Hindu Munnani has announced that after a six-year legal battle, V. Kalathur village in Perambalur district, Tamil Nadu, is celebrating Vinayakar Chathurthi with a Vinayagar procession. This historic victory is praised for the unity of Hindus and the effective arguments presented by Hindu activists in court.
Hindu Munnani, through their official X account, reported on a six-year struggle for the right to worship Vinayagar in V Kalathur village, Perambalur district. Last year, police violated human rights by beating, harassing, and humiliating many worshippers, falsely accusing hundreds. Despite these challenges, the community and Hindu activists pursued legal action, securing the right to celebrate Ganesha this year, including the Visarjana procession. Tamil Nadu’s government attempted to block this, but State Vice President Advocate Karthikeyan’s persuasive arguments led to a historic victory.
வ.களத்தூர் – சரித்திர வெற்றி..
பெரம்பலூர் மாவட்டம், வேப்பந்தட்டை தாலுகா, வ.களத்தூர் கிராமத்தில் விநாயகர் திருமேனி வைத்து வழிபாடு நடத்த 6 ஆண்டுகால போராட்டம்… போன ஆண்டு விநாயகர் வைத்து வழிபாடு நடத்திய பெண்கள், இளைஞர்கள் என பலரை அடித்து துன்புறுத்தி, pic.twitter.com/1snoLZhH0s
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) September 6, 2024
Last year, during the Vinayakar Chathurthi celebration, the village faced significant resistance despite its long tradition of celebrating the festival. The Village Administrative Officer and later the Collector denied permission, claiming there was no historical record of such events in the village. When the villagers went ahead with the installation of the Vinayakar idol anyway, the police intervened violently. They forcibly removed the idol and assaulted residents, including women and children. The authorities’ actions, which involved physical attacks and damage to personal property, left the community shocked and seeking justice. The villagers questioned the fairness of the police treatment and the reasons behind the denial of their long-standing religious practices. It is to be noted, since 2012, some local Muslims have been raising objections to the Hindu processions, branding these religious festivals as ‘sins’.
In 2021, a petition was filed with the Madras High Court concerning the practice of conducting temple processions through the Muslim-majority neighborhood of V. Kalathur, Perambalur district, Tamil Nadu. The petitioner requested police protection for these rituals, and while permission was granted, it came with certain restrictions.
During the hearing, the bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and P. Velmurugan stressed that religious intolerance threatens the secular fabric of the country. They noted that resistance to religious festivals could lead to riots if reciprocated by another religious group.
The court reviewed an affidavit from the Deputy Superintendent of Police, noting that objections to temple processions had surfaced only since 2012, despite such processions being conducted without issues before that. The court observed that, although permission was granted under Section 180A of the District Municipalities Act 1920, objections from the Muslim community persisted.
The court ruled that dominance by one religious group in a locality should not justify prohibiting other religious groups from celebrating their festivals or organizing processions. The judges highlighted that allowing such intolerance undermines secularism and could lead to widespread conflict if minority communities were barred from celebrating their festivals.
The court stated, “Merely because one religious group dominates a particular locality, it cannot be a reason to prohibit the celebration of religious festivals or the organization of processions by other religious groups through those areas. Allowing religious intolerance is detrimental to a secular country. Any form of intolerance by any religious group must be restrained and prohibited.”
The court further asserted, “In this case, the intolerance of a specific religious group is evident through objections to festivals that have been celebrated for many decades, and the prohibition of processions through the village’s streets and roads is justified by claiming Muslim dominance in the area.”
Subscribe to our Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram channels and get the best stories of the day delivered instantly.