A Dalit Spiritual Leader’s Vision Of Hindu Unity
Swami Sahajananda, whose birth anniversary falls on January 27 was born in an downtrodden community in Pudhupakkam next to Arani, in 1890. All his life he fought for the betterment of the “thirukulathaar” (dalit families described as such by Sri Ramanujacharya). Swami Sahajananda founded Nandanar Arakkattalai at Chidambaram for educating the downtrodden people and he had also served as an MLA and MLC. He was instrumental in enacting the legislation which ensured entry of people from all castes into temples. An unshakeable opinion of Sahajananda was, “if Harijans studied in Christian schools, they will be converted to Christianity, teachers who are atheists and Christians should not teach in slum schools, this is because he believed that, Christians would convert the students’ religious faith and atheists would permanently damage the school and the educational systems and that only teachers with good discipline should be appointed. He promoted the learning of Sanskrit as he felt that the Vedanta shastras are extensive in Sanskrit and Hindi is a must for occupational purposes. Sahajananda envisioned Hindu unity, for the entry of other religions among dalits would end up in creating a wedge between sections of Hindus.
The Message Of The 30 Year Sentence To A Church Cleric
Here is a report that puts Tamilnadu lately on the global map of missionary abuse of minors. On January 7, 2019, a special Mahila Court in Cuddalore sentenced Aruldoss, a church priest, to 30 years in prison and nine others to life in prison for their involvement in the horrifying 2014 Tittakudi rape case, which involved two minor girls. A 13-year old victim was studying in school at Tittakudi, while a woman who ran a hotel lured her and coerced the minor into sexual intercourse with her husband and other men during 2014 Pongal. Shockingly, they pressurised the victim to bring another minor girl in order to let her go. Meanwhile, the children managed to escape and reached Tittakudi where they reported the incident to the police and identified 19 accused, including the idly shop owner Tamilarasi and her husband Satheesh. Seventeen people were arrested, including the Christian priest Aruldoss in connection with the case.
How To Hijack A Hindu Festival – And Dehinduise It!
Last week media in Tamilnadu was going ga ga over what is touted as Samathuva Pongal (universal Pongal— as if Pongal is not). The millennia old Pongal, a Hindu festival, is essentially universal. It delightfully merges all the four dimensions of the universe – the Individual, the Society, the Nature and the Creator – in a celebration unparalleled in any society. The mischievous addition of the adjective exposes both the ignorance of many as well as the arrogance of a few groups entrenched in the media. The samathuva show was enacted by Muslim groups in a few places and the Church on a wider scale. This atrocious act, as per design, resulted in stripping Pongal of its Hindu identity. Misappropriation of Hindu symbols by Christians is not new, but wholesale highjacking of a Hindu festival shocked neutral observers too. Weird scenes of Women in burqa and men in skull cap, nuns in gowns with no sindoor cooking pongal with slippers on, deviod of any Tamil (that is Hindu) identity, were telecast. This secular or egalitarian posturing was in evidence in the recent Jallikattu (bull taming) festival too. It is customary to let the temple bull first out of the Vaadivaasal (an opening into the arena) and no one dares catch it. But now in the Avaniyapuram Jallikattu, citing differences between two caste groups, a case was filed at Madurai High court bench to help in formation of "Secular" committee under the guidance of the court -- a clear attempt to water down the Hindu content of Jallikattu as well. “Failure of Hindus to wake up now will lead to sweet-less pongal -- in line with Sound-less Diwali and water-less Holi. Mind you, our bhogi is already smokeless”, warn Hindu activists.
0 Comments