Image Courtesy-Hindu Munnani
Hindu Munnani has welcomed the authorities’ action in removing an alleged illegal encroachment from temple land in Erode district, stating that a Christian had constructed a house on land belonging to the Maha Kaliamman and Karuppusamy temples in Thavittupalayam, near Anthiyur.
In a statement, the organisation alleged that nearly 90 per cent of the village’s population belongs to the Christian community and claimed that the encroachment had blocked the pathway to the temples, making it difficult for Hindus to visit the place of worship. It further described the incident as an example of the difficulties faced by Hindus when they are reduced to a minority in a locality.
Following Hindu Munnani’s protests and bringing the issue to the attention of the authorities, the organisation also filed a petition in the court seeking the eviction of the encroacher and the retrieval of the illegally occupied temple land.
With court orders in its favour, Hindu Munnani approached the district administration and police to evict the encroacher forthwith.
Accordingly, the encroacher was evicted from the illegally occupied land, and the temple land was retrieved. The house built on the temple land was demolished.
In another related development, Hindu Munnani has hailed the cancellation of personal interviews conducted for appointments in the Thiruvannamalai temple.
In a post on X, the organisation urged the authorities to take stern action against the persons involved. It alleged that during the DMK rule, interviews were conducted to appoint staff for the temple and that the DMK district secretary and Ministers accepted bribes from candidates before selecting them for vacant posts.
It further stated that the TVK government has now cancelled the interviews conducted during the DMK regime.
Hindu Munnani welcomed this as a positive step and demanded action against the DMK functionaries and Ministers who allegedly accepted money and attempted to make appointments in the temple.
Hindu Munnani said: “Despite having 600 acres of land, the ancient 674-year-old Vishnu temple, which is under the HR and CE Department, has no pooja being performed for the deity. Even a single pooja a day is not being conducted. The temple has been pushed into such a pitiable state by the HR and CE Department, which is keen on augmenting revenue for its own purposes. Two years ago, the temple’s wooden chariot mysteriously disappeared. There have been no festivals during the last two years. Why is the HR and CE Department retaining the temple when it cannot maintain it properly? We urge the HR and CE Department to conduct six-time daily poojas, resume the halted festivals, make a new wooden temple car for the deity’s procession, remove all encroachments and utilise the funds only for the temple.”
Hindu Munnani held a protest at Chennai’s Koyambedu, urging the authorities to retrieve the 1 acre and 28 cents of land belonging to Thee Panchalai Amman Temple, alleging that Sriram Properties and Hotel Saravana Bhavan had illegally occupied the temple land.
Hindu Munnani functionaries, led by Chennai City General Secretary Meganathan, District Secretary Gurumurthy and others, took part in the hunger protest on June 26.
Hindu Munnani also questioned the non-functioning of CCTV cameras along the Girivala Path (circumambulation route/parikrama path), alleging that this was facilitating anti-social elements in snatching chains, valuables and committing robberies against devotees.
The cameras had been installed following similar incidents earlier. However, the organisation alleged that the failure to maintain them had emboldened anti-social elements to resume such crimes. It urged both the temple administration and the police department to repair the cameras and ensure their proper functioning.
To express its opposition to the proposed darshan and various fee hikes in the Thiruchendur temple by the Tamil Nadu government, Hindu Munnani functionaries announced that they would hold an aluminium plate protest. The HR and CE Department has proposed a 400 per cent hike in various fees.
Opposing the alleged illegal prayers being conducted in a house located in a residential area in Mekkodu village in Tiruvattur taluk of Kanyakumari district, Hindu Munnani staged a sit-in protest at the Tahsildar’s office on June 25.
The Hindu Munnani functionaries demanded that the allegedly illegal building be sealed at the earliest to protect communal harmony.
