Tension gripped Dindigul district on Monday after more than 500 members of the Christian community from Panchampatti village staged a road blockade protesting against the conduct of annadhanam on government land during the Kumbabishekam of a Hindu temple.
The protest came in defiance of a Madras High Court order that permitted the annadhanam, observing that when a public ground belongs to the state, it cannot be restricted for use by any specific community. Following the court’s direction, the annadhanam was held on Monday at the designated public ground.
Senior officials, including District Collector S. Saravanan and Superintendent of Police A. Pradeep, held negotiations with the protesters at the collectorate and pacified them, leading to the withdrawal of the agitation later in the day.
According to sources, the annadhanam was planned by local Hindu residents following the Kumbabishekam ceremony of a temple in the village. However, local authorities had earlier denied permission to use the government-owned vacant ground situated between a temple and a church. After a resident challenged the rejection, the High Court granted permission for the event.
Panchampatti village, which has a population of over 10,000 families, includes more than 2,500 Christian families and about 100 Hindu families. On Sunday night, Christian residents staged a black flag protest at the annadhanam site, demanding that the public ground be designated as a “Pascha Ground” on the event invitations.
On Monday morning, hundreds of Christian residents, including women, marched to the Dindigul Collectorate intending to surrender their government-issued identity cards in protest. They blocked the road leading to the collectorate and raised slogans against the district administration.
Over 100 police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order. A case was registered against around 100 protesters who had gathered at the annadhanam site on Sunday night, officials confirmed.
(Source: Times of India)
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