Several villages in and around Dindigul district are witnessing prolonged tension over land use, religious rights and alleged encroachments, with Perumal Kovilpatti village emerging as a flashpoint.
Perumal Kovilpatti is home to around 1,000 families, of which approximately 850 are Christian households and about 150 are Hindu households, making Hindus a numerical minority in the village. Disputes have centred on government-allotted land meant for religious purposes.
Records indicate that in 1985, the government allotted 12.5 cents of land for Hindu religious use and, on the same date, allotted 22 cents of land to Christians for the construction of a church. A church was subsequently built on the 22 cents allotted to Christians. In addition to this land, allegations have been raised that further government land was occupied, including the construction of compound walls extending beyond the allotted area, the closure of three streets, and the digging of two wells on government poramboke land.
The 12.5 cents allotted to Hindus contains three places of worship – Kaliamman temple, Mandu Karuppanasamy temple and Bhagavathi Amman temple along with a neem tree revered locally as Veppamaram Mariamman. Sources note that Hindus have confined themselves strictly to the land allotted to them and have not encroached beyond it.
Tensions escalated when boundary stones were erected on the 12.5 cents following court orders permitting Hindus to enjoy the land allotted to them. It is alleged that the boundary stones were removed in the presence of police personnel and that Hindus were subsequently attacked, resulting in several injuries. Those injured reportedly underwent treatment for days at the Dindigul Government Hospital. No arrests are stated to have been made in connection with the alleged assault.
Disputes related to religious observances at the Mandu Karuppanasamy temple are said to have continued for more than 25 years. Around 25 years ago, a Deepathoon near the temple was allegedly destroyed after a vehicle was driven into it, following which complaints were lodged with the police. Since then, Hindus have repeatedly sought permission to light lamps at the temple entrance on Karthigai Deepam day, but authorities have cited law-and-order concerns to prevent the practice.
Despite there being no reported restrictions on activities at the church, Hindus have been required to approach courts for permission to carry out lamp-lighting rituals at the temple entrance. On December 1, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court passed an order directing that the lamp be lit. It is alleged that even after the order, the practice was prevented, leading to contempt proceedings currently pending before the Madurai Bench.
Similar issues have been reported from other villages in the region. In Panchampatti, Hindus were initially prevented from conducting annadanam on common land and were able to do so only after obtaining court permission. Even after the court order, it is alleged that a large group of Christians gathered at night and obstructed the setting up of the annadanam pandal.
In Perumal Kovilpatti, it is also alleged that a Hindu temple priest was killed around 20 years ago and that Hindus in the village have since faced repeated instances of violence and restrictions on religious practices.
Concerns have been raised that several villages around Dindigul, where Hindus are minorities are witnessing a pattern of disputes that could result in demographic and cultural displacement. Allegations have also been made that political parties and organisations have downplayed or diverted attention from these issues by portraying Hindu assertions of religious rights as attempts to create law-and-order problems.
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