Tamil Nadu Police arrested and detained villagers, including men and women, on August 14 after they opposed attempts by a section of Muslims from outside the village to conduct an Islamic celebration of Kanthuri — also known as the Kandhuri Festival or Sandal ritual — in Udayarpatti village near Gandarvakottai in Pudukkottai district, where there are no Muslim residents. The Hindu villagers had gathered to stop preparations for the 14-day annual Urs, questioning why Muslims from another village were seeking to conduct the Islamic celebration on disputed land in their village. The detained villagers were released later in the day.
According to Hindu Munnani district functionary Sivadasan, the land where the Muslims wanted to conduct the Kanthuri festival is Hindu forest land at Alangapatti in Kundranandar Kovil Union panchayat. A Jain bed is also located on 20 acres of the land. However, Muslims who are not residents of Udayarpatti are now attempting to conduct the Kanthuri festival there after the TVK government came to power. “They are now creating a communal divide by making attempts to organise the Kanthuri festival in the village,” he said.
Recalling an earlier issue, Sivadasan said that in 2024, Christians from Periya Udayarpatti village installed a holy cross on the land now in dispute. However, Hindu Munnani removed it and warned that it would not tolerate such attempts in future. A peace meeting was subsequently convened, in which it was decided that Hindus, Muslims and Christians should not do anything on the land until a solution was found.
According to Sivadasan, the latest attempt to conduct the Kanthuri festival has now taken place despite that understanding. “In Thiruparankundram, Muslims in a peace meeting disowned any claim but are now making it a Waqf property. We fear the same thing will happen in the village. Why do they want to conduct Kanthuri where no Muslims are living? Why are people from another village coming here for Kanthuri? Why can’t they do it in their own village? This is a clear plot to grab the land with the help of the government and later claim it as Waqf property. We will not allow this to happen,” he said.
Sivadasan reiterated that, as per the earlier peace committee meeting, no community should claim rights over the land, and the existing arrangement remains in place. He said Muslims from a village located five kilometres away were now coming to hold the Kanthuri festival on the land. On hearing about the preparations, Hindus gathered there and expressed their opposition to conducting the festival.
Hindu Munnani leaders said that at a peace meeting convened by the Tahsildar of Keeranur, Hindus walked out of the meeting, saying they were not in agreement with the meeting’s decision. They further alleged that the Police Inspector of Gandarvakottai police station, Allahuddin, was acting in a biased manner in support of the Muslims.
“It is learnt that he had the support of Labour and Skill Development Minister Mohammed Parves. The police inspector said the Minister would attend the function, so do not create problems. He warned the Hindus to this effect. Hindus were threatened by the police, saying, ‘We have the government’s nod for this festival’,” the Hindu Munnani leaders said.
The police arrested the Hindus and functionaries of Hindu Munnani on August 14 when they protested against preparations for the Kanthuri festival. They were kept in a marriage hall at Andakulam and released in the evening after some petty cases were filed against them. It was learnt that the police had warned them not to attempt to create problems or prevent the Kanthuri festival.
Meanwhile, the Muslims claim that the entire property belongs to them and assert that it is Waqf property, while the title to the land remains disputed before the Revenue Department. A revenue proceeding is currently under way to ascertain the true owners of the land and who legally owns and possesses it.
The development has prompted questions from the Hindu villagers over how an Islamic Urs could be conducted on disputed property while a revenue proceeding is under way to establish ownership. They also questioned the basis on which those coming from another village could claim the property and conduct a religious celebration there.
The villagers further questioned why the police detained those who gathered to oppose the festival, while those accused by them of attempting to create tension were not detained. “Why were only the Hindus detained?” they asked.
Reacting to the arrests, N Ramachandran, BJP District President, Pudukkottai West, said sacred Hindu forest temple land in Periya Thambi Udayanpatti panchayat, where the Pancha Pandavas are said to have resided and departed, has suddenly been claimed by Muslims from another town as “belonging solely to the Waqf Board”.
He condemned police inspector Alauddin for arresting Hindus who protested peacefully to reclaim the land and their right to worship, and Tamil Nadu Victory Society Minister Muhammad Parvez for supporting the move.
Ramachandran said the administration’s failure to establish ownership of the land, which is claimed by members of three religions, and granting permission to one community to conduct a festival could trigger religious clashes. He demanded that the District Collector issue a transparent statement and release those arrested immediately.
