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DMK: A Self-Proclaimed ‘Self-Respect’ Party Where There Is No Self-Respect

By
Pradeep
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Ever since the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party came to power in May 2021, the number of instances displaying political high handedness, U-turns, arrogance, and discrimination is endless.

The range of issues on which the party has made irresponsible comments, brazenly insensitive caste and religion based statements, displayed gross misuse of power, has provided enough fodder for the Tamil Nadu media, social media platforms and the common man for commentary.

The DMK managed to scrap through a win on account of the vulnerabilities in the AIADMK. People hoped that a change in regime will bring them dawn and that’s what the DMK promised. However, the DMK is fast depleting its trust reserves among the Tamil people as witnessed by the public’s reactions to the words, actions and behaviour of DMK leaders, revealing the party’s true colours and exposing its dark side. The statements, actions and behaviour of its top brass are in complete contrast to the ideals that it preaches – “social equality”, “social justice”, and “self respect” regardless of caste or religion.

The DMK claims to be the only true mainstream custodian of non-discrimination and ‘self-respect’ in Tamil Nadu and the sole protectors of the masses across caste and religious lines, a subject that is hotly debated and joked about at present, based on the open and blatant discriminatory personal conduct of its leaders in public, which is reflective of a party culture where its own proclaimed social justice, self respect principles are flouted almost on a daily basis!

Here’s a long list of incidents, many of them shocking in nature, considering the core principles that the DMK preaches and potently uses against its opponents! They are reflective of its narrow mindedness and feudal tendencies.

Number 1: When RS Bharathi Degraded Dalit Judges

Speaking at an event in Anbagam (the DMK youth wing headquarters), senior DMK leader RS Bharathi in February 2020 said that it was because of the ‘alms’ given by the Dravidian Movement that made Dalits become judges.

Number 2: Feudal Mindset Of DMK Leaders 

• In May 2020, DMK leaders T.R.Balu and Dayanidhi Maran’s statement at a public meeting “Are we from a downtrodden community?” in reference to the perceived inferiority of the SC/ST communities, was unabashedly discriminatory for a party that claims to be anti-caste. The casteist comment stirred a major controversy in Tamil Nadu.

Number 3: DMK MLA Makes A Dalit Carry His Slippers

Ambur DMK MLA A.C. Vilwanathan had gone to visit the rain-damaged barrier at Ponnappally village in Thirupatthur district. Panchayat Secretary, Shankar was seen following him around with the MLA’s slippers in his hands. Sankar belongs to a Scheduled Caste community.

Video of Dalit man carrying slippers of DMK MLA goes viral

Number 4: Dalit Leaders Denied Dignity

In February 2021, as part of Stalin’s election campaign meeting held at Erode T.N.Payalam, MP Anthiyur Selvaraj, belonging to the Arundathiyar community, was asked not to mingle with the party seniors along with Stalin. He was made to sit on a chair below the dais, clearly a decision based on caste.

https://organiser.org/2021/02/27/25803/bharat/dmk-exposed-massive-controversy-erupts-after-dalit-dmk-mp-was-not-allowed-to-share-the-dais-with-party-chief-m-k-stalin/

Number 5: DMK Minister Carried By Fishermen To Prevent His Footwear From Becoming Wet

DMK Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan was carried by fishermen in order to allegedly save his expensive footwear from getting wet!

Number 6: Prejudiced Treatmenr For VCK Leader

In August-2021, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, was offered a plastic chair, not once but twice by DMK ministers in the presence of DMK Minister R.S. Rajakannappan, who was seen seated in a plush sofa seat. The VCK party leader Thiruma was seen with “respectfully” folded hands seated in a plastic chair.

Dravidian Social Justice: Dalit leader Thol. Thiruma sits on plastic chair with hands folded in front of DMK Min

In another similar incident DMK MLA Anbazhagan was seen sitting in a comfortable, cushioned chair while Thiruma was once again seen sitting in a plastic chair.

Number 7: Casteist Abuses At Government Officers

In March 2022 DMK minister Raja Kannappan verbally abused a Block Development Officer belonging to Scheduled Caste community. It stirred controversy among the public which resulted in the re-shuffling of the cabinet.

Number 8: Demeaning Dalit Woman Leader

In May 2022: DMK’s propaganda secretary, Dindigul Leoni said that Chief Minister MK Stalin was solely responsible for a Dravidian revolution by elevating a member of the Dalit community “that once carried slippers on their heads”, to the position of a Chennai Mayor. The casteist slur received strong condemnation from human rights activists.The intentional reference to the member and his community’s caste-based occupation/plight was an unnecessary, insulting reminder.

Number 9: Assaulting A Poor Woman

Minister KKSSR Ramachandran assaulted a poor woman who had come to seek his help with a petition in Virudhunagar, Palavanatham village.The video indicates an attitude of arrogance and superiority over a member of a lower caste community.

Number 10: Abusing Hindu Rituals

In July 2022 DMK’s Dharmapuri MP S Senthil kumar’s angry, unjustified rant against a bhooja puja ceremony for a government project, in full public view, displayed a deep rooted anti-Hindu, religious hatred. His comments captured on video garnered wide spread criticism from various quarters, as unnecessary and “extreme”. While there was no objection to it by the audience and participants, Senthil Kumar is seen arrogantly questioning a government employee, on why only a Hindu priest was present and priests of the Christian and Muslim religions were not, at the inauguration ceremony. It is an old, widely accepted aspect on cultural and religious lines in India, to have a traditional inauguration done, to which the general public and even the courts have not objected to!

Number 11: No Chairs For Dalit Panchayat Leaders

In a survey conducted by the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF), it was shocking to discover that many Dalit panchayat presidents in the state were not allowed the convenience and dignity of a chair in their offices. The survey found, that in 22 out of the 386 panchayats surveyed, Dalit presidents were not provided chairs. They were not even allowed to hoist the national flag, when the country was all set to celebrate its 75th Independence on August 15, 2022.

Number 12: Denying Agency To Dalit Woman Mayor

Minister K.N. Nehru behaviour towards Mayor Priya, reeked of a high handed attitude implying casteist discrimination towards a member of a SC community. His comments on the dais in full view of the audience “yemma, va, nillu” in Tamil, are instructive/commanding in nature and indicative of disrespect for the woman’s mayoral position, on the basis of her caste.

Number 13: Wilfully Hurting Hindu Sentiments 

DMK Deputy General Secretary A. Raja’s derogatory comments on Hindus “You’re untouchable as long as you’re Hindu and a “Shudra” as long as you remain a Hindu”, hurt Hindu sentiments and caused an uproar, leading to public demonstrations of displeasure at the minister’s comments, a man known for his anti-Hindu rants.

Number 14: Belittling Women For Using ‘Free’ Bus

DMK Minister Ponmudi  made remarks in a belittling way while reminding women members in the audience about the ‘free bus scheme for women’ introduced by Stalin government.

“For you only 4000 rupees per card. Did he (Stalin) give or not? You got it right? Open your mouth and say. You got 4000 right? How are you going in bus today? If you want to go from here to Koyambedu or anywhere, you are going in ‘OC’ (free). You are going in ‘OC’ bus.”, he said.

His comments clearly imply that people of the lower working class communities, ought to be grateful for the generosity of the chief minister and hence stop complaining or asking for other basic necessities.

Number 15: Unnecessary Reference To The Caste Of A Dalit Woman

“See who’s the chairman of this village? You are from a downtrodden community right? You are ST right?”, said Ponmudi during a panchayat event. Such blatantly casteist comments are unethical and uncalled for, by a senior DMK leader and the Minister for Higher Education, K Ponmudi. He had also openly and publicly referred to a Mugaiyur Panchayat woman member, by her caste name.

Number 16: Practicing Untouchability

On 23 September 2022, leader of Vanvengaigal party Iraniyan went to meet DMK Minister KKSSR Ramachandra at his residence in Greenways Road, Chennai. He was reportedly made to wait for more than 3.5 hours. After much persuasion, Iraniyan was asked to leave his slippers out and come inside. He was called by his caste name, in a clear indication of Ramachandran’s belief in the superiority of his own caste. The petitioner was not even offered a seat despite having many sofas around.  When Iraniyan had come forward to turn the pages of the petition to explain the problem in details, he was asked to maintain distance

Number 17: Disrespecting Cadres Of Own Party

In October 2022 during the DMK general council meeting DMK Lok Sabha MP T.R. Baalu asked one of the party workers to bring his footwear. The volunteer was seen carrying the sandals and placing them at the leader’s feet.

Number 18: Abusing Women

DMK functionary Saidai Sadiq’s shameful, gender-specific comments reached a new low and caused a furore in many circles when he called BJP women leaders, Gayathri Raghuram, Namitha and Gautami “items” (a demeaning, colloquial term for actresses in certain types of songs and movie scenes in Indian films). He had also mocked the popular actress turned politician, Khushbu who had earlier had a stint with the DMK.

Number 19: Bossy High-handedness Towards Party Cadre

2G scam tainted, DMK MP A Raja can be seen holding his head high and ignoring party workers and visitors who bend over in his presence, as a sign of respect.

Number 20: Making The Mayor And Commissioner Ride Footboard

Chennai mayor, R Priya and senior IAS officer, Gagandeep Singh Bedi were seen riding on the footboard of a vehicle that was part of the TN CM’s convoy, during an inspection of the city. The CM did nothing to stop this shameful act and instead appeared to be pleased with the attempt to gain his favour. This type of behaviour does not bode well for people holding elected or bureaucratic positions and takes away the dignity accorded to such positions.

Number 21: Subservience To The First Family

At the ‘coronation’ ceremony of the actor turned politician Udayanidhi Stalin, seasoned and experienced DMK members and ministers, bowed down in submission to the CM’s wife and his young, inexperienced son accompanied by comments on wanting to work for a future leader and possibly the chief minister! Yet another act of nepotism in a dynastic party promoting family members over senior, talented, accomplished leaders based on merit.

Number 22: Singing Praises For The First Family

That the DMK has become a family party and not a people’s party or a social justice party as it claims is evident. In the TN state assembly, DMK ministers were seen heaping undue praise and flattery on CM Stalin’s son, actor-turned-politician, Udayanidhi Stalin. Their flattery ranged from comparing the Karunanidhi ‘dynasty’ with characters from revered Hindu spirirual texts and ancient Tamil kingdoms to a recounting of the names of his Tamil movies.

Number 23: Denying General Seats To Dalit Leaders

VCK leader Vanniyarasu in an interview had said that during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections the VCK had asked for contesting from a general (unreserved) constituency to which Karunanidhi had supposedly said “You guys don’t aspire for general seats”.

Number 24: Step-Motherly Treatment Within Family For Marrying A Dalit

There are whispers that M. Karunanidhi chose Stalin over MK Alagiri as his political heir because M.K.Alagiri married a Dalit woman. DMK family never acknowledged this marriage and was not allowed in their family functions. Even today, MK Alagiri is kept aloof from the first family, both politically and personally.

Number 25: Usurping Panchami Land

Panachami lands are lands assigned to be distributed for the Scheduled Caste people in Tamil Nadu during the British rule in 1892. It can neither be sold nor re-classified. There are lot of instances of panchami land being appropriated by DMK workers and leaders. The Murasoli building is located in Kodambakkam, one of the prominent areas in Chennai

Number 26: Killing Dalits

A large number of laborers from the tea estates of Manjolai (mostly Dalits) congregated in Tirunelveli and protested for better wages. A large contingent of stone-throwing and lathi-wielding police brutally assaulted the protesters forcing them to run toward the river. It resulted in the death of 17 laborers, including two women and a two-year-old child.

Number 27: Scanty Representation For Dalits

The population of Dalits is around 1.40 crore in Tamil Nadu but their representation in DMK’s powerful body is only 1.65% during the year 2018.

Number 28: Discrimination Of Dalit Leaders

Dalit woman leader Sathyavani Muthu, Former MP, the late C. T. Dhandapani, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, and V.P. Duraiswami are some of the leaders at a higher level who was ill-treated by DMK and later quit DMK for the lack of respect. We cannot count on at the grass-root level discrimination.

 

AIADMK Leader’s Car Attacked With Acid, Party’s Panchayat Vice Chairman Kidnapped

By
The Commune
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In yet another instance that higlights the plight of law and order in Tamil Nadu, former AIADMK Minister MR Vijayabhaskar’s car was reportedly attacked with acid and a panchayat vice chairman belonging to the party was kidnapped in broadday light by unidentified miscreants.

AIADMK leader MR Vijayabhaskar was on his way to Karur when unidentified miscreants blocked his car at Nagampattti and threw acid. After breaking the windshields and glasses of the car was broken, AIADMK panchayat vice chairman Thiruvika was allegedly kidnapped.

According to reports, Thiruvika had filed a petition in Madurai Bench of Madras High Court against the delay in holding village panchayat election in Karur. The court had given time till 2 PM on 19 December 2022 to conduct the election.

In Karur’s 12 panchayats, 9 members of the AIADMK and 3 members of the DMK were elected. However, three of them later defected to the DMK allegedly due to harassment and compulsion making the tally 6:6. The seat of vice chairman had remained vacant. AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami has alleged that Thiruvika was kidnapped to prevent him from contesting for the vice chairman post. He also alleged that the police had prevented AIADMK councillors from entering the District Collectorate to vote in the election.

According to Palaniswmai, Thiruvika’s son had filed a complaint which the police had refused to entertain initially. However, they’ve now launched a hunt to identify the miscreants who carried out the attack after the incident gained traction on social media.

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Devotees Besiege Ramanathasamy Temple Condemning Temple’s Administration

By
The Commune
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Accusing the temple management of insulting local devotees in the Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple, devotees and the general public, including an AIADMK councilor, besieged the temple office and staged a protest.

The world-famous Ramanathasamy temple in Ramanathapuram district attracts thousands of devotees on a daily basis and tens of thousands during festivals and holidays. The temple is situated in Rameswaram, one of the Pandyan sites where Devaaram hymns were sung.

In the Ramayana, Rama fought and killed Ravana in order to rescue Sita from her kidnapper. To atone for his sin of killing a Brahmin and prevent the “Brahmahatti Dosham,” Rama dedicated and worshipped a sand lingam at this temple.

Rameswaram is also one of India’s 12 astrologically significant sites. According to the Puranas, Rama, who killed Ravana in the Ramayana, worshiped at this temple to atone for his sins. People from across the country flock to Rameshwaram for pilgrimage.

Since Rama worshipped Lord Eshwar, the temple is known as Ramanathaswamy, and the area is known as Rameswaram (Rama + Eshwaran).

Now at this holy pilgrimage site, there have been allegations that the temple administration has locked the temple premises at various locations and is not allowing the local public or pilgrims from outside to have proper darshan of the god.

In this case, the general public, devotees, and an AIADMK councilor laid seige to condemn the temple administration for disrespecting the devotees who had gone to the temple for worship on Monday. They engaged in a fierce verbal duel with the authorities causing commotion in the temple premises.

Later, the temple authorities negotiated with the protesters who were refusing to leave. As the situation in the temple became tense, police were called in even while the temple authorities were negotiating. The protesters have warned that if the temple administration does not change its arrogant attitude, they will take the protest to the next level.

(With inputs from Samayam Tamil)

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NIA Arrests 9 Sri Lankan Inmates From Trichy Special Camp For Involvement In Illegal Drugs And Arms Trade

By
The Commune
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The Nation Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested nine Sri Lankans on Monday from a special camp for refugees in Tamil Nadu for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs and arms trade to revive the LTTE terror group.

The accused were identified as C. Gunashekharan alias Guna alias Prem Kumar, Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, Mohammad Asmin, Alahapperumaga Sunil Ghamini Fonseca, Stanly Kennady Fernando, Ladiya, Dhanukka Roshan, Vella Suranka alias Gamage Suranga Pradeep, and Thilipan alias Dileepan.

A team led by SP Dharmaraj of the NIA, Kochi arrested the accused for drug trafficking and arms trafficking in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka in an attempt to revive the LTTE. They had been lodged at the special camp for their involvement in some other crimes.

After receiving approval from Trichy district collector M. Pradeepkumar, who verified the inmates’ case information, the NIA began the day-long interrogation. Later, NIA escorted the nine to Chennai to produce them in court.

In July 2022, the NIA filed a case in connection with the smuggling of drugs, arms, and ammunition from Pakistan to India and Sri Lanka in order to resurrect the LTTE.

Subsequently, an NIA team led by DIG Kaliraj Maheshkumar conducted a search on the premises of the Trichy special camp for foreign nationals on July 20. The NIA seized mobile phones, SIM cards, pen drives, hard drives, laptops, WiFi, and other electronic devices during the massive raid. The NIA found inmates with ties to the smuggling case.

The accused were arrested in connection with the seizure of narcotics and illegal arms on a boat intercepted near Vizhinjam Port. In 2021, defense forces intercepted a boat in the Arabian Sea near Kerala’s Vizhinjam Port. The boat contained 300 kg of heroin, five AK-47 machine guns, and 1000 rounds of 9 mm bullets, according to authorities.

It is noteworthy to mention that the DMK government released 16 Sri Lankan Tamil prisoners from the Trichy Special Camp on 2 July 2022, just days ahead of the NIA raid. The state government released the 16 Sri Lankans “after considering several aspects of their crime they were involved in”.

10 Sri Lankan Tamils were earlier released on 15 July 2021 by the DMK government.

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“Zubair = Kasab + Bin Laden”: TN BJP Leader Brutally Takes Down Fake News Peddler Mohammed Zubair

By
The Commune
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In a brutal comeback, BJP Tamil Nadu leader Amar Prasad Reddy came down heavy on Alt News’ Mohammaed Zubair when the latter tried to take a jibe at him.

Amar Prasad Reddy had put a tweet hailing Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai. In light of Argentina winning the FIFA World Cup 2022, Amar Prasad Reddy had juxtaposed the photos of Argentina football player Lionel Messi and Annamalai holding a calf with the caption “Both are the “Greatest of all times””.

Mohammed Zubair of Alt News, who has been caught peddling fake news a number of times, tried to take a jibe at Amar Prasad Reddy saying “Amar Prasad Reddy = Senthil + Vadivelu + Nagesh + Vivek + Goundamani.”

Senthil, Vadivelu, Nagesh, Vivek and Goundamani are well-known comedians and had made a name for themselves through their comedy tracks in several movies.

Zubair through the tweet had implied that Amar Prasad Reddy was nothing more than a comedian.

To this jibe, Amar Prasad Reddy came with a brutal back saying “Mohammed Zubair = Kasab + Osama Bin Laden”.

Mohammed Zubair, Co-Founder of propaganda website Alt News and a self-proclaimed “fact-checker” is a rabid Islamist known for peddling fake news. The various instances when Zubair and his partner Pratik Sinha peddled fake news can be found here. Zubair had earlier mocked Hindu Gods through his social media account.

Mohammed Zubair was elemental in dogwhistling and unleashing a campaign against former BJP leader Nupur Sharma which led the fanatic Muslims to hit the streets creating a communal frenzy.

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How The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Has Proven Well-Intentioned Skeptics Wrong

By
Harsha Bhat
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Three years ago as I landed in Kashi in March 2019, it stood at the crossroads of time. It was just a few days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation for the Kashi corridor project.

The space which would eventually turn into the corridor was half a pile of rubble and half old and unkempt buildings that made it look like anything but the extended praangan of one of the most powerful and important Hindu shrines.

There were workers clearing what had now been reduced to dust and there were those who said ‘their lives were being trampled upon’.

But those working on the project spoke of its future form in terms of what all this was truly worth: the ease with which devotees will be able to take a dip in the Ganga and walk straight to see Vishwanath, their divine aura and devotion undisturbed and post-darshana too soak in the experience in a space and ambience conducive for ‘bhakti’.

At that time, it sounded all too utopian, given the grime around and the lanes outside of the arena of the corridor project still giving a glimpse of what it had to ‘undo’.

But there was one large image that was on a wall that came across as a huge reassurance: that of Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar.

On a wall of a brick structure that faced a mosque, the poster had an image of Ahilya Bai Holkar holding a Shivalinga on her right palm, her left hand from below her ghoongat gently supporting it, and the flower offered atop it.

Next to it was text that read ‘Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar — Restored the temple to its present form in 1780’.

It was as if she was watching the work that was underway. For it was she who not just built the current standing structure, but also revamped the ghats of Varanasi – both the Dashashwamedh as well as the Manikarnika ghat.

It was she who had envisioned and led the revival and reconstruction of various Hindu shrines and sites across the country from Gaya to Gangotri to Rameshwaram.

And three years since then, as I strolled up the Lalita ghat last month on the occassion of Dev Deepavali, and entered the corridor, the sight that greeted me felt like the project had accomplished not just what it intended to but also much beyond it.

It was a sense of civilisational relief for any Hindu – that between Ganga and Vishwanath stood just an inviting stretch, the corridor.

It was moving to watch the garlanded Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar sit glistening in stone and watching over pilgrims posing in front of her statue for selfies and pictures.

Thousands of pilgrims had passed by her statue that one day itself as they queued up to see Vishwanath and hundreds sat around post darshan simply absorbing what they had experienced, waiting, resting and just being there.

The pilgrims had queued up at the first security check after having deposited their phones and valuables and had the replica of the main shrine, the Chandragupta Mahadev Mandir for a backdrop.

Also known as the Manokameshwar Mahadev temple as according to a legend the deity fulfils the wishes of the devotees. Its transformation itself looked like the shrine had got one of its own fulfilled to begin with.

There were water filters for the thirsty, clean washrooms, locker rooms and a large expanse of pleasantly cool pink stone corridor for the pilgrims to simply rest.

And it is constantly being cleaned, is manned round the clock with security and almost leaves no room for fleecing by middlemen who earlier could make it hassle for those who sought to access Vishwanath.

People are much at ease and that is no mean achievement given that on certain days the footfall is said to have crossed five lakhs too.

Of course, there are also clothes drying, old men and women lying down without a worry; the neem saplings are not yet large enough to shield them from the sun but the structure around these trees-to-be turned into seats and benches, hosting the tired feet and letting weary spines rest.

And why all of this is to be lauded is because anyone who has visited Kashi even five years ago, knows that even having your feet clean as you head to the shrine was almost next to impossible.

As one enters and watches hundreds of people queue up by the minute, especially on festive days, it is heartening to note that there is not a speck of dust.

The temple’s extended landscape is as it should be— clean, pristine and devotional. Not dirty, dung-laden unclean serpentine lanes, dingy rest houses, stray animals hovering around, open drains.

Ask locals what has changed for the city and its dwellers, and they list how ‘Kashi Vishwanath Dham has become the growth engine of Kashi’.

As a ‘Banarasi’ entreprenuer Shashi Kumar tweets quoting various news reports, ‘Over 7.65 crore devotees have visited the shrine and around 100 crore worth donation received in the last one year. Kashi has left behind Goa as the most popular destination of India’.

He added saying ‘Hotels in Kashi witnessed 124 per cent growth in the last one year with room tariffs going upto Rs 1 lakh on festive occassions. A record 12 lakh people visited Kashi on Dev Deepavali, and 5 lakh on new year day alone’ expressing gratitude on behalf of everyone in Kashi.

On its first anniversary, the project prepares for a grand celebration, almost on the scale of the Mahashivaratri—with the ‘baraat’ of Mahadev transforming the ancient town into his wedding venue. That is a befitting commemoration for an effort that has facilitated devotion and dharma like never imagined in recent times.

This article was originally published in Swarajya and has been republished here with permission.

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Sadhguru Spotted At FIFA World Cup Finals

By
The Commune
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The FIFA World Cup Fever 2022 has swept football fans all over the world and Sadhguru seems no exception to it. The Indian yogi and mystic, was spotted attending the tightly contested finals between Argentina and France in Qatar.

Tweeting after the match, Sadhguru said, “A fitting finale. Football wins! Congratulations to Argentina & France on a truly high caliber game. -Sg”

The match, true to expectations, went down to the wire with Argentina beating France 4-2 on penalties.

Sadhguru who is spearheading the Save Soil Movement was also seen kicking the #ScoreforSoil campaign ball ahead of the match. The campaign, against the backdrop of the Football World Cup, encourages people to put up a video on social media of their best football shot and #ScoreForSoil in support of the Save Soil movement.

The Save Soil Movement is bringing the world’s attention to save the dying soil and is urging nations to mandate 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils around the world through policy-driven initiatives.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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TN HR&CE Dept: A Den Where The Corrupt Mint Money In The Name Of God

By
Shivani
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Tamil Nadu, the land of temples. Many of them are ancient and are of rich heritage value.

But these temples have become a den for the corrupt government officials to swindle money from the devotee in the name of God. Even a sitting High Court judge can be duped and extorted by these corrupt officials.

Justice SM Subramaniam of Madras High Court had gone to the Vadapalani Murugan Temple with his family on 17 December 2022 without disclosing his identity.

He had paid ₹150 for three special darshan tickets but was given two ₹50 and one ₹5 ticket. ₹45 went swaha!

When he questioned about the irregularity, the temple staff behaved rudely. He and his family were intimidated and gheraoed. The judge had noted that would’ve been pushed out like the officials do with others had the police not intervened and disclosed his identity.

This is the plight of a judge who voices out against the corruption plaguing inside the temples, courtesy the HR&CE department.

This has once again put the issue of ownership of the temples in focus.

Who Should Control Temples?

The issue of temple “ownership” and management has been a bone of contention between the Government (several Indian state governments) and Hindu citizens (both common people and religious leaders) for a while now. At the centre of this contentious issue, is the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act (HR&CE), applicable only to Hindu places of worship, as the name suggests. To cut a long story short, many people argue that the existence of the HR&CE Act and a department that oversees the implementation of the Act, is contradictory to the fundamental rights of Freedom of Religion that the Constitution guarantees to every citizen as well as the “secular” character of the country, implying a separation of governmental oversight and administration from religious affairs including temple management.

Freedom of Religion as guaranteed by the Constitution, for all the faiths practiced in the country, includes the right to chosen beliefs, worship, donations and can be extended to the choice of where and how the donations are put to use. The ‘secular’ nature of the Constitutional framework, advocates against the State’s interference in any matter of religious affairs and an equal treatment of all religions. Yet, it is only the Hindu temples and charitable organizations, that are regulated by the HR&CE department. Churches, mosques and their charities, schools, hospitals etc are not monitored, regulated, legislated or controlled by the State.

A temple is the home of the deity and it is He/She who owns the temple. So, the HR&CE Department or for that matter the government or any legal entity doesn’t ‘own’ the temple. Every temple has a Dharmakartha (trustee) or a trust to manage the affairs of the temple. The HR&CE Department can enter a temple only if there is an allegation of mismanagement. So, the existence of HR&CE Department in many temples of Tamil Nadu is illegl and unconstitutional.

HR&CE: A Colonial Legacy

The history of the HR&CE Act helps us understand its original purpose and intention but does not put to rest, the argument that its very existence stands in stark contradiction to our Constitutional principles of religious freedom, religious rights and non-interference in religious matters. During colonial times, the British kept an eye on temple donations and resources through their Department of Revenue, recognizing the potential of temples as significant financial contributors to their
economic and military plans.

After much deliberations and some resistance from people, they advocated the formation of a “department” to oversee temple affairs including the financial aspects of temple management. With specific regards to Tamil Nadu (Madras Presidency), around 1840, the then British Government was ready to give up administration of temples. The British administration invited some of the prominent “mutts” of the time (Hindu institution/monastery/ashram), in the state to look after important temples and endowments.

The Heads of Mutts who took over the administration of these temples, were careful enough to ask for written documents or “Muchalikas” from the British Government, as an assurance that the temples would not be taken back from them. Large temples and important places of worship came under the control and ownership of these Mutts and the Mutts ran them ably and efficiently.The primary purposes of worship and utilization of funds meant for the upkeep of temples and conduct of rituals, were managed well. While a few temples were responsibly and efficiently administered by the Mutts, thousands of other temples in the then Madras Presidency were handed over to the respective private “trustees” with the then Madras government playing little or no role in supervising them.

In 1925, the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1923 (Act I of 1925) was passed by the local Legislature, with the supposed objective of providing better governance and administration to certain religious endowments. The Act divided temples into what are known as Excepted and Non-excepted temples. Immediately after the Act came into force, its validity was challenged on the ground that the Act was not validly passed. For this reason, the legislature enacted the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1926, Act II of 1927 repealing Act I of 1925.This Act was amended from time to time and contiued even after India gained Independence and started to follow its own Constitution. Thus, it can be seen that even in the pre-independence era, the Board had systematically consolidated its powers to take over and administer temples. This unwelcome, unfair intervention by the Government applied only to Hindu Institutions.

The Board also tried to take over the famous Shri Guruvayurappan Temple in Guruvayur (Kerala), Udupi Shri Krishna Temple under the management of Shri Shirur Mutt of Udupi and Shri Venkataramana Temple belonging to the Gowd Saraswath Brahmins in Mulkipetta of South Kanara district.These religious institutions challenged the takeover by the HRCE Board.

A new Hindu Religious Act was passed by the Madras Government, known as the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1951. The Madras Government was heavily influenced by EV Ramasamy’s “Dravidian” model, proclaiming “rationalism” as the only Truth. While it encouraged atheism and propounded rationalism among the Hindus, it largely left the idiosyncrasies of Islam and Christianity alone. The modern day follower of this blantant discrimination among the religions, is Tamil Nadu’s DMK party.

The Government’s stand on the continuance of temple control, back in the day, was that social justice would be sacrificed at the alter of caste based practices, including entry into temples and participation in temple activities. Petitioners now argue, there is no need for such a fear, given the changed circumstances in current times and the constitutional rights/ guarantees of individual liberties in India’s post-Independence climate.

Is The HR&CE Department Doing Its Job?

Regardless of the Constitutional validity of the HR&CE Act and regardless of the Act’s purported purpose and intent in the 1950s and now, it is clear that in the absence of private control of temples, temple properties and possessions, it is the duty of the HR&CE department to survey all temples both in use and not in use, conduct regular audits of the maintenance and upkeep of temples, temple lands and undertake regular renovation work of temples in disrepair. In earlier times, all such work was done under the patronage of kings and queens, devout citizens, wealthy patrons or private, charitable trusts run by certain communities or religious leaders.

Our magnificent temples, many of them architectural wonders and heritage monuments, occupy a place of honor and pride in our history and culture. Our roots and cultural history are tied to our religious/temple history. Since the HR&CE department replaces a network of earlier patrons, it must be held accountable for the welfare of temples and temple properties, in all aspect of their existence. Many argue that it amounts to criminal negligence if the HR&CE department does not preserve monuments of our ancient culture- our temples. Of the many states, that have argued against the validity and necessity of the HR&CE Act in a modern India, which has made significant progress with social practices like the outdated caste system.

Tamil Nadu acclaimed as the Land of Temples or “Temple Nadu”, is at the forefront of several hotly contested, empassioned debates. The Tamil Nadu government continues to vociferously argue on the basis of caste-based reasons to which the petitioners counter that it is not relevant anymore. The government persists on the question of future ownership and management “to whom should the temples be handed over to?” The petitioners promptly reply, that they should rightfully be handed back to the Hindu community and henceforth be managed by religious leaders, community leaders or religious and charitable Trusts, just like the churches & mosques of the minority communities.

One of the consistent arguments of the petitioners, presented with clear, visual proof, is a depressingly long list of old, heritage temples of historical and archaeological importance, that lie in ruins today, despite numerous requests and reminders to the State government for their renovation and maintenance. Repeated claims of over 5000 temples lying in ruin, is a disturbing figure and a sign of a country, not appearing to be proud of its cultural heritage.

Over the years, there have been several reports of stolen temple property/ possessions including ancient idols, jewelry and art work, worth millions and later proved to have been stolen. While a few priceless artifacts have been traced and recovered, many pieces of exquisite craft work, representing our culture and history are still missing!

Popular, respected religious leaders of the community including Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, have requested a re-examination of the validity of the HR&CE Act and a reconsideration of its proclaimed purpose, which is no longer relevant in current times. Here’s a small list of temples from Tamil Nadu, in dire need of renovation and upkeep, among many, many more that ordinary citizens, netizens and bloggers are trying to bring to light.

-Shiva Temple, Thellur
-Thiruvilaiyattam Shri AnnamalaiyarTemple
-Nagampanthal Shri Nagalingeshwarar Temple
-Saanur Shri Boothalingeshwarar Temple
-Puduthurai Shri Tharaneeswarar temple
-Pagasalai Sri AdiKesava Perumal Temple
-Poundarigapuram Somanadhaswamy Temple
-Koogaiyur Karyampureeshwarar Temple
– Uzhavarapani Thiru Magaral Temple
-Mangudi Sivalokanadhar Temple
-Nellithope Perumal Temple

There are many smaller temples which doesn’t even have the wherewithall to do even one pooja in a day. In these places, it is high time the privileged members of the Hindu community do their bit in saving these temples.

End Note

Justice Subramaniam’s visit to the Vadapalani Murugan Temple is a God send. Looks like Lord Murugan himself couldn’t stand the atrocities being committed by the corrupt officials of the HR&CE Department. The HR&CE Minister P. Sekarbabu, instead of bringing his house in order, is busy in making arrangements for CM’s son-in-law to do ‘Kshatru Samhara Yagnam’ while putting the devotees to distress.

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Conflict Of Interest? TN Sports Min Udhayanidhi’s Wife Runs Private Sports Firm

By
The Commune
-

Since his father, MK Stalin, appointed Udhayanidhi as a minister in his cabinet, there has been no dearth of controversies.

Even though the DMK claims to practise rationalism, Udhayanidhi was appointed a minister on the last day of the Tamil month of Karthigai. The date and timing are crucial since they are auspicious by the Hindu calendar. The ceremony is taking place in Karthigai month because the upcoming Margazhi is considered inauspicious.

Then, another controversy erupted when the first time MLA and Minister Udhayanidhi was given a 10th position in the cabinet, far ahead of the Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, who was placed at 27 in the list.

Now there is another controversy brewing with Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, wife of Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, running a firm which is in the business of sports.

Political commentator ‘Savukku’ Shankar alleged Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi of running a private sports firm named Snow Sports Promotion Private Limited with her husband being a sports minister, citing a clear conflict of interest.

He stated in a tweet, “Udhayanidhi being Minister for Sports, his wife being a Director in a Sports promotion firm, is a clear case of conflict of interest. Stalin family’s greed knows no bounds.”

According to information filed with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi was appointed as the director of Snow Sports Promotion Private Limited on 2 August 2021, within 3 months of the DMK coming to power . She took over as director of the company from her husband, sports minister Udhayanithi Stalin, on the same day he resigned as director of the firm.

The company is located in Sun Rise Avenue, Sri Kapaleeswarar nagar, Neelankarai, Chennai and has an authorised capital of ₹1.5 crores and a paid up capital of ₹9,566,700.

It should be noted that two other companies, SNOW SPORTS PROMOTION LIMITED and SNOW HOUSING PRIVATE LIMITED, are also located at the same address and are also headed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi.

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Vennikaaladi, The Devendra Kula Velalar Who Fought British Stooge Muhammad Yusuf Khan

By
Ashok Kumar
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Many members of the Devendra Kula Vellalar clan served as soldiers during the period of the Palayakkars. The camp chiefs formed and managed regiments in their camp areas to protect their camps from the surrounding jungles and the increasing dominance of foreigners. Pulithevan (1715-1767), a Palayakar who ruled from Nerkaattan Chevalai (Nerkattumseval today) as his headquarters, maintained one such army.

Kaalaadi, a sub-division of the Devendra Kula Vellalar clan, has served in those regiments for generations and was given the name “Kaalaadi” because they were serving in the infantry. In Tamil, infantry is known as Kaalaatpadai – காலாட்படை.

The soldiers in the army who rendered extraordinary service were described as Periya Kaalaadi, Chinna Kaalaadi, Karaiyaalar Kudumbanar, Saattan Kaalaadi, Shankarakudaiyan, Maatukkudumpanar, Muthukutumpanar, Kattakkaruppanan. They also functioned in groups as units of larger soldiers.

It appears that the clan’s leader wanted that group to be associated with them because of the valour, fighting spirit, initiative, and honesty of their community and their leaders. One such veteran is the Periya Kaaladi popularly known as Venni Kaaladi who belonged to the sub-division of Devendra Kula Kaladi and served as the main commander of Puli Thevar’s Army.

Muhammad Yusuf Khan Alias Marudhanayagam

Maruthanayagam (1725 – 1764), born in a village called Panaiyur in British India, what is now in Nainarkoil Taluk, Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu, was the commandant of the British East India Company’s Madras Army.

After converting to Islam, he took the name, Muhammad Yusuf Khan. When he became the ruler of Madurai, he was dubbed as Khan Sahib. He rose through the ranks of the Arcot troops to become a commandant of the British East India Company troops.

He was hired by the British and the Arcot Nawab to put down the Polygar (a.k.a. Palayakkarar) uprising in South India. When the Madurai Nayak rule ended, he was entrusted with the administration of the Madurai region.

Puli Thevar Vs British:

Pulithevar’s reign marked the end of the Pandya dynasty and the decline of the Nayak dynasty. It was a time of transition, with Arcot Nawabs encroaching on Tamil regions and the British entering into Indian politics.

The Palayakkar Puli Thevar recognized that the small Palayams were vulnerable to such large-scale regime changes, so he gathered all the villagers and made the them realise the importance of unity.

All Palayakkars avoided paying tax to the chieftains as per the Puli Thevar instructions. The Tamil region fell into the hands of the Islamic ruler Arcot Nawab as the power of Nayakkars weakened. It later passed into the hands of Maharashtrian kings, and then into the hands of the Islamic rulers. However, due to a feud between the Nawab of Arcot and another Muhammadan king, both factions tended to collect tribute separately from the Palayakkars in Tamil Nadu. Taking advantage of the discord between these two factions, the Palayakkars ceased paying taxes entirely.

The Nawab of Arcot sought the assistance of the British in this situation. According to their agreement, the Nawab of Arcot gave the British the authority to collect taxes. Since then, the British have engaged in direct conflict with the Indian kings. British army led by Colonel Alexander Heran, the Nawab’s forces led by Mabus Khan, the brother of the Nawab of Arcot, and the native sepoys led by Muhammad Yusuf Khan set out to attack the Palayakkars in 1755 as they refused to pay taxes.

Yusuf Khan, unable to defeat the army of Puli Thevar led by Periya Kaaladi, decided to attack them at night. Yusuf Khan’s troops decided to surround and fight the Nerkattumseval fort at night from the camp they had set up. Periya Kaaladi encamped on the forest road after receiving intelligence about Yusuf Khan’s secret attack and resisted the enemy. During the attack, he was wounded due to the attack by one of the enemy soldiers.

Despite the stomach being torn and the intestines coming out, he pushed it back in, took the cloth tied as a turban, and tied it along the gut before continuing to fight the war and defeating the opponents. Realizing that many more people were lurking in the forest areas and might attack in the next few days, he got on his horse and reported to Puli Thevan. He rode his horse to Puli Thevar and reported that the enemy had gone into hiding with the army in the forest and collapsed on Puli Thevar’s lap.

Devastated by his friend’s death, Puli Thevan erected a stone near the battlefield and named it “Kaaladi Medu.”

Napoleon’s forces were fighting to take the German city of Ratisbon in 1809. Napoleon stood on a nearby hill, looking down at Ratisbon. A small cloud of dust suddenly moved away from Ratisbon. Napoleon noticed a fleet approaching him. It was a young man on a horse who told Napoleon about the victory of the French forces at Ratisbon and that he hoisted the French flag himself. When Napoleon saw the wound in his chest, he said, “You are wounded,” and the brave young man fell down, saying, “No, I am killed.” This is the essence of Robert Browning’s poem ‘The Incident of the French Camp’.

While our history textbooks may have forgotten Vennikaladi, the man who died on Puli Thevar’s lap continues to live in the Tamil folklore similar to the poem ‘The Incident of the French Camp,’ which described the valor of a French soldier.

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