No place for Bharat Mata in Bharat? Bharat Mata statue in a Kanyakumari village covered up as it offended Christians

– TS Venkatesan 

 

 

In Tamilnadu, it seems as though the police beat their political masters when it comes to appeasing minorities. The police in Kanyakumari have taken it upon themselves to appease the minorities by covering up the statue of Bharat Mata in Puliyur village, ostensibly as it offended the sensibilities of the Christians in the vicinity.

 

The Issaki Amman temple at Puliyur village in Agatheeswaram Taluk in Kanyakumari is 200 years old. The Bharat Mata statue is within its premises. It is on private land. Recently the family installed a statue of Bharat Mata and adorned it with a tri-colour saree. They are worshipping her along with the villagers.

 

However, all of a sudden Deputy Superintendent of police Baskaran ordered his officers to cover the statue. The local SI asked them to remove the statue immediately or face action. The DSP orally told them not to worship Bharat Mata statue, and on 21st they covered it with a blue colour cloth. The Christians in the vicinity instigated by their Missionaries had claimed that the statue hurt their religious sentiments.

 

On hearing the covering up of the Bharat Mata statue, leaders from BJP, RSS and Hindu Munnani gathered at the place on 22nd May and removed the cloth covering the statue. They garlanded it and worshipped Bharat Mata. District BJP leader Dharmaraja was also present on occasion. 

 

Hindu Munnani district leader Misa Soman said, “Without any complaint from the Village Administrative officer or anybody, the police at the behest of a Christian group took this unwarranted action. We questioned on what basis and whose complaint they took action for which police had no answer. We split into groups and protested over 13 places in the district. They again covered it with a cloth. The police arrested us and later released us on bail.”

 

In his petition to the district collector, the owner of the temple T Muthukumar said “The statue was on our Patta land without affecting public peace or law and order. It did not create any communal clashes. My ancestors’ built the temple, and we have been maintaining the same for generations.” He had enclosed a copy of sale agreement, Patta documents and other relevant proofs.

 

Anand of Hindu Munnani said we have decided to file a complaint against DSP who insulted our Bharat Mata in all police stations in the district. 

 

Villagers ask whether the police is working for the CSI by following its diktats or for the common man. It is because of their selective amnesia, we have lost a special branch official, SI Wilson, last year to Muslim terrorists at the check post.

 

In Tamil Nadu, concerted and well planned and systematic way, Hindu Gods, their customs are being ridiculed, denigrated through print, TVs, cinemas besides orally by leaders, cine actors and other ‘letter pad party’ fanatics. Police never file FIRs and register complaints against them, but if a minority community member gives a complaint, the cops dutifully arrest Hindu leaders. Recently one cartoonist was arrested but who made insulting remarks against Dalits were spared. 

 

“In Tamil Nadu, an unannounced emergency is in force where Sangh and BJP leaders’ freedom of expression is curtailed”, says Hindu Munnani functionary and Advocate K Kutralanathan. “During Corona crisis, Muslim and Christians continued their religious gatherings at several locations and violated social distancing norms. Hindu Temples were denied poojas and festivals. When Hindu Munnani leaders wanted to submit a memorandum to distribute porridge to the people affected due to lockdown, the district collector Shilpa Prabakar Satish did not allow us inside her cabin citing social distance norms. Instead, she asked her officers to collect the same at the entrance of the collectorate. But on 12th May Kalakaadu Jamaath functionaries were allowed to meet her at the office. They were allowed to distribute Ramzan gruel on the nest day itself. Why this double standard?” he asks.

 

A source in police confided that they had registered FIRs against over 1,500 people for their memes, comments, messages linking Corona spread with Tablighi Jamaat and action would be taken after the lockdown is withdrawn. He said most of them were ‘sanghis’ who are active on social media. Complaints filed by BJP and other Hindu leaders against Muslim leaders for their threats to PM, Home Minister and for using of choicest invectives against them is yet to be even considered.

 

A majority of the population in Kanyakumari district are Christians, mostly converted, followed by Muslims. The district witnessed the shameful mass conversions in the 1980s at Mandaikadu which were strongly protested by Hindu groups.