By Irfan Engineer,
I was in Tenkasi town for a few hours as a part of field visit, a part of 7 days workshop on “Peace and Conflict Resolution” organized jointly by Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Mumbai and Society for Community Organisations Trust (SOCO Trust), Madurai. Madurai was amongst the three areas that were selected for field visit. The participants of the Workshop were divided in three groups and they went to three different areas.
I decided to go to Tenkasi as on 24th January 2008, bomb blasts occurred in the RSS office and the Bus Stand in Tenkasi, The media carried big stories about the blasts. The Sangh Parivar organised demonstrations in various parts of the state, demanding the arrest of Muslim ‘terrorists’, who according to them had committed the crime. However a special team of Tamil Nadu police led by Mr. Kannappan, DIG, Tirunelveli range investigated and arrested 3 persons S Ravi Pandian (42), a cable TV operator, S Kumar (28), an auto driver, both from Tenkasi, and V Narayana Sharma (26) of Sencottai, all Sangh Parivar activists. The last accused had allegedly assembled 14 pipe bombs in the office of Ravi Pandian, according to some media reports.
Further the Home Minister Shivraj Patil made a statement in Rajya Sabha that the intention behind the bomb blasts outside the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office in Tamil Nadu was to spark Hindu-Muslim clashes. Patil was replying to a question from Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) member Brinda Karat about the Tenkasi bomb blasts and the alleged involvement of Hindu Munnani men in those “terrorist acts” and its implication on national security. The organisers had selected Tenkasi area for their field visit as there were clashes between two groups leading to at least 7 murders – 4 from Hindus and 3 Muslims. The organisers wanted the team to meet both the sides and arrive at their own conclusion as to the root cause of the confict.
Tenkasi is a town and a municipality in Tirunelveli district and is located in the foothills of the Western Ghats near the Courtallam Waterfalls. Tenkasi (South Kasi) is famous for its Ulagamman Temple and its Shiva Temple. The gopuran or the entry gateway remains among the highest in southern Tamil Nadu. The main deity here is Kasi Viswanathar (Shiva). a population of about 63,000 according to 2001 census. Tenkasi has a large Muslim Population of about 18000 according to KNM Abdul Kadir, Secretary of Tenkasi Muslim Aikya Jamaat Committee, or about 11% of the Population are Muslims. As always in South, it was difficult to distinguish Hindu from Muslims. Muslim women covered their head with their saree and that was a probable indication.
Hindu Munani Version
First we met Suwarna Thevar, Leader of Hindu Munani, a cable operator and father of the four Pandian brothers who were murdered. We also met the widow of Kumar Pandian who was killed in the conflict. Suwarna Thevar and his daughter-in-law warmly greeted all the members of the team, which consisted of Hindus as well as Muslims. Giving their version of the event, Suwarna Thevar and his daughter-in-law told us that Muslims were constructing a Mosque on temple land. That would cause considerable difficulty during the puja and that Hindus would have to take a detour to reach their temple. Suwarna Thevar and his sons objected construction of Mosque. Due to their objection, Kumar Pandian Suwarna Thevar’s son was murdered on 17-12-2006 by the Muslims, viz. Abdullah Rahman Hanif and others. Hindu Munani, RSS and BJP, were all objecting to the construction of the Mosque.
Except their family and the political organisations aforementioned, no one else supported them because they were afraid of the Muslims. Not even the trustees of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple supported them. When we asked them to produce title deed of the temple to prove that Mosque was being constructed on temple land, they said they did not have it. We asked why don’t you approach the court and obtain a stay against the construction of the Mosque, they said they court is open to manipulation and further they did not have resources to approach the court. On 14th August 2007, when Hanif, Abdullah (a recent convert, his Hindu name was Murugesan) and Syed Suleiman were proceeding towards the Police station to report as per the bail condition. They clashed with the Pandian brothers and six people were killed on that day – three Muslims and the three Pandian brothers. Mrs. Pandian then took us to the Temple and to show us the site of murder of Kumar Pandian and the site of clash where Hanif, Abdullah and Syed Suleiman were killed.
From the visit to the Temple, it was obvious that in front of the Temple there was a huge porch, beyond the porch there was a road about 50 feet wide, then there were several rows of shops on the other side of the shop and behind the rows of shops, there was a mosque. From inspecting the site of the mosque, it was obvious that in no way the mosque could obstruct the pathway to the temple or any of the functions or arti or festival or anything whatsoever. When we pointed this out to Mrs. Pandian, she said the Muslims are likely to object to prayers if the mosque is allowed. This was completely different from their stand earlier. When asked, how could the land on the other side of the road and behind rows of shops belong to the Temple, she said that the shops (not Muslim owned) were illegally occupying and not even paying the rent to the Temple. She had no reply when we asked her then it was the duty of the Temple Trustees to evict the shopkeepers and prevent the loss of revenue to the Temple. When we inquired with the shop keepers, they said the Temple was not the owner of their land and the land belonged to other individuals, some of whom were Muslims.
At the site where the clash between Pandian brothers and Hanif and his accomplices took place, we observed that it was a Muslim dominated locality. After showing us the site, we felt apprehensive if she were to return alone from there given the history of conflict. We offered to escort her till her residence, but she non chalantly refused and was not afraid to pass through the locality alone. This suggested that the conflict was not between the two communities. There must have been a personal fight between two groups which is sought to be communalised.
When we asked about arrest of Ravi Pandian for Bomb blast in Tenkasi RSS head Quarters and at the Bus stand, Suwarna Thevar and Mrs. Pandian had said that he was falsely implicated to weaken the solidairty of RSS and BJP with them on the issue of objection to mosque. How would falsely implicating Ravi Pandian for the bomb blast weaken the solidarity between Hindu Munani and RSS was beyond us, and in fact, according to their own admission, their solidarity had only strengthened after the bomb blast as they together blamed Muslims for the bomb blast. As expected, when both – the RSS and Hindu Munani leaders were put in the dock, they would stand together. The explanation that Ravi Pandian was falsely accused of bomb blast to weaken the Hndu Munani – RSS solidarity doesn’t seem plausible.
Muslim version:
KNM Abdul Kadir, Secretary of Tenkasi Muslim Aikya Jamaat Committee stated that there was no place in the Bazaar for offering namaaz. Even for relieving oneself, they had to walk upto 1 1/2 to 2 K.M. therefore, in 1962 Milad Committee was formed and they collected Rs. 4000/-. The land where mosque today stands was costing Rs. 6,000/-. So they first leased in the land and then bought is from Muslim family Diwan Raut. The sale deed was registered and handed it over to Wakf. Today the land is registered wakf property. Surrounding land belonged to Bashir Raut, Dada Pir Mohammed Raut and Syed Abba Raut. They then constructed the mosque in a year or two. From the last 45 years there was never a problem between the Mosque and the Temple. Temple festivals take place and Muslims also contribute for the Festival. VTSR Haji Rahuman Illam contributes upto Rs. 1 lakh for the temple festival and put up banners welcoming the Hindu devotees. Even Christian Festivals are peacefully held.
In the year 1972, some individual kept a Vinayaka idol near a Muslim shop in a nearby locality with the intention to build a temple. Later when a pandal was sought to be put on the idol, Trustees of Vishwanath Temple themselves opposed as the pandal obstructed the view of their temple. The Pandal was demolished and the Muslims were blamed for it. When those supporting construction of Vinayaka Temple saw that there was no popular support, they put a condition for removal of their pandal that the Mosque also should be demolished. Ultimately an agreement with intervention of the police was reached that another Dargah would be removed. The Dargah was removed but supporters of the pandal refused to remove the pandal. Ultimately police removed the pandal.
Muslims did not want to construct or expand the mosque, they wanted to repair the mosque and make some minor alterations, namely, increase the width of the entrance within their own property. They had necessary permissions to do so. The fight between Kumar Pandian and Hanif had nothing to do with the renovation of the Mosque. They were fast friends (even Mrs. Pandian had told us that they were friends). Both of them organised Kangaroo courts and imposed their decisions. They fell apart after one such Kangaroo Court proceedings as they differed. Thus Hanif murdered Kumar Pandian. Abdullah, the recent convert to Islam also was their friend. He confessed that they had murdered Kumar Pandian over a dispute regarding ownership and control of an ambulance. While Hanif was proceeding towards police station to report according to the bail condition, He and his accomplices were pulled out of their vehicles by Pandian brothers to take revenge of their brothers murder. In the process three of his accomplices and the three Pandian brothers were killed.
This fight was not between the two communities. No Hindu was supporting Pandian and no Muslims were on the side of Hanif as he was perceived as an anti-social element. The Pandian family was trying to rope in all Hindus in their struggle by bringing in the issue of Mosque. When that failed as the Temple trustees and prominent Hindus had signed on the petition stating that they had no objection for the renovation of the Mosque. As that failed, Ravi Pandian might have planted the bomb in RSS head quarters to stigmatize Muslims and gain support from Hindus. 15 days before the blast, Ram Gopalan, Hindu Munani leader gave a public speech that weapons and arms have been stored in the Mosque by Muslims and an untoward incident might occur. Police decided to appear impartial (not just). So they detained Hanif, Shakti Pandian, Ravi Pandian and 4 others under NSA. The Police have temporarily halted the Mosque renovation plan due to the violent conflict.
We waited for sometime to talk to the Police and get their version, particularly throw more light on Ravi Pandian’s involvement in the Bomb blast and what was the evidence to link him. However, the Inspector and DSP were out. We waited for sometime but could not succeed and besides we had to return to Madurai for the Workshop next day. Hence I have faithfully recollected both the versions and leave it to the readers to reach their own conclusion. I myself find discrepencies in both the versions.