Tamil Nadu witnessed a novel protest by Hindus on Thursday in true Gandhian style against attempts by those owing allegiance to various Dravida movements to denigrate Lord Murugan and the famous hymn ‘Skanda Sashti Kavacham’ composed by Devaraya Swami (b;1820) in praise of the Lord.
Black Alliance, a collective by various Dravidian and evangelist groups had through their social media video ‘Karuppar Koottam’ had portrayed Skanda Sashti Kavacham as Aabasa Puranam (Tamil for obscene epic).
For the Hindus in the State, Skanda Sashti Kavacham is a rare hymn that united all cutting across castes and tribes. It is also the most popular hymn sung in the State to invoke Lord Muruga for his blessings.
It was alleged by various Hindu outfits ranging from the BJP to Hindu Munnani that the anchor of the show Surendra Natarajan maligned the sanctity of Hindu Gods by portraying the Kavacham (Tamil for armour) as obscene and it was an act of blasphemy. L Murugan, state chief of the BJP staged a protest demonstration in front of his own house along with other party leaders observing the Covid-19 guidelines.
But nowhere was the demonstration as powerful as the one that took place in Thiruchendur, the town in Thoothukudi district, which is home to the famous seaside shrine of Lord Muruga.
Thousands of residents in the coastal town came out of their houses and recited the Kavacham in its typical Ragamalika format incorportating the eternal Abheri, Shubhapantuvarali.
Kalyanai and Thodi that make the listeners fold their hands in reverence to Lord Muruga.
Murugan had filed a police complaint against Natarajan and ‘Karuppar Koottam’ for humiliating the Hindu Gods and for blasphemy. Natarajan alleged that the BJP leaders mistook him for DMK and hence foisted the case.
Hindu believers in thousands, turned up across the State to give vent to their resentment. “Kavacham is a part of our identity and we will oppose tooth and nail any attempts to denigrate this age-old hymn,” said Arjun Sampath, president. Hindu Makkal Kachi.
The Dravidian parties barring the AIADMK resort to Hindu baiting in all their programmes. Attacks on priests in temples in the State is a routine affair and only if the victim loses life the incident finds mention in newspapers, said Kattumannarkoil Kannan, a farmer leader from Cauvery Delta.