Stumbling block in the Hindu charitable sector
Tamil Nadu Charitable Trusts Minister Sekarbabu has announced that the charitable department will turn a Hindu-related ritual called ‘Maha Shivaratri’, a night-time vigil for Lord Shiva, into a people’s festival and conduct spiritual campaigns and art events. Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam raised the first objection to Charitable Department work is that religion was not to be propagated to the people except for the protection of the temple and to assist in the conduct of the temple rites. Strong support for the idea emerged on social media including Facebook. During the election campaign candidate announced that Mylapore Assembly constituency to be turned into ‘spiritual tourism hub’. The event was to be staged as part of it.
There is justice in the declarations of a clean city, a disease-free city, and a crime-free city. How can Mylapore become a ‘spiritual land’? Can the ‘Brahmins’ born there in the Vedic clan just by living with the influence of power for a long time become spiritual land? We have raised questions whether the areas of Royapuram, Washermenpet and Saidapet unfit to be spiritual areas?. Minister Sekar Babu proudly announced that this is the first time in the history of the Hindu Charity Ministry that ‘Shivaratri’ is being celebrated in public with spiritual campaigns. We questioned why we should now do something that the Ministry has not done in history.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s persistent ‘Dravidian model’ regime seeks out the people and offers education, health and relief measures. Going in search of people and propogating religion is not a ‘Dravidian model’; We also pointed out that it would be a ‘sanatana model’. Even no one insist DMK to act as Periyar movement. Some people also pointed out very correctly on Facebook that it should not become the AIADMK.
After this, the Commissioner of the Hindu Charitable Department Kumarakuruparan sent a circular to their officials on how to conduct the Maha Shivaratri celebrations. In the circular, the commissioner made it clear that appropriate arrangements should be made for the devotees who come to the temples celebrating Mahasivarathri only with faith. The content of the circular made it clear that the Charitable Department did not accept the announcement of the Minister to mobilize people outside the temple and hold public ceremonies.
instructions from the Commissioner’s Circular
- Temple administrators are advised to conduct art and spiritual programs to please the devotees who come to the temple for Shiva worship.
- Provide facilities, medical aids and toilet facilities for the devotees to perform ‘darshan’ without any difficulty.
- Art performances including devotional sermons, Tamil devotional dance drama, village devotional music should be conducted in the respective temples with financial assistance and with the help of beneficiaries.
- When selecting artists for art performances, preference should be given to artists in the respective areas learned from the Tamil Nadu Government College of Music and Music Schools and selected by those from the Department of Culture.
All these are the arrangements made by the Department of the Charitable under its jurisdiction for ‘Mahasivarathri’ up to this time, and not for the purpose of mobilizing people and spreading devotional spirituality as never before in the history of the Charitable Ministry Department.
After the Minister of the Hindu Chartitable Trust had already given an interview to the press on how the Mahasivarathri celebrations would take place, we understood that the Government had come to the conclusion that the Minister’s religious propaganda was not appropriate for the Department of the Charitable Trust since the need arose for the Commissioner to send an official circular on the same issue. But nothing like that happened. In Mylapore, celebrations have been held whole night in a public place owned by the temple with the participation of officials and ministers as planned by officials and ministers. This is not a dump, except for the opinion we express out of concern for the people.
The BJP and Hindu organizations use Mahasivarathri to carry out religious propaganda in various forms throughout the night. It is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution and cannot be withheld by the State. The purpose of our protest is to ensure that the Department of Charity for Temple Rituals, Temple Administration and Supervision does not exceed its boundaries. An opinion is put forward by some.
They told identity (Dravidian) can be left off, and the regime must take advantage of the beliefs of the people. We would like to point out that this approach is dangerous.
Periyar criticised the Gods religion and loosened the ‘blind assurances’ of those beliefs and made them flexible. The question of whether the Periyar movement has completely abolished the religious beliefs of God is absurd. The beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years cannot be completely eradicated. It is because Periyar has loosened its grip that people have come to the decisive conclusion that the solution to their problems can only be found by the rulers without expecting it from the gods and religious rites. Now the struggles for people’s rights do take place in the streets and not as ‘prayers’ before God; It is cheap politics to deceive the people by stifling the gradual change of thinking of the people and dragging the people back to the path of religion by the governments. Our view is that if religious sentiments are further aroused in Tamil Nadu, it will pave the way for the development of the religious political forces that are waiting for it, and will facilitate the entry of religious politics into support of preparing the people. The vast majority of people, even within the ‘Hindu’ identity and beliefs, are not willing to sacrifice social justice, the right to life and self-respect for the religion and belief in God.
The loosening of the chain of links between God and Tamil Nadu has laid the foundation for Tamil Nadu to move forward. This fact is understandable when compared to the people in the North who are still searching for their lost lives within the faith of God and within religion.
We therefore hope that these protests will definitely guide them to act with caution that in the future Hindu charitable activities should stand within its borders.
Puratchi Periyar Muzhakam 03.03.2022 Issue
