Syed Ali Mujtaba
Chennai – Hindu- Muslims tension flared up at Thiruparankundram a hillock close to Madauri city where a Sikandar Badushah Dargah and Subramaniya Swamy Temple (Muragan i.e Shiva temple) exist side by side.
Authorities have imposed Section 144 in Madurai town including Thiruparankundram hilltop after a protest call given by Hindu Munnani over alleged animal sacrifice at the Dargah by the Muslims triggered communal tension.
Tensions escalated after the local police reportedly denied some devotees from carrying out animal sacrifices at ‘Dargah’ leading to a strong protest by the Muslim shrine keepers against this customary practice happening since time immemorial.
The Tamil Nadu police in the Madurai district issued orders barring the Muslim community members from transporting livestock for sacrifice to the Dargah. Still, they allowed to transport meat to consume and pray on the hilltop.
This prompted Indian Union Muslim League MP, Nawaz Kani to talk to the police but he was unsuccessful in convincing the authorities.
Talking to the media, Ramanathapuram MP, Nawaz Kani, said that the Dargah is 400 years old where devotees take goats and hens atop the hill and sacrifice them in the name of the Sufi saint after their wishes are fulfilled. They cook the food and consume it within the Dargah premises and this practice is centuries old.
“Now there is a ban on taking the livestock to the Dargah but devotees can take meat raw meat there, that is unprecedented, and legal options need to be explored to restore the status quo.
Amid the objections by the Muslim groups, the Hindu Munnani had called for a protest against the animal sacrifices atop the hill. The Hindu outfit moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking permission for the protest “to attract the attention of the government to protect the hillock from encroachment”.
The Court while permitting the Hindu Munnani to conduct a “peaceful protest” observed that ‘the right to freedom of speech and expression should always be subject to public order and peace and other restrictions imposed by the Constitution, allowed the Hindu group to peacefully protest in Palanganatham junction in Madurai (not at the Thiruparankundram hilltop).
But a handful of members of the Hindu group were able to breach the security cordon and protested in the temple premises to be rounded off by the police, media reported.
M.H. Jawahirulla MLA and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) leader commenting on the issue said, “Dargah and the temple have co-existed for centuries such issues have been settled in the courts several times. There are several judgments for the status quo. These fissures are not tenable in a court of law and the ban will be lifted soon,” he added.
Jawaharullah smelling communal politics in this row said, that since elections are around the corner in the state, the Hindu Mannani wants to polarize the society. Still, such attempts to divide the society won’t succeed. They will be exposed in the coming election, the MLA from Papanasam Constituency said.