The Government of Tamil Nadu in response to a legal notice, has said that the Christian cemetery built right in front of the Manimoortheeswaram Uchishta Ganapathy Temple near Tirunelveli will be shifted to another place in order to avoid law and order problems.
The notice served by Legal Rights Observatory, an independent legal activism collective, to Tirunelveli City Police Commissioner Deepak Damoor and Deputy Commissioner (Law & Order) S. Saravanan, stated that the said plot of land belonging to the temple was illegally encroached by Sacred Heart Church, claiming title and ownership over the land.
It stated that despite the devotees requesting to clear the Christian groups from the place and register an FIR, no action was taken rather the National Security Act (NSA) was slapped against the devotees. It also pointed out that the police refused to even register a complaint against the encroachers citing the above reason.
“Thus it seems the Thachanellur police has given up general recourse in the event of any untoward incident and appears to have taken shelter under the National Security Act which is unlawful and illegal. It indicates the ulterior intention of police to support the illegal encroachers of temple land”, the legal notice date January 1, 2021 read.
The legal notice further added that it was a sad state of affairs where the harasser is allowed to play the victim card and has the magnitude to derail the process of law referring to the incident where Christian pastors accompanied by several members from Tamil Nadu political parties excluding BJP had met Tirunelveli District Collector Mrs. Shilpa Prabhakar Satish IAS to slap NSA against the members of the IMK.
The legal notice stated that invoking of the NSA without reasonable grounds called for legal action and had asked the respondents to respond within 7 days.
Now, the Government of Tamil Nadu has asked to arrange some other place for the grave yards to avoid law and order problems.
#VICTORY Congrats IMK @Indumakalktchi who used force 2 clear of encroachment on Manimoortheeswaram Uchishta Ganapathy, #Tirunelveli got results, Govt 2 arrange place 4 grave yard 2 avoid law- order issue, LRO hd started action agnst @Collectortnv n @CityTirunelveli #TamilNadu + pic.twitter.com/bDSUpe7JCN
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) January 11, 2021
Speaking to The Commune, IMK founder leader Arjun Sampath called it a victory for the entire Hindu community in Tamil Nadu. “We welcome the decision taken by the Tamil Nadu Government and thank them for it. We hope it is implemented soon and the graveyards are cleared.”
Background
On the night of October 17, 9 cadres belonging to Indu Makkal Katchi demolished a few graves in the cemetery spanning around 2 acres built right in front of the Manimoortheeswaram Uchishta Ganapathy Temple.
Locals and temple devotees had protested against the coming up of the cemetery since the beginning.
In November 2019, Legal Rights Observatory, an non-profit legal activism organization working towards safeguarding Indian interest had filed a complaint with the Tirunelveli District Collector requesting for the removal of encroachment of Christian cemetery. Responding to that complaint, the district administration had stated that the Christian cemetery is located on a private land. It added that section 145 has been imposed on the piece of land and burial rituals had been stopped due to the objections raised by the devotees and local people.
LRO has lodged complaint to Tamilnadu's Tirunelveli DC requesting removal of encroachment of Christian cemetery illegally started at very near to the Gopuram of ancient Manimoortheeswaram Uchishta Ganapathy Temple. It is heinous attempt to usurp temple land in future @arunv2808 pic.twitter.com/XwHyVIL8Fh
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) November 7, 2019
However, burial rituals kept continuing in a portion of the cemetery. Around 50 graves is said to have come up in that portion.
Repeated pleas by the locals and Hindu organizations to Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department and district administration did not seem to have made any progress following which the IMK cadres committed the act and surrendered at the police station.
Following this, Christian pastors and the political parties had met the Tirunelveli District Collector Mrs. Shilpa Prabhakar Satish IAS asking for charging the IMK members under the stringent National Security Act.
The eight IMK cadres were lodged at Nanguneri sub-jail. The NSA has been revoked for 7 of them and are out on bail while one more person still remains in jail.