DMK under attack from allies for organising Murugan conference

Chennai: Bringing the DMK in the line of fire, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a key ally of the ruling party in the state, on Monday accused it of “saffronising education” in Tamil Nadu by pointing to a set of resolutions passed at the two-day Muthamizh Murugan Conference that bats for including religious lessons in curriculum in school and colleges run by temples.

CPI(M) was the first ally to criticise the DMK dispensation’s decision to organise the conference under the aegis of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, saying the government should stay away from promoting religious activities by “compromising its secular activities".

Not just allies, educationists have also red-flagged the resolutions and the conference, asking the School Education Department to ensure that educational institutions are not “communalised” and no religious text finds mention in school or college syllabus.

Singing of Kandha Shashti Kavasam hymns by school students in temples during religious events, organising competitions on devotional literature involving Lord Murugan in schools and colleges run by temples managed by HR&CE department, and including Murugan as a special curriculum in colleges are some of the resolutions that triggered the row.

The two-day conference in Palani held on August 24 and 25 was part of the concerted efforts by the DMK, which calls itself a “rationalist” party to shed the “anti-Hindu” tag lobbed at it by BJP and other right-wing organisations, especially after Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks calling for annihilation of Sanatana Dharma.

The conference has now landed the party in trouble with its allies, who have stood by the DMK since 2017, criticising it for the decision. VCK MP D Ravikumar said the resolutions were nothing but an attempt to implement the BJP’s plan of “communalising education” through Lord Murugan, who is known as the God of Tamils for he was believed to have lived in six abodes in the state.

“Nobody will criticise the HR&CE department if it confines itself to performing its role. But imposing religion in schools and in the education sector is against the Constitution. This is condemnable,” Ravikumar told DH.

CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan said that the HR&CE department should understand that faith is an individual’s choice, and the government should not get into the job of organising religious events. “The HR&CE minister might believe in a religion, but the government should not. The government should remain secular,” he told DH.

Another ally, who wished to remain anonymous, said the DMK should understand that it is its fierce opposition to the BJP that has helped the alliance win consecutive elections. “Organising such events will only alienate a section from the DMK. The party should never water down its opposition to the BJP as people now have another anti-BJP party in AIADMK. Such conferences should be avoided,” the leader said.

Educationist Prince Gajendra Babu termed the resolutions as a “direct assault” on education, which is a “secular activity".

“Classrooms must continue to remain secular. Students should not be made to read or recite or perform religious text in religious events. Schools cannot and should not influence students to choose a particular way of worship or worshiping a particular deity in a particular form,” he said, adding that the state has a diverse culture.

He also asked the School Education Department to ensure that schools are not communalised, and no religious text is involved in any form in any school.

“HR & CE is only the manager of schools run by temples with administrative and financial autonomy. The academic activities are decided by the academic bodies under the Department of School Education. HR & CE should not intrude in the academics that include curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities,” Babu added.