Early this month ( August 7) around 12 noon, a miscreant entered the Dandayudhapani temple and broken the Lord Murugan, his consorts Valli and Deivaanai statues. The temple is located at the top of a hillock. According to Hindu Munnani leaders, the miscreant was spotted damaging the statues . on hearing the noise, devotees gathered around the place and overpowered him and tied him in a pillar. On getting information, police arrived at the place and has taken him into their custody. During investigation, he was identified as Boopathy , a resident of nearby Siruvayalur village. Police said the person with unstable mind (mentally challenged) .
Hindu Munnani state president Kadeswara Subramaniam in a statement, blamed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment ( HR and CE) department for its callous attitude in keeping the temples under its administration . “ it has miserably failed in protecting Hindu temples, statues, idols, its properties but only interested the income deriving from them. It is a concern for us in the past two years, over 200 temples were demolished by the government saying encroaching on public land or water bodies but leaving the churches, mosques unattached despite court orders to remove the same. During the past two years, in Perambulur alone the act of breaking idols, statues have been going on without any respite”.
He listed out such incidents. On October 4, 2021, five idols of the Maduraikaliamman Temple in Siruvachur near Perambalur were found vandalized by unidentified miscreants. Not once four such incidents took place at the same temple. The incident comes just within days after a Muslim man identified as Mohammad Khan tried to set fire to a temple chariot in the village of V. Kalathur near Veppanthattai in the same Perambalur district. Earlier in July 2021, miscreants had disfigured and ejaculated semen over the idol of Goddess Amman at Panchalingeswarar temple in Ranipet district.
In the same month on 8th , 19 statues Siddhars ( saints –immortals) were damaged completely in Siruvachur village. In 2022, Malemathoor Periyasamy koil statues were vandalosed. In February 14th this year, Ezhumoor Ayyanar temple , Naranamangalam Karuppasamy temple idols were broken. In June 27th , in Chettikulam Ekambareswarar temple , miscreants damaged the statues of Lord Murugan, Bhairav and others. On 7th of this month at the same village, statues of Lord Murugan, his consorts Valli and Deivaanai were broken with tools. In a chain of incidents, in Perambalur alone, there have been 65 temples were targeted and idols were broken”
Subramaniam said “ At Tulasapuram in Kancheepuram , over 22 small idols were vandalised.
On 22nd June this year, miscreants broke open the offertory ( Hundiyal or collection box) kept at the Sundaramahalingam temple at Sathuragiri temple in Virudhunagar district. On May 14, miscreants entered the Koniamman temple and took away the cash, gold , silver from the collection box after breaking it. On 21st June, Vinayagar statue at Karupparayan temple at Avniashi Srinivasapuram and statues at Thennampalayam Sakthi Vinagar and idols in 8 more temples were attacked and broken. Murthis of 63 Nayanmars (who sang hymns on Lord Siva and attained his feet) desecrated at Avnashilingeswar temple at Avinashi in Tirupur district of Tamil Nadu on May 22 night when the lock was locked for the day”
“The culprits involved in most of the above listed acts are yet to be brought to book. In some temple van dalisation cases, where the culprits were handed over by the devotee, or public or temple administrators, the usual statement of police is “ he is mentally challenged” . The same pattern has been followed. But why they identify only hindu temples not the places of worship of minority religious that has no logical answers from the police. For the police, it is an unwritten code to brand attackers of Hindu temples as mentally deranged persons” Hindu Munnani leader said.
He said it is a real concern for us as Tamil Nadu is place of religious and spiritual one where small and big temples are being targeted and vandalised. The HR and CE, counts on the temple income but not gives importance to its well being and protection. it shows its inability to do so. Hindu Munnani wants police and the state government to find out who are behind these incidents and inform public. It leaves questions, these are being perpetrated by the atheist Dravidian rulers wantonly and has its support ? when a statue of political leader ise attacked, or ink thrown, the government promptly arrest the culprits/s and send them to jail with speedy trial. Why does it show lethargic attitude in case of Hindu temples ? Will it keep quite if the mosques or churches are damaged ? “won’t it jump to earth and sky claiming how a secular government keep its eyes closed. We are the champions of protecting minorities etc etc” .
Hindu Munnani appeals to the TN government to act forthwith and prevent such occurrences by fixing CCTV cameras in all Hindu temples irrespective of its size and appoint night watchmen. It should also take stern action against people who involved in attack of places of worship. The unabated breaking of Hindu temple statues will create peace less-ness in society. It is the duty of the ruling government to give protection to all temples in the state.
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