Srimad Jagadguru Shankaracharya Kudali Sringeri Mahasamsthan Dakshinamnaya has announced a cash prize of ₹10 lakh for students who successfully complete higher Vedic studies in Rig Veda and Yajur Veda at the mutt’s gurukula.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Shankaracharya Abhinava Shankara Bharati Mahaswamy stated that the initiative aims to preserve the ancient gurukula tradition and encourage rigorous Vedic education. The mutt has already commenced its gurukula activities to facilitate this.
The Shankaracharya explained that students will be trained in six core Shastras—Shiksha, Chandassu, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Jyothishya, and Kalpa—collectively known as ‘Shadanga’. Additionally, the curriculum includes Pratishakhya, along with Veda Samhita, Brahmana, and Aranyaka, making a total of ten granthas (epics).
Students who complete all ten granthas and pass the examination will earn the title ‘Dasha Granthi’ and receive a cash award of ₹5 lakh.
Those who continue their studies to the advanced level of Salakshana Ghanantha and pass the final examination will be awarded the title ‘Sadashagrantha Salakshana Ghanapathi’, along with a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.
10-Year Free Education Program
The gurukula course spans 10 years, with some students requiring up to 12 years to complete their studies. Education is provided free of cost, covering both Rig Veda and Yajur Veda branches.
The Shankaracharya emphasized that the primary goal of this initiative is to preserve and promote higher Vedic education for future generations.
In a large-scale crackdown, Tamil Nadu police have arrested thousands of people across the state as reported in Dinamalar to prevent their participation in a planned charity march to Thiruparankundram Hill. Several leaders of the BJP and Hindu Munnani, including senior BJP leader H. Raja and Hindu Munnani state president Kadeswara Subramanian, have been placed under house arrest.
The Hindu Munnani had organized the march to protest against alleged encroachments and reported animal sacrifices at Thiruparankundram Hill, a site revered as belonging to Lord Muruga. However, citing security concerns and the risk of communal tensions, the police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in Madurai for two days.
Statewide Arrests And Detentions
Police have conducted a sweeping operation across Tamil Nadu, placing Hindu Munnani and BJP leaders under house arrest and detaining thousands of workers who were attempting to reach Thiruparankundram.
Karaikudi, Sivaganga District – BJP leader H. Raja was placed under house arrest.
Tiruppur – Hindu Munnani state president Katheeswara Subramanian was arrested along with hundreds of supporters. A protest erupted in response, leading to road blockades.
Nellai – Hindu Munnani state secretary Courtala Nathan was arrested.
Coimbatore, Trichy, and Virudhunagar – Several BJP and Hindu Munnani functionaries were detained, with some locked up in private halls.
Madurai – A heavy police force was deployed, with vehicles heading towards the protest site being stopped and searched.
Security Measures And Police Deployment
To prevent the march, the Tamil Nadu government has deployed:
3000 police personnel led by Commissioner Loganathan.
Five Superintendents of Police (SPs), three Additional Deputy Superintendents of Police (ADSPs), and 13 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) from other districts.
Additionally, the Madurai Adheenam, a prominent Hindu monastery, was barred from leaving the mutt, effectively preventing their participation in the protest.
Hindu Munnani and BJP leaders strongly condemned the crackdown, alleging that the DMK-led government was suppressing their religious rights. They accused certain Muslim organizations of attempting to rename Thiruparankundram as “Sikandar Hill” and promoting religious violence.
“This is an outrageous attack on our right to worship. The police have stormed into the homes of our leaders and placed them under house arrest, stopping them from even visiting temples,” a Hindu Munnani spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders accused the police of acting under political pressure to curb Hindu organizations while allowing other religious groups to function freely.
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The Madurai bench of the High Court has granted permission to the Hindu Munnani organization to hold a protest in connection with the Thiruparankundram temple issue. The court ruled that the protest could take place from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Palanganatham near Madurai, subject to specific conditions.
The Hindu Munnani had originally sought permission to hold a protest at Thiruparankundram hill against alleged encroachments and the sacrifice of goats and chickens at the sacred site. However, authorities had denied permission, citing a prohibitory order under Section 144 due to tensions between two groups. The denial was also linked to the ongoing Vel Festival at the temple.
In response, Hindu Munnani filed an urgent petition in the High Court. A bench comprising Justices Jayachandran and Vandu Poornima heard the matter and ruled in favor of granting permission for the protest, while imposing certain restrictions to ensure public order.
The court emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and expression but stated that the protest should not disrupt religious harmony. It ruled that the protest should not take place at Thiruparankundram but at Palanganattham instead. Additionally, the following conditions were imposed:
The protest must be peaceful and should not include slogans or speeches that insult any religion or individual.
There should be no incitement to riots or communal tension.
The protestors are allowed to use only one microphone and speaker.
Necessary police security must be provided to maintain law and order.
This ruling follows the growing controversy over the Thiruparankundram hill issue, with Hindu Munnani alleging encroachment and religious violations at the sacred site. The court’s decision provides a legal framework for the protest while ensuring that tensions do not escalate.
A complaint has been lodged against the unauthorized use of a government-leased building in Kovvur town, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. The building, which is meant to accommodate children from the Backward Classes (BC) in a residential hostel, has reportedly been used for religious activities, sparking concerns about the rights of the students residing there.
The hostel, which houses over 55 students from 3rd to 10th standard, is located near the BSNL office in Bapuji Nagar. However, according to a report published in Eenadu Telugu Daily, it has come to light that Christian prayer sessions and other religious gatherings are being held regularly within the premises, causing disturbance among the students.
Church activities in the BC Welfare Children Hostel, Kovvur, AP, violate Article 28(3) of the Constitution, raising grave concerns over safety, welfare of children & secular integrity of Govt's hostel system.
In a formal complaint addressed to the Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Activist watchdog, Legal Rights Protection Forum, condemned this practice, highlighting its violation of the Indian Constitution. Specifically, Article 28(3) prohibits the imposition of religious activities on students in educational institutions receiving state funds.
The complaint raises alarm over the possibility of religious influence being used to target children for conversion, a practice that he argues threatens the secular nature of the country and the well-being of minor children.
The Legal Rights Protection Forum has called for an immediate investigation into the matter and for the government to take appropriate action to ensure the rights of the children are protected. The forum expressed concerns over the misuse of public property and the breach of constitutional rights concerning religious freedom in educational spaces.
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A formal complaint has been lodged with the South-Central Railway authorities regarding the illegal encroachment of railway land and the construction of an unauthorized religious structure near Malkajgiri, Secunderabad. The complaint, filed by the legal watchdog, Legal Rights Protection Forum, calls for immediate action to address the violation.
The land in question, located near Bala Saraswathi Nagar, close to Malkajgiri Police Station, has reportedly been occupied by unidentified individuals. According to local residents, construction of a mosque is underway on the encroached land, raising concerns about public safety, legal violations, and potential communal tensions.
Encroachment of Railway land & illegal construction of Mosque at BalaSaraswathy Nagar, near Malkajgiri PS, Secunderabad.
Wrote to the AGM @SCRailwayIndia seeking removal of the encroachment under provisions of Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971. pic.twitter.com/194hmQOzkM
In the complaint submitted to both the Director and Secretary of Public Grievances at South Central Railway, LRPF emphasized the need for swift action under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, to remove the encroachment and prevent further illegal occupation. Images and a video clip of the ongoing construction were enclosed to support the claims made in the complaint.
The Legal Rights Protection Forum has urged authorities to take prompt measures to safeguard railway land from further encroachment and to maintain law and order in the region. It has also requested an acknowledgment of the complaint and updates on the actions taken in response.
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Dravidianist YouTuber Madan Gowri who is famous for peddling fake news and half-truths is at it again. This time he is trying to “educate” his followers and viewers with a very quick 11-minute summary of the Thirupparankudram Hill issue. But does he spell out the facts and narrate the sequence of events as they happened? Well, no prizes for guessing – like a typical Dravidianist, he skipped the most important bits and has peddled a narrative demonising Hindu Munnani as the reason for the “unrest” in the area.
In a video on his YouTube channel titled, “Madurai Thiruparankundram Issue Explained! 😟”, Madan Gowri talks about all things under the sun but leaves out the most important and contentious bits of information to pin the blame on Hindu Munnani and paint the Islamists who desecrated the sacred Hill as saints and guess what? The Ramanathapuram MP is nowhere in the picture.
In his 11-minute video, he talks about the alleged history of the imaginary character called Sikandar, the dargah and tries to establish that the dargah was in existence for centuries and that the temple and the dargah coexisted all these years. He alleges that a long-standing court case over land ownership between the temple and the dargah was settled in 1923.
He then talks about the goat sacrifice done by the Islamists and tries to cement this lie as a fact – he says that a festival is held annually at the hill, where goats are traditionally offered. However, the Hindu Munnani expressed opposition to this practice, claiming it is against their religious sentiments. This disagreement has led to a clash between the Hindu Munnani and those who want to continue the tradition.
He then justifies that the police are right in their approach to implementing section 144/curfew. But nowhere in the video does he talk about the Kasi Vishwanathar temple, the goat sacrifice, the eating of non-vegetarian food at the hill and how Navas Kani claimed the dargah was under Waqf land – he skips all these details and only focuses on the protest.
In a portion of the video, he says, “Hindu Munnani says this is not Sikandar Hill, you should not take these things up. The others are calling it Sikandar Hill because Sikandar’s dargah is present there. But these people (Hindu Munnani) are saying it is not Sikandar Hill and one should not take goats there because it disturbs our sentiments. So this is what has happened in recent times. Then, Hindu Munnani said there would be a protest, but the police said no don’t protest here, it will create unnecessary tension, and they didn’t give permission. So, if one wants to protest, they have to get permission. But herethe permission was deniedand yet Hindu Munnani says that even without permission they would protest.But if they protest without permission, it will create a problem because this is a sensitive topic, a religious topic. They are saying they will do it in front of the temple andthere is a dargah on top of the hill. So to avoid problems, section 144 was implemented in the Madurai district for today and tomorrow. So, I think I have told everything in 2000 years of history.”
Even in this video, if you notice, he peddles the same narrative as agmark seculars do – if there is a mosque or a dargah or the Islamist minority involved, it is a “sensitive” topic since it is a religious issue andideally it is the Hindus who must tolerate everything and do not take any action on what is their own.
You can watch the full video here:
What Actually Happened?
Tensions flared on 27 December 2024, when Madurai police detained a family attempting to bring goats and roosters to the hilltop dargah for ritual sacrifice. Led by Syed Abu Dahir, a 53-year-old from Malaiyadipatti, the family protested after being stopped at the base of the hill. Their detention sparked demonstrations by over 20 local Muslims in solidarity.
On January 5, 2025, another group of Muslim protesters gathered at the hill, demanding access to the mosque for prayers. When police denied their request, the situation escalated, resulting in a brief scuffle and several detentions.
Further unrest followed the announcement of an “Equality Feast” (Samaanbhojan) scheduled for January 18 at the hilltop dargah. Social media posts indicated plans for goat and rooster sacrifices during the event. Concerned about communal violence, authorities erected barricades and conducted searches to prevent livestock from being transported to the site. When protesters were informed that animal sacrifices were prohibited, clashes erupted between Jamath members and the police, disrupting the area further.
Compounding the issue, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), an AIADMK ally linked to the banned group PFI, has been accused of orchestrating these sacrilegious acts to inflame tensions.
On January 21, 2025, controversy deepened when DMK Manapparai MLA Abdul Samad conducted an unauthorized survey around the temple, allegedly to assert control over the hill. The same day, IUML leader Navas Kani reaffirmed in an interview that the dargah falls under the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board’s jurisdiction, further fueling the conflict.
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A teacher at Drakensburg Secondary School in KwaZulu-Natal allegedly cut off a sacred religious thread from the wrist of a Hindu student, triggering widespread condemnation from the Hindu community. The incident, which occurred last week, has been described as an act of religious intolerance by the South African Hindu Maha Sabha (SAHMS), a leading Hindu organization in the country.
The SAHMS has called on education authorities to take swift action against the teacher, asserting that schools must not discriminate against religious practices. According to reports, the teacher justified the action by claiming that the school does not permit the wearing of cultural or religious symbols.
The SAHMS issued a press statement on Sunday, 2 February 2025, condemning the teacher’s actions and launching an investigation into the matter. However, the probe has been hindered as the affected student has refused to come forward, reportedly fearing further victimization.
SAHMS president Ashwin Trikamjee stated that both the school principal and the chairman of the school’s governing body assured him over the phone that religious discrimination was not practiced at their institution. He added that they emphasized their own adherence to religious customs, including wearing rings and strings, but acknowledged that no official written response had been provided yet.
Trikamjee pointed to a past ruling by South Africa’s Constitutional Court, which had decided in favor of a Hindu student who had been barred from wearing a nose ring at school. He highlighted that the court had reaffirmed the right of individuals to practice their cultural and religious beliefs without interference.
The incident at Drakensburg Secondary School has reportedly led to inter-religious tensions in the area, raising concerns about the broader implications of religious intolerance in educational institutions.
South Africa’s Constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination on various grounds, including religion, under the South African Charter of Religious Rights and Freedoms. Additionally, the government has established statutory bodies such as the Human Rights Commission and the Cultural, Religious, and Language (CRL) Rights Commission to address complaints related to discrimination.
Trikamjee criticized the education ministry for failing to provide schools with clear guidelines on religious and cultural tolerance, stating that this has resulted in inconsistent policy enforcement across institutions.
However, Muzi Mahlambi, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, dismissed this criticism. He maintained that the South African Constitution is the highest legal authority and that any school policy contradicting it is unacceptable. Mahlambi also noted that the Department of Education has already instructed all schools to review and revise their codes of conduct to align with constitutional protections, ensuring that no student faces punishment for their religious beliefs.
Indian-origin South African CRL Commissioner Raj Govender called for the school to amend its policies to accommodate the religious and cultural needs of minority communities. He stressed that teachers must exercise neutrality when addressing matters of faith in schools.
Govender stated that if the allegations against the teacher were true, it would represent a serious violation of professional conduct, as educators should not interfere with students’ religious practices.
A wave of criticism followed Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kalpana Nayak’s allegations of an attempt on her life after exposing irregularities in police recruitment. In a complaint to Tamil Nadu DGP Shankar Jiwal earlier, she called for an impartial probe into a fire that destroyed her office chamber in Chennai on 29 July 2024.
Nayak stated that the fire occurred shortly after she flagged discrepancies in communal reservation during the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors, constables, prison warders, and firemen under the TNUSRB. She had submitted a report in March 2023 highlighting lapses, but it was ignored. A court order later directed corrections in the selection list.
On the day of the fire, she was advised not to enter her office, but upon arrival, she found her chair charred. She suspects foul play, as the revised selection list was published without her approval a day later. Despite her complaint, no action was taken against staff even after 15 days.
DGP Jiwal stated that an electrical short circuit was the likely cause, but the matter has been referred to Chennai Police for further investigation. Nayak insists on a thorough and unbiased probe, citing serious concerns about law enforcement integrity in Tamil Nadu.
BJP TN chief Annamalai slammed the DMK government for the distressing situation. On his X handle, Annamalai wrote, “Flouting rules & laws have become customary in TN under this DMK Government. Even Top Police officials are not spared for speaking the uncomfortable truth that could expose the pathetic nature in which this Government is functioning. ADGP Kalpana Nayak avl pointed out the irregularities in sub-inspector recruitment in the present and the past. She was rewarded with a charred office, and she could have lost her life if she had been present during the Fire. The worst part is that the State Police Department seems to have ignored her constant plea for a genuine investigation into this matter. Why? While the top police officials want to brush it away, calling it a Fire caused by an Electrical short circuit, the sequence of events leading to the fire make this theory unbelievable as ADGP Kalpana Nayak avl was kept out of the decision-making process, and her approval was not sought before publishing the revised list of sub-inspectors. Activists and Government officials are being killed in Tamil Nadu for exposing Corruption, Misgovernance, & Irregularities, and even Top police officials do not feel safe in the State anymore. TN CM Thiru @mkstalin avl’s iron fist seems to be reserved for silencing truth rather than upholding justice.”
Flouting rules & laws have become customary in TN under this DMK Government. Even Top Police officials are not spared for speaking the uncomfortable truth that could expose the pathetic nature in which this Government is functioning.
A newly released Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) investigation by the White Coat Waste Project (WCW) has revealed that U.S. government agencies provided significant funding to Ben Hu, a Wuhan-based scientist now identified as COVID-19’s “Patient Zero.” Leaked U.S. intelligence confirms Hu was the first person to fall ill at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) before the pandemic officially began.
U.S. Taxpayer Funds Tied To Wuhan Lab Experiments
Documents obtained by WCW through a FOIA lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirm that Hu was conducting gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses using U.S. taxpayer funds. These grants were issued through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), formerly led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to federal accounting records, over $41 million was allocated to projects involving Hu and his team. Due to reporting loopholes and conflicting data from EcoHealth Alliance, the exact portion of these funds directed specifically to Hu remains unclear. However, the funding was scheduled to continue until 2024, had it not been terminated in early 2020 following WCW’s revelations.
Let me get this straight. Fauci’s NIAID and @USAID sent over $40M in U.S. taxpayer “support” to a scientist in Wuhan who was working on “bat coronavirus emergence” research, who also became “patient zero” for COVID-19?
The identity of Wuhan Institute staff members who reportedly fell ill with COVID-like symptoms in November 2019 had been withheld by both the U.S. and Chinese governments—until now. A U.S. intelligence source has confirmed with “100% certainty” that three WIV researchers, Ben Hu, Yu Ping, and Yan Zhu, were hospitalized with severe illness in late 2019.
This aligns with earlier reports from January 2021, in which the U.S. State Department disclosed that Wuhan lab staffers involved in coronavirus experiments developed COVID-like symptoms before the virus was officially recognized. Additional accounts indicated that one of the researchers’ wives died in December 2019 from a similar illness.
Dangerous Research Conducted Without Adequate Protection
A 2017 video from Chinese state-run media shows Hu and fellow virologist Shi Zhengli—known as “Bat Woman” for her work on bat viruses—handling bats and lab specimens without sufficient protective gear. Intelligence findings suggest that Hu led Wuhan’s gain-of-function research on SARS-like coronaviruses using humanized mice to enhance the viruses’ transmissibility.
Federal Funding for Wuhan Lab Experiments Exposed
The WCW investigation highlights how U.S. taxpayer dollars funded risky virus research at WIV, including:
The collection of wild coronaviruses from bats in remote Chinese caves.
The transportation of these viruses to a laboratory in Wuhan.
Gain-of-function experiments designed to make these viruses more infectious to humans.
The subsequent infection of Wuhan lab staffers, followed by a cover-up of their medical records and identities.
The newly uncovered federal grants reveal that NIAID and USAID funded Hu’s work at WIV despite long-standing concerns over biosafety and transparency. The grants were ultimately revoked after WCW intervened in 2020.
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On 3 February 2025, the Madurai district administration imposed Section 163 of the BNSS (previously Section 144 of CrPC) across the district for two days, following tensions over a protest announced by the Hindu Munnani regarding the Thirupparankundram Hill issue. The ban, effective until the night of 4 February 2025, prohibits protests and gatherings to maintain public order, according to District Collector Sangeetha.
Madurai City Police Commissioner Loganathan issued a warning that legal action will be taken against individuals and vehicles violating the law. Addressing the ongoing tensions over the Thiruparankundram Hill dispute, he stated that conflicts between the two groups have persisted for several days, leading to the registration of multiple cases.
“Permission has been denied for the protest planned by Hindu Munnani. So far, five cases have been filed against members from both sides,” he confirmed.
In response to this, Tamil Nadu BJP MLA and Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan has strongly condemned the imposition of Section 144 at Thiruparankundram, calling it an act of “anarchy” aimed at suppressing Murugan devotees. She questioned whether the enforcement of such restrictions indicates a failure of the rule of law in Tamil Nadu or the emergence of a dictatorial regime.
In a press release statement, she wrote,“Thiruparankundram is the first house of Lord Muruga’s Arupadaiveedu/6 abodes, which have mixed with the spirit and life of Tamils. Some forces are encroaching on the Murugan temple on the Thiruparankundram Hill and claiming and occupying the Thiruparankundram Hill on the pretext that there is a dargah here. A member of parliament from the Indian Union Muslim League party, which is in the DMK alliance, went with his supporters and encroached on Thiruparankundram Hill, Arupadaiveedu. The parties including BJP and Hindu organizations have pointed this out and the DMK government is silently watching.
Hindu organizations today announced a strike to protect Thiruparankundram Hill, the abode of Lord Muruga, and against fundamentalists who are trying to create chaos and destroy peace. However, the DMK government, which is just looking at the fundamentalists involved in anarchy to destroy peace, is engaging in all illegal activities to suppress the struggle of Hindu organizations fighting to save Lord Muruga’s Arupadaiveedu/abode. The DMK government has deployed thousands of police to suppress the sons of the soil as if they were oppressing “foreign” forces and are arresting many people who are fighting peacefully. This is highly condemnable.
DMK government and the police which is under the control of Chief Minister MK Stalin, should also give up their anarchy and allow Hindu organizations to protest peacefully as per the fundamental right granted by the Constitution. Otherwise, Muruga and Muruga devotees will punish the DMK government.”
முருக பக்தர்களை ஒடுக்க 144 தடையுத்தரவு பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது அராஜகத்தின் உச்சம். தமிழ்நாட்டில் சட்டத்தின் ஆட்சி நடக்கிறதா, காட்டாட்சி என்ற சந்தேகத்தை ஏற்படுத்துகிறது. pic.twitter.com/XaWNh5sYWJ
