The Tamil Nadu government issued a notification on June 10 to change the English spellings of at least 1,018 places within the state as per their Tamil pronunciations and spellings. Known Tamil separatist and extremist outfits began pestering for Sanskrit names of temples and Devi Devatas into Tamil. Refering to such a demand by 'Tamil Nationalist' ideologue Pazha Nedumaran, Tamil Development Minister Mafoi K.Pandiarajan said on June 14 that the Chief Minister will be consulted before any action is taken.
Anyhow the Hindus are in no mood to allow tinkering of Hindu names of Temples and punya kshetras. To begin with, netizens have registered their strong protest to this proposal. Hindu organisations including the VHP, Hindu Munnani and others have raised their objection to this move saying a secular government has no business to change age old Hindu traditions including the nomenclature. Agitated Sadhus and Bhakta Samajams have registered their objection to this anti Hindu attempt.
In Chennai, Hindus have once again raised the demand to remove the name St Thomas Mount super imposed by colonial regime on the hill traditionally known as Bringi Malai where Rishi Bringi had done tapas, according to the sthala purana. The Railway Station name board bears the name Parangi Malai even today.
It is interesting to note that in November 2014, the Tamilnadu State government had refused to remove the Sanskrit name Srirangam Yatri Bhavan (see picture) and replace it with a Tamil word. The reason cited was “The name was given by a Chief Minster (J. Jayalalithaa). Hindu activists ask, if a name given by a CM could be sacrosanct, how dare this government seeks to consider changing names that our illustrious forefathers gave to our deities and holy cities?
The issue is not only removal of Sanskrit names. It is an infringement in matters of Hindu pantheon and sthala puranas. That is clearly unconstitutional. But the spontaneous and widespread Hindu protest even amid the lockdown is momentous.
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