Is having faith in Hinduism a crime? Tamil Nadu government and police think and act so!

In Tamil Nadu “having strong faith in Hinduism is a crime”, according to a recent counter affidavit filed by police in Madras High Court. A couple of days ago, counter affidavit was filed by TN police in cartoonist Varma case saying “it is submitted that investigation so far conducted, revealed that the petitioner is having strong faith upon the Hindu religion”. In Tamil Nadu having faith in Hinduism seems to be a crime these day.

The poor cartoonist Varma had merely warned if Karuppar Kootam does not stop airing videos depicting Hindu gods in poor taste, he would release cartoons of other religions. Police are yet to arrest Ma.Mukilan for exhibiting ‘communal’ paints at Loyala college in January last year. One of them was Bharat Mata being a victim of the Me Too movement.

According to TN police, drawing a ‘Vel’in public place is an offence but insulting it is deemed freedom of expression. Arrested youth in Coimbatore was released after people laid seize to the police station where he was kept. Recent stray incidents like statues of Dravidian leaders like Periyar (Coimbatore), Anna (Kanyakumari) and MGR (Puducherry) have been either draped in saffron cloth or dabbed with saffron coloured paints. Earlier instances of throwing slippers, vandalizing statues were reported. These incidents led to a political uproar with leaders of DMK, MDMK, VCK, left and AIADMK protested demanding action while condemning the ‘desecration’. They termed it as a desecration and blamed BJP and other Hindu organisation for this act. Similar incident occured when a statue of Tiruvalluvar was shown with saffron robe.

People, who know of the Tamil Nadu politics, can easily see it could be the handiwork of Dravidian parties to divert attention from issues they are facing. Observers suspect that DMK and ruling AIADMK or Naxals with an intention of creating chaos could have done it. CM Edapadi Palaniswamy, Deputy CM O.Paneerselvam and Minister D. Jayakumar warned that stern action would be taken against the perpetrators. They did not bother to condemn when Hindu gods were depicted in a poor manner by DK, VCK, DMK leaders and Karuppar Koottam. These acts are considered as retaliation by pro-Hindu outfits over silence of the AIADMK, DMK to the attack on Skandia Sashti Kavasam row.

Coimbatore police slapped National security Act (NSA) against 21-year-old Bharat Sena member Arun Krishnan who splashed saffron paint on Periyar’s statue at Sundarapuram on last 17th. He surrendered on his own volition to the police. Chennai city police invoked Goondas act against Surendran of Karuppar Kootam who made obscene remarks against Skanda Sasthi Kavasam and S J Gopal, alleged to be Christian with Hindu name. It is not clear on what basis NSA was slapped on a first time offender who surrendered, whereas habitual Hindu haters like Surendran, who escaped to Puduchery in disguise to evade arrest, are booked under Goondas Act. Despite giving complaints against left cadre Sundravalli for her derogatory remarks against four Saiva Saints, no case was registered against her. Umpteen number of complaints have been given against Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani, VCK founder Thirumavalavan and others for theirs anti-Hindu remarks but are roaming around scot free.

CM Edapadi Palanisamy in a statement condemning the act said such things (wrapping saffron towel on MGR statue) disturb unity on communal, linguistic, religious and caste lines and are done for vote bank politics which is not acceptable. He said such incidents are hurtful and regrettable. Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, in a tweet said, “ I strongly condemn this. I request the Puducherry government to take stern action against those involved in insulting the statues of leaders.

Senior journalist Senkottai Sri Ram said “whenever charges were made against DMK, statues of Periyar, Ambedkar, Anna would become subject of talk. Statues would be thrown cow dung, slippers or damaged or wrapped in flag of opposition parties to divert attention”.

Hindu Sangam founder V Shivaji said vandalizing Periyar Statue is not the reflection of cowardice but the characteristic of philosophy of bharat. He said “we are not bothered about Periyar as well the Dravidian ideologies. They were responsible for the exploitation of nature’s bounty like mining, breaking and smuggling of rare temple idols and burying the conservative farming methods. Reclaiming it is our priority. If vandalizing Periyar statue was cowardice and by applying the same logic breaking Vinayagar statue showed impotence”.

DMK cadres have now put up a banner, showing M K Stalin as Lord Muruga. None opened their mouth. It was the same people who objected Jayalalithaa was depicted as goddess.

Hindu outfits say, the agitating DMK, DK , AIADMK cadres for tying a saffron flag on Anna’s statue, never realize distribution of free food (anna dhan) using temple funds on his birth and death anniversary is against his principles. They said “National security act is slapped for splashing saffron paint on Periyar statue, what act would be applied against miscreants who shown dishonor to defense forces and Indian government?”

“Periyar statues were installed with words ‘Forget god, who created god is barbarian (uncivilized) etc’ in the name of Atheism and in front of Hindu temples but why not in the vicinity of Churchs and Mosques? Why do Tamils feel ashamed of their historic success like preserving Hinduism and Sanskrit scriptures in their pristine form?”, they ask.