A recent controversy broke out near the Muruga temple at Thiruppuram Kuntram in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, between Hindu and Muslim communities. The issue is being heavily used for political gains, with the BJP accusing the ruling DMK of trying to manipulate the situation for its own agenda. In turn, the DMK alleges that the BJP is using the matter to further its own political interests in the region.
The conflict has arisen due to demands by certain Muslim organizations that a hill area near the Sikander Dargah, close to the Muruga temple, be renamed. They wanted it to be named "Sikander Malai," which the administration refused to do. The Hindutva groups and BJP workers came onto the streets, and the district administration refused permission for the first demonstration. The case then reached the Madurai Bench of the High Court, which permitted peaceful protest.
After the court verdict, the protest was continued at Pazhankannath with BJP activists also joining in the fray, and this made the whole situation even more political. The political color of the issue further gained when BJP accused the DMK government of trying to destabilize the region. The BJP’s actions sparked accusations from P.K. Shekhar Babu, the state's Minister of Endowments, who warned that any attempts to create disorder would not be tolerated, and that Tamil Nadu has a history of maintaining peace and harmony.
The situation traces its roots back to a dispute over land ownership between the Madurai Meenakshi temple and the Sultan Sikander Dargah. The argument was over the issue of that land which was beneath the dargah; temple people claimed to have jurisdiction over that piece of land, whereas the dargah's administration contended for their right to manage the given area. The debate grew even more intense after temple representatives appeared with the land's ownership documents and claimed their importance in the region.
So far, the two parties have not been able to come to a resolution. The BJP, trying to get political mileage out of the issue, has accused the state government of mishandling the issue, while the DMK claims that it has been working to ensure peace and law and order in the area. The matter has now turned into a focus of political discourse, with each party accusing the other of playing politics with religious sentiments.
The ongoing crisis has deepened beyond the fact that this becomes a localized clash, becoming mired in deeply political conflicts happening within Tamil Nadu. Its effects will surely cascade into the very politics of that state for at least the immediate future, what with both parties-DMK and BJP-driving their narratives back to the contest.