmajagruti Sabha