Global Muthamizhil Murugan Conference: Stalin Calls for Equal Respect for All Faiths
Chennai: Averring that all faiths were equal and there was no question of one of them being above the other, Chief Minister M K Stalin said that his Dravidian Model government was not only in favour of people following their individual faith of choice but also wanted to help them in their religious pursuits.
Inaugurating the two-day Global Muthamizhil Murugan Conference happening at Palani, one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, from his camp office in Chennai through video conference on Saturday, Stalin said that Tamil should gain its place of primacy in temple worship and that there should be no inequality inside the sanctum sanctorum.
He said the conference aimed at propagating Lord Murugan to the world was organized by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department that had done a plethora of work in the past three years in maintaining temples and helping devotees after the portfolio was handed over to P K Sekarbabu to protect the temples in the State.
Among the few achievements of the department, listed in the book brought out to specifically enumerate its diverse activities after the present government took charge, were the consecration of 1355 temples, renovation of 8,436 temples by spending Rs 3,776 crore and restoration of village temples of Adi Dravida people at a total cost of Rs 50 crore.
The department also spend Rs 62.76 crore on setting up ‘rajagopuram’ (ornate entrance) for 27 temples and installed rope car facilities, at a cost of Rs 80.50 crore, at the Palani, Idumbanmalai, Thiruneermalai and Thirukazhkundram temples.
Also 6,140 acres of temple land valued at Rs 5577 crore that was occupied by encroachers in the past were redeemed by the department that started providing free food in 756 temples all through the day, benefitting 82,000 people on a daily basis, he said.
Temple properties were also measured using the modern Rover equipment and 64,522 corner stones were implanted in 1,59.507 acre of land and fresh pattas were issued for 4,189 acres of land, he said, urging everyone to go through the book brought out by the department listing out its achievements.
Referring to the importance of the conference, he said it was being attended by judges, mutt heads, spiritual leaders, religious preachers, Tamil literary scholars, poets, professors, orators, musicians, dancers and singers.
The DMK government that gave equal importance to all its departments had been running the HR & CE department efficiently, he said, recalling the forerunner of the Dravidian movement, the Justice Party, under the leadership of a seasoned atheist, the Raja of Panagal, bringing in the law to form the HR & CE department for protecting temples.