COIMBATORE, INDIA, December 10, 2006: Dravidar Kazhakam and others, who were initiating the installation of a statue of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, accused Swami Dayananda Saraswati of inciting Hindu Makkal Katchi workers towards vandalism. Police anticipate trouble at the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (Swami’s ashram), similar to what happened at other places in Tamil Nadu. Security was tightened for Swami at his ashram because of the desecration of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy’s statue near the Srirangam temple and subsequent violence in other parts of the state. “Though there is no immediate threat of any untoward incident in and around the Ashram, the measure is only a precautionary one,” police said here today.
Swami, the convener and executive trustee of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, had earlier this week appealed to the Government to provide an “alternate and prominent place,” for installation of the Periyar statue. He believed the sentiments of Hindus would be hurt, if it was installed near the Srirangam temple. The statue of the Tamil rationalist (that is, anti-temple) leader was found damaged in Srirangam on Thursday.
In a related story found here it is reported that Periyar’s newly installed statue was defaced Thursday (Dec. 9). In the protests that followed, Periyar loyalists attacked temples and Hindu mutts (monasteries) throughout the Tamil Nadu, even throwing lighted gasoline at a temple in Chennai. This has lead to rising tensions between Periyar’s followers and those of the Hindutva. “Why do we have a Periyar statue in front of a temple? What is the need? It is only to hurt the sentiments of the Hindus,” B. Kumaravelu, Vice-President of Kerala unit of the BJP, stated.