Why DMK govt is hosting a conference on Hindu god Murugan

The motive behind organising the conference also extends beyond mere cultural pride. According to DMK insiders, it was felt necessary to organise such an event to counter the BJP that has become more visible in the state in recent years even if it has not had the electoral impact it would have desired. The BJP over the years has made a play for the Tamil Hindu votes and has been trying to portray the DMK as “anti-Sanatan Dharma” on the back of the controversies caused in recent years by the statements of DMK leaders such as A Raja and Udhayanidhi Stalin, a state minister and CM M K Stalin’s son. The event, DMK leaders say, is as much about celebrating Lord Murugan’s significance as it is about navigating the political landscape in a state where religious identity is increasingly becoming a focal point.

The BJP’s political strategy over the past few years elicited this response from the DMK to the political challenges posed by the Opposition party and reclaim the cultural narrative. In November 2020, then BJP state president L Murugan announced the Vel Yatra in the run-up to the Assembly elections in May 2021. The campaign, he claimed, was an effort to defend Hindu interests in the state. The party has made an effort to consolidate Dalits and certain OBC votes along with its core base of upper-caste Hindus, going about it in a complex manner.

The two-day conference is being held in Palani, known for its Murugan temple that is one of the six major places where the god is worshipped. Over the weekend, the conference will see research seminars, virtual reality shows, a three-dimensional music theatre show, and a photo exhibition. The conference has brought together Murugan devotees and scholars from across the globe. Awards will be presented in the names of 15 notable Murugan devotees, including Nakkirar, Bhogar, Arunagirinathar, Kumaragurubarar, Pamban Swamigal, Annamalai Reddiar, Murugammayar, Baladevarayar, Thirumuruga Kirubananda Variyar, Thenoor Varakavi Chokkalinganar, Kandhapuranak Kachiyappar, Pazhikkuthar, Chidambar Swamigal, Vannacharappam Dandapani Swamigal, and Maambalak Kavichinga Navalar.

Inaugurating the conference, Stalin said the “sacred town of Palani” holds a special place in the hearts of millions of devotees, not just in Tamil Nadu but across the world. The CM also focussed on his government’s efforts to advance the infrastructure at the Palani temple, ensuring a comfortable pilgrimage experience for all devotees.

Stalin’s speech at the event was carefully crafted to appeal to both the spiritual and cultural pride of Tamils while subtly reinforcing the DMK’s secular credentials. “The Tamil language, with its rich heritage, has always been at the forefront of cultural and spiritual progress. It is through the grace of Lord Murugan that the three components of Tamil culture — literature, music, and drama — have flourished and attained greatness. The teachings and stories of Lord Murugan continue to inspire us, guiding us through the challenges of life with wisdom and strength,” he said.

The CM’s speech focussed on his government’s efforts to advance the infrastructure at the Palani temple, ensuring a comfortable pilgrimage experience for all devotees. Stalin said “Dravidian model government has never been an obstacle to these beliefs” and that his government “functions as a government that benefits all beliefs.”

“Every individual holds different beliefs, and there is no higher or lower in this regard. Our Dravidian model government has never been an obstacle to these beliefs,” he said, adding that the Dravidian model is based on the concept of ‘everything for everyone.’ Listing out a number of developmental activities and welfare programmes of the government for temples in the state, Stalin said “the conference being held in Palani, like a crown on these achievements, will hold a special place not only in the history of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department but also in the spiritual history of Tamil Nadu.”

The CM speech also welcomed experts and veterans attending the event from Tamil literature, poets, music and dance artists. “May Tamil language gain prominence in temple worship. May equality prevail in temple sanctums, without discrimination between humans. Love unites lives. Virtue makes the world better.”

A government release on the event termed it as “a significant milestone in the history of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and will continue to elevate the glory of Lord Murugan, the Tamil deity, and bring great pride and joy to all Murugan devotees worldwide.”

However, former state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan asked why Stalin didn’t attend the event in person. Questioning the motive behind the DMK’s unexpected embrace of a religious event, she said Stalin and Udhayanidhi skipping the event suggests that the DMK government was organising the conference only as a “token gesture”.

(A passage in the original version was not a direct quote from the CM’s speech, but was derived from a combination of the speech and the government’s official note. The copy has been revised to correct this. The error is regretted.)