Jana Sena Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan issued a strong warning to those who mock or belittle Hindu beliefs under the guise of secularism referring to a Tamil proverb, “Saadhu mirandaal kaadu kolladhu”—meaning “Even the forest cannot withstand the anger of a sage!”, cautioning that the patience and tolerance of devout Hindus should not be mistaken for weakness.
Pawan Kalyan began his address at the Murugan Bakthargal Maanadu (Murugan Devotees Conference) hosted by Hindu Munnani in Madurai by reflecting on a grim chapter in the city’s history. He spoke about the devastating invasion led by Malik Kafur, which plunged Madurai into darkness for nearly 60 years. It wasn’t until the late 14th century, he said, that light returned—when Prince Kumara Kampana of the Vijayanagar Empire rekindled the lamp of hope and revival, restoring peace and cultural pride.
Drawing from this historical episode, Pawan Kalyan emphasized a powerful lesson, “Our national faith is indestructible, no one can destroy it. Our culture is so deep that no one can shake us. From Kanyakumari to Kashmir, our Dharma was deep, it is deep today and will always be deep. This is the strength of this divine land.”
Without explicitly naming the DMK, Kalyan criticized political figures who questioned the rationale behind hosting the Murugan Conference in Tamil Nadu rather than in states like Uttar Pradesh or Gujarat. He said such remarks reflect an intent to stir divisions and discredit cultural events tied to the Tamil Hindu identity.
He slammed such thought are divisive, “Today, they are questioning Murugan; tomorrow, they might question Lord Shiva or the Goddess Amman. This line of thought is extremely dangerous.” Recalling his own religious background, he said, “I went to Sabarimala when I was 14. I’ve seen people go to Thiruthani for Thai Poosam. When I studied in Mylapore, Chennai, I went to school with sacred ash (vibuthi) on my forehead. After a short while, I noticed a change. Then, in the next 10 years, people started questioning applying vibuthi on the forehead. So, even at the age of 14, I faced these kinds of questions. Everyone might have had this experience. We didn’t make a big deal out of it because we Hindus are secularists.”
Then Kalyan called out the selective outrage targeting of Hinduism by pseudo-secularists. he said, “A Christian can be a Christian. A Muslim can be a Muslim. But for them, it’s a problem if a Hindu simply remains a Hindu. If someone is a Hindu, they are labeled a fundamentalist. This is their fake secularism. I have the right to celebrate my faith. Who are you to question that? We don’t question your beliefs; practice the same civility. Even if you don’t show respect for my religion, at least don’t disrespect it. You who question Murugan, can you ask the same questions about the religions that came from Arabia? Do you have the courage for that? That’s why I’m telling you, don’t provoke us! Don’t provoke us! Even a forest cannot withstand the anger of a sage! Even a forest cannot withstand the anger of a sage! (Sadhu Mirandaal Kaadu Kolladhu).”
"ஒரு கிறிஸ்தவர் கிறிஸ்தவராக இருக்கலாம்.. இஸ்லாமியர் இஸ்லாமியராக இருக்கலாம்.. இந்துக்கள் மட்டும் இந்துவாக இருந்தால் சிலருக்குப் பிரச்சனை"… சீண்டிப் பார்க்காதீர்கள்; சாது மிரண்டால் காடு கொள்ளாது – பவன் கல்யாண்#Madurai | #MurugaBakthargalManadu | #MuruganMaanadu | #BJP |… pic.twitter.com/y0nIDfvWSB
— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 22, 2025
Describing Lord Murugan as a deity revered not only in Tamil Nadu but across the Indian subcontinent, he said, “Murugan is Karthikeya in the North, Subrahmanya in Andhra and Karnataka. This conference is not about regional politics but about our shared spiritual heritage.”
He expressed deep concern over the trend of religious mockery, especially incidents involving ridicule of sacred hymns like the Kanda Sashti Kavasam. Such actions, he said, amount to direct attacks on the sentiments of Tamil Hindus.
He also reflected on the Kanda Sashti Kavacham controversy in Tamil Nadu and urged everyone to defend their faith and culture. “They ridicule our songs and traditions. Who gave them the right to insult others’ beliefs?” he asked, urging Hindus to stand united in protecting dharma. “Change is inevitable,” he concluded.
Blasting pseudo-secularist once again Pawan Kalyan said, “In our country, secularism is a convenient word for a lot of people, specifically atheists who don’t believe in God. What do atheists say? “They don’t believe in God.” If they say they don’t believe in God then they shouldn’t believe in any god. But in our country, atheists are such that they only don’t believe in Hindu gods. That is the definition of atheist secularism in our country. This is the issue in our country. Secularism is no discrimination against anybody in the name of religion, but our country’s secularists have no discrimination against anybody in the name of religion, except Hinduism, Hindu gods, and Hindu culture. They abuse Hindu culture and abuse Hindu gods; that is secularism for them. They don’t have the guts to point out any other religion except Hindu Dharma. This group of atheists, this group of secularists, has been given a weapon by the constitution: freedom of speech. They have gotten used to speaking whatever they want and abusing our gods. If they abuse our gods, we shouldn’t get angry or worried because it’s freedom of speech. They’ll keep abusing, and we just have to be peaceful because we are Hindus. This has to change. If this doesn’t change, it will be very difficult to sustain our religion and dharma. Anywhere in our country, being a Hindu… “I am not a fanatic Hindu, I am a committed Hindu.” I respect Islam, I respect Christianity, but what I ask is: Don’t disrespect my Hindu dharma. Don’t speak about our ‘aram’ (righteousness/values). This is my pleading.”
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