DMK’s ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has accused the Tamil Nadu government of “saffronising” education and aiding the BJP’s Hindutva agenda. Slamming the two-day Muthamizh Murugan International Conference held on August 24 and 25, in commemoration of the Tamil deity Murugan, VCK MP D Ravikumar said that the resolutions passed during the Murugan conference were in violation of the secular principles of the Constitution.

A total of 21 resolutions were passed at the conference, which was organised at Palani where the temple of Murugan is situated. Chief Minister MK Stalin was the chief guest for the event. 

Referring to resolution 5, 8 and 12, the Villupuram MP said, “The Murugan conference resolutions to saffronise education are shocking. They are nothing but an attempt to implement the BJP government’s Hindutva agenda of making education secular in the name of Murugan.” 

Resolution 5 promises that competitions on Murgan bhakti literature will be held in schools and colleges governed by the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department. Resolution 8 entails recitation of the Kanda Sashti hymn by students while resolution 12 pertains to designing courses on Murugan in HR&CE-run schools and colleges. 

“If the HR&CE department was carrying on just its routine activities, there would be no reason to criticise them. But they are imposing religion in the education sector which is against the constitutional principle of secularism. This is reprehensible,” the MP wrote on X.

Ravikumar said that the event does not “strengthen the ‘secular Tamil’ identity, since Lord Murugan and other so-called Tamil deities have already been appropriated within the Hinduism fold.” 

The MP said that though Murugan is a part of the pantheon of Tamil gods, he does not exactly represent Tamil secularism. He said that Murugan now has a pan-Indian religious identity. “He has been ‘sanskritised’, and is now a part of the Saivite tradition. Sangam literature says Murugan has been offered meat, but it is not possible to offer meat to Lord Murugan in temples. The deity has been absorbed into the Hindu religion,” he pointed out. 

Ravikumar said that such events would only promote communalism despite the best intentions of the state government to inculcate secular values in people. 

The VCK MP also pointed out the role of non-Brahmin mutt heads in the BJP’s optics with the Sengol last year. 

Read: From Rajaraja Chola to Modi: Tamil Adheenams and their dance with power  

It must be recalled that in 2020, the BJP attempted a Vel (Spear) Yatra across Tamil Nadu trying to consolidate Hindu votes. The yatra however received a lukewarm response. After the inauguration of the DMK’s Murugan conference, BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai called the event “political comedy”. 

Along with the VCK, DMK’s other ally, the CPI (M) too has opposed the government’s decision. CPI(M) State secretary K Balakrishnan said that the state government  should not have organised such an event. 

“We are not against worshipping any gods. But, the government should not directly organise such events. Though HR&CE Department can organise such events, other ministers of the state [barring the HR&CE minister] should not participate in such events as it would only dilute secularism. This is why we opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya,” he told The Hindu.