THENKASI TOWN UNDER THE STRANGLEHOLD OF
ISLAMIC TERRORISTS
Pudhuvai Saravanan
"80% of the population is Hindu, while 80% of all trading
is in the hands of Muslims in Thenkasi."
I board at the new bus terminus
in Thirunelveli. After finding a seat in
a bus to Thenkasi, I ask for two tickets
to Thenkasi, the bus conductor stares
at us steadily for a minute. The bus is
full, yet a deathly quiet hovers in the
bus. The bus starts, picks up speed,
on both sides of the road our eyes
feast upon lush, green fields. Yet, one
just finds fear in the eyes of the bus
passengers. A cool breeze from the
fabled Podhigai hills wafts through the
bus comforting us, and yet all we can
feel is a grim wretchedness.
Page 1 of 16
On the 14th of August, three
members of one family in Thenkasi
were violently hacked to death. That
the people of Thenkasi are yet to
recover from this horror, is evident
even at the start of our bus trip from
Thirunelveli to Thenkasi. On arrival at
Thenkasi, as we walk a few yards into
the town from the bus stop, we pass
the ancient Kulasekara Nathar Temple
on the road.
Thenkasi, a small town,
population: 75,000, functions as a very
busy hub. On a normal day thousands
of people pass through the town from
the neighboring villages. But now it
looks empty like a small village, with
very few people on the streets. All
shops are open but no shoppers to be
seen, and no business takes place; the
bazaar looks deserted. All around
town one sees shiny large ads for Haji
Mustafa's textile and jewelry shops.
Even on the mounds and public
announcement posters of the traffic
police, Haji Mustafa's ads are more
prominent. Hindus of Thenkasi
accuse the owner of Haji Mustafa
shops of financing Muslim Terrorists.
But the police are thick with the
owners of Haji Mustafa shops. Haji
Mustafa textile shop has heavy police
protection now.
 Thenkasi Municipality has 35
wards. In 8 of these wards Muslims
V.T.S. Rahman Batcha, a
are the sole residents. Muslims are
prominent industrialist and business
well distributed even in other wards.
owner in town, who is accused as the
In the town, Muslims are about 20% of
mastermind behind the murders of
the population but 80% of the town's
Kumar Pandian and his brothers, is
business is in their hands. In grocery
said to be absconding according to
stores, textiles, medical, electrical,
the police. His house and shops are
electronics shops, hotels, and
under full police protection. Police
vegetable shops, everywhere Muslims
say that they are on the look out for
dominate. Most of the Hindus are
him. But auto drivers and some
either day laborers or wrap beedis for
people in town told us that Rahman
living. We find women labourers
Batcha is seen going for a walk
wrapping beedis all around the Town
everyday.
of Thenkasi. Even in agriculture
Hindus are few in number.
We visited the site where
Muslims are trying to build a prayer
There are about 15,000 to 20,000
centre. It is about 100 meters away on
Muslims in town. There are more than
a street that is directly opposite Kasi
50 Islamic institutions such as Arabic
Viswanathar temple. On the disputed
school, madrassa, prayer centres,
site, there is a hotel by name Ananda
mosque, and dharga. Whichever
Bhavan. It is owned by a Muslim. We
direction one turns there will be a
inquired in the street about it. 'During
madrassa or a mosque or an Arabic
the Karthikai Deepam festival there
school. The very structure of the town
used to be a bonfire in this site.
shows that it is an ancient town. 15
Before Muslims tried to build the
days after the horrible murders of the
prayer centre, there was a government
14th August, all streets in the town
run primary school here. Later there
have police on them. Wherever
was an Ice factory, after which a public
Muslims reside exclusively the police
toilet came about, say the people on
are on guard in full strength.
the street. The people in Thenkasi say
that since Muslims have money power
and political influence, they dominate
everything.

Page 2 of 16
 King Parakrama Pandian built
the famous Kasi Viswanathar temple in
Thenkasi. All the shops opposite the
temple are owned by Muslims.
Muslims have tried many times to
encroach upon a mantap opposite the
temple that was built for worshippers'
resting. They have not given up on
that and are still trying, say some old
men.
Auto drivers tell us that the
Muslim writ runs in the town. We
inquired on what grounds they say
this. "V.T.S. Rahman is funding the
terrorists, everybody knows this. But
the R.T.O office is on a site owned by
him. In the evening, youths from many
organizations like TMMK (Tamil Nadu
Muslim Munnetrak Kazhagam), Tawhid
Jamaat, Najjaat, MNP (Manitha
Needhip Paasarai -a muslim front
organization ostensibly standing for
social justice and human rights) and
Muslim Auto drivers assemble in the
R.T.O office. That is where many
things are plotted' they say.
TMMK, Tawhid Jamaat, Najjat
and MNP, all religious fundamentalist
organizations, each of them has their
own auto stands. In these stands
Hindu auto drivers can't park their
vehicles, whereas Muslim auto drivers
routinely park their vehicles in auto
stands in Hindu areas. In Thenkasi,
Muslims do not board Hindu owned
autos, they check first to see if the
auto is Muslim owned. Hindus don't
have any such discriminating view,
they travel in any and all autos.
TMMK runs an Ambulance
service in Thenkasi. Even ordinary
folks say that these ambulances
smuggle arms. But even on the day of
Page 3 of 16
the murders (August 14th) police
permitted the TMMK ambulances to
operate freely. A common view found
even among ordinary people like
women who wrap Beedis is that
whoever is posted as a Police official
in Thenkasi, they favor the Muslims,
which is why the present situation has
arisen. Senthil, brother of Kumar
Pandian, who was hacked to death by
Muslims, was struggling for life when
TMMK ambulance picked him up and
took him along for a few meters. The
minute they realized who it was, they
threw the body down on the street and
drove away. Many members of the
public saw this incident.
After 14th august, there was a
peace meeting. The Meeting was held
to discuss the resolution to the
dispute arising out of encroachment
and prayer centre construction
attempted by Muslims on the temple
land which led to the murders of
Hindus. But at the end of the meeting
a Muslim gentleman got up and said
sarcastically, 'You are all assembled
here. If we all work together, we can
finish building the prayer centre (Palli
vasal in Tamil)'. That he said this in
the presence of high police officials
shocked the assembled Hindus. But
the police officials looked on with no
reaction whatever.
D.S.P of Thenkasi, Mr.
Mayilvahanan, has banned customary
events like dances, songs, puppetry,
Oyilattam in all the temple festivals in
and areas around Thenkasi. But all
Muslim festivals are being permitted
freely. That is a claim of made openly
by the public in Thenkasi. In sum,
since the police and the state in Tamil
Nadu are acting blatantly in favor of
Muslims, the Hindus in Thenkasi are
feeling like orphans adrift. Kutralam
hills may be providing a cool climate
in town, the Podhigai breeze may be
dancing through the town of Thenkasi,
but the Hindus of Thenkasi are all
incensed due to the Muslim extremist
activities that go unchecked in the
area.

Demands of Thenkasi Hindus!

• Institute a C.B.I inquiry on Kumar Pandian's murder
• Prohibit the building of Islamic prayer centre on the Temple land
• Monitor Muslim terrorist organizations in Thenkasi and ban them
• Police should stop charging innocent Hindu youth with imaginary
offenses. Release all Hindu youths who were taken into custody after
August 14th.
• Prohibit the function to be organized on December 6th
• Government should offer jobs to the widows of Kumara Pandian and
his brothers who were murdered by Muslim terrorists. All educational
expenses of the children of these killed youth should be borne by the
State which caused the deaths by neglecting its duty to the people.

Page 4 of 16
 Religious convert becomes a murderer
Pudhuvai Saravanan
Abdullah is one of the Muslim terrorists
who killed Kumar Pandian. He was
recently converted from Hinduism into
Islam. Neduvayal Achanputhur is a small
town, 8 kilometers from Thenkasi, and it is
here Karuppaia Pillai, his father lives.
Abdullah was formerly Murugesan, one of
the four sons of the couple Karuppaia
Pillai and Maariammal.
Muslims are in considerable numbers in
Achanputhur. There is a big mosque in
this town. For the first time the town
Panchayat has a Muslim president, M.
Ayub. We met Karuppaia Pillai in his
house at Achanputhur. He runs a small
grocery shop. It is a family in humble
conditions. When we visit them,
Karuppaia Pillai’s married daughter is
home. Murugesan got converted just four
years ago.
'When I heard that my son converted to
Islam, I went to Kutralam, shaved my head
and did all the last rites one performs for
dead people. When people ask me about
my son, I tell them that he died. My wife
Maariammal, who was in good health, fell
ill suddenly and died, soon after she heard
Page 5 of 16
that my son converted to Islam.',
agonizes Karuppaiah Pillai.
His daughter weeps inconsolably as she
talks. "My brother was a good man earlier.
After he started interacting with Muslims
his behavior changed. Muslims converted
him and have now made him a murderer'.
'It is his friendship with Muslims that has
destroyed us' asserts Karuppaia Pillai. He
is in poor health now. He has trouble in
getting up or standing.
Religious conversion can so easily
destroy a family and a community. This
family's agonies are a clear example of
such destructive results. Karuppaia Pillai
declined to be photographed. But we took
some pictures of the town, as can be seen
on this page.
Those intellectuals who dismiss religious
conversion as a problem will do better to
look at such incidents again and judge the
ill-effects. This is a lesson in impending
disaster all across the country in the
coming decades as Islamists pursue their
deadly agenda of destruction of Hindu
society by resorting to conversions.
 KUMARA PANDIAN’S FAMILY
A pall of deathly quiet hangs
over Thenkasi, as we visit Kumara
Pandian’s family that lost four of its
young men to Islamic terrorism, to find
out how they are coping with their
tragic losses. His family lives in
Thenkasi Malyan Street. There is
police security on the street corner
and in front of the Subramanya swami
temple that is nearby. The entire street
is eerily silent.
As we walk on the street, scared
faces pop up in several houses along
the street. We feel a sadness welling in
our hearts as we get into Kumara
Pandian’s house. We meet his brother
Ravi Pandian, mother Azagammal, and
wife Jeyanthi (age 37). We meet
Malathi (35) wife of Sekar, another
brother killed; Kokila (24) wife of
Suresh, a second brother killed, and
Page 6 of 16
Gomathi (26), wife of Senthil, the third
brother killed. Then we see their
children Hariharan (13), Bhuvaneswari
(11), Thangarani (9), Swarnabala (9),
Azagu Dwaraka (4), Prabhakaran (1
3/4), Swathika (2 1/2) and Muthuram (8
months).
The fear and the grief on their
faces brought tears to our eyes. Their
grief is even more intense now, since
Kumara Pandian's brother Sakthi
Pandian is in the custody of the Police.
The family has lost faith in the judicial
system, since Sakthi Pandian had
been under police guard twenty four
hours a day for a while now, yet he
was arrested in a murder case.
Ravi Pandian, another surviving
brother of Kumara Pandian, spoke
with us. When we raise a point, "the
police say that your brothers attacked
first", he replies, "In all of history you
won’t find any instance where the
Hindus attacked first. It is always the
Muslims who begin attacks. That is
what happened on this August 14th
massacre too." His eyes reflect an
overwhelming sadness at the loss of
four brothers to a gruesome massacre.
"You have lost four of your brothers
due to this problem. What can be the
solution in your opinion?" We ask. He
replies, "Building a Mosque on the
temple land should be banned. In that
place, currently Muslims are
performing namaz. That should be
stopped. 100 meters away from this
site under dispute, V. T. S. Rahman
Batcha has his own land. Why don’t
they build a mosque there?"
"After this massacre, the police
are trying to prevent any awareness of
the problem arise among Hindus or
Thevar solidarity arise around this. So
Page 7 of 16
they are conducting a false
propaganda, labeling this conflict as a
feud between two families. Kumara
Pandian was killed specifically for two
reasons. First, he opposed building
the mosque on temple land; Second,
he was working on buying an
ambulance on behalf of the Hindu
Munnani (Hindu Front). After he was
killed, my other brother Sakthi Pandian
took over the leadership of Thenkasi
town's Hindu Munnani. That is the
reason for these recent massacres.
This is not a family feud. These are
murders entirely for religious
reasons." said Ravi Pandian, trying
hard to control his sobs as he spoke.
The murders of Kumara Pandian
and his brothers have made their 8
children fatherless children. Of these,
five are girls. They study in
government run schools. When
Kumara Pandian was killed on 17th
December, 2006, his wife Jeyanthi was
near term pregnant. Now she has an
infant son, Muthuram, who is 8 months
old.
Kumara Pandian, Suresh, Sekar
and Senthil were the pillars of the
family. Now that all the four are killed,
the family is utterly devastated. There

are four women with no source of

support, all widowed at the same time
living under one roof, and 8 children
who all lost their fathers in one fell
swoop. How does such evil happen?
How do we find ways to console
them? In what language can we find
words to bring any solace to them?

Page 8 of 16
 “MUSLIMS DO NOT LOVE THIS LAND”
An interview with Sorna Thevar
Pudhuvai Saravanan, Rajendran
Sorna Thevar is a father who lost four
of his sons to Islamic terrorists. We
met him at his home in Thenkasi for
‘Vijayabaharatham’. He had an eye
operation few days before the
massacre of his sons. Weeping over
his three sons’ hacked bodies
worsened his eyes, and he had to get
another surgery done on his eyes. He
had just returned from the Hospital.
What follows here is from our meeting.
What happened that day (14-
(14-08-
08-
2007)?
On 14-08-07, my son Senthil was
traveling in a car, when a group of
Islamic murderers waylaid the car and
attacked him with weapons. When
news reached us, my other sons
Suresh and Sekar rushed there to save
their younger brother. Islamic
terrorists, who were more than ten in
number, hacked all my three my sons
to death and escaped.
Page 9 of 16
What is the main reason for
these horrible murders?
My son (Kumara Pandian) was
town leader for Hindu Munnani. He had
been opposing the building of mosque
on a plot of land that belongs to Kasi
Viswanathar temple. On December 6th,
Muslims posted a big banner near the
temple and were causing a lot of
trouble. My son opposed this as well.
Enraged Muslims hacked my son
Kumara Pandian to death on 17-12-
2006.
Abdulla and Hanifa, who were
arrested for killing my son, were
released on bail recently. A few
months after Kumara Pandian was
killed, Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetrak
Kazhagam's Thirunelveli district leader
Maitheen Seit Khan was killed by some
unidentified people. Police said it was
due to intra Muslim rivalry. But after
few days, they arrested my younger
son Senthil for that. Senthil recently
got the bail. Abdullah and Hanifa who
were arrested for Kumara Pandian
murder case and Senthil who was
arrested in Maitheen Seit Khan Murder
case were ordered to sign in everyday
at Thenkasi women's police station.
Abdulla and Hanifa always come to
Police station with weapons. Police
detected the weapons, but let them off
with no action taken. My sons were
killed at this juncture.
Police say that the family
feud is behind this massacre?
That is a blatant lie. There is no
family feud between our family and
Muslims. I have been in congress
party from my childhood. I had been
the town leader of the Congress party.
Even now, I hold the post of vice
president in Thirunelveli west district
congress committee. I have many
Muslim friends due to this. My sons
were killed since they opposed
building a mosque on the temple land.
This is the truth.
Kumara Pandian opposed
building a mosque on the temple
land. Did your other sons oppose
that as well?
Kumara Pandian was leader of
the town’s Hindu Munnani. After he
was killed, my other son Sakthi
Pandian became the leader of town
Hindu Munnani. This massacre is done
by those Muslims who are enraged by
this. Those Muslims who killed
Kumara Pandian have vowed in front
of police high officials, ‘we will come
out on bail and kill more people.” This
was witnessed by many people among
the public. So, this massacre
happened for religious reasons. When
the terrorists who killed Kumara
Page 10 of 16
Pandian were came out on bail,
Muslims held Briyani feasts for them.
To provoke and anger the Hindus,
Muslims here celebrated terrorists
coming out on bail like a festival.
Don’t the newspapers say
that your sons attacked
attacked first?
On the side of Muslims 3 people
have lost the life and seven people are
wounded. On the side of the Hindus,
only my three sons were murdered. If
my sons have planned this, would they
go alone? Muslims have planned this
attack. How is it possible for 10 people
to assemble with lot of arms and
weapons at the same time on the same
day, without pre-planning? It is a clear
planned attempt to target and destroy
my family members.
What is the reason to target your
family?
My son Kumar Pandian had
opposed the building a mosque on the
temple land. After he was killed, my
other son Sakthi Pandian took up the
responsibility as the leader of Hindu
Munnani. These are the main two
reasons for this massacre. It is not the
first time that Thenkasi Muslims have
resorted to violence and killing. From
1925 onwards, Muslims are causing
problems. I stopped the Moharrum
festival that was used to target and
insult Hindus. (Sorna Thevar had listed
the killings and riots that were done by
Muslims since 1925 in Thenkasi. That
is to be published as a separate piece)
Did the mosque exist in the
controversial land already?
Some newspapers have
reported that the mosque exists
already and the controversy is due to
the expansion of the mosque. This is
not true. The land on which Muslims
are trying to build the mosque belongs
to Kasi Viswanathar Temple. There are
enough proofs regarding this. I know
that a government school operated
from that place. Those who studied in
that school and who taught in that
school are still around.
After the school got its own
building, it shifted. Then a Muslim took
a lease of that land to run an ice
factory. Since then Muslims have used
that place as a urinal. For many years,
that place was used as a urinal for
Muslims of Thenkasi bazaar. This is
known to everyone here. Suddenly one
day, they put up a board that said
"Thenkasi bazaar mosque" and started
doing namaaz in the same place where
they had a urinal for all these years.
No one opposed?
It is true that the Hindus turned
a blind eye to this. Encouraged by this,
Muslims approached the Thirunelveli
district collector then, one Mr.
Dhanavel, and asked for permission to
start a mosque there. He promised
approval if the Thenkasi Township
passed a resolution approving this.
Page 11 of 16
Using their money power, the got the
resolution passed in the Township.
Collector Dhanavel also approved the
building of mosque there. Immediately,
the Muslims became ready to start
building the mosque. Bricks, sand and
other stuff started coming there. It is at
that time, my son Kumara Pandian
gathered the Hindus in the town and
started Satyagraha and fasting to stop
the building of the mosque.
As the opposition grew, the
mosque building stopped. This
happened during the DMK rule. Then
ADMK came to power. Collector was
changed. The new Collector
temporarily banned the building of
mosque as there is lot of opposition to
that. For few years, the Muslims kept
their peace. When DMK came to power
in 2006, the Muslims started building
the mosque again. Again my son
opposed this. Hence they hacked my
son to death. Whenever DMK is in
power, Muslims start the trouble and
achieve whatever they want.
Your son Sakthi Pandian
has been arrested...
arrested...
After Kumara Pandian was
killed, Sakthi Pandian took over the
leadership of Hindu Munnani with
courage. Sakthi Pandian already has
police protection. There is a policeman
with him 24 hours. Even then, they
arrested him in this case. When we
questioned this action, the police say
we have to arrest him since the
Muslims have filed a complaint against
him.
A week before Kumara Pandian
was killed, Thenkasi Industrialist V T S
Rahman Batch's brother had come to
Kumara Pandian's house. He had
enticed him, "Don’t oppose building a
mosque. We will give you 12 Lakhs if
you drop your opposition. After the
mosque is built, we would give you a
shop in that building that will remain
rent free for your entire life". My son
Kumara Pandian’s firm reply was,
"Suppose I withdraw my objection to
the mosque, after taking your money.
You could finish the mosque. But,
some day Hindus would demolish that
mosque, may be even after 100 years.
Just like Babar’s building that was
built over the Ram Temple was
destroyed after hundreds of years,
Thenkasi Mosque too would be
demolished. If that happens, Thenkasi
would witness huge riots. If Thenkasi
is to remain peaceful, I can’t permit the
mosque to be built here". Within a
month after this, my son Kumara
Pandian was killed.
That is why we filed a complaint
against V T S Rahman Batcha, as we
know that these murders can’t have
taken place without his knowledge.
The same police which did not act on
our complaints against V T S Rahman
Batcha, jumped up with alacrity and
arrested my son Sakthi Pandian
immediately, when Muslims filed a
complaint against my son. This clearly
shows the police acting at the behest
of the Muslims.
Do you say that VTS
Rahman batcha is connected to
the people who killed your son?
20 years back, this VTS Rahman
Batcha was working for Gani & Co
grocery shop in Thenkasi, for 800
rupees salary per month. His father
had a small shop selling fruits and
Page 12 of 16
vegetables. While he was working for
800 rupees per month salary, he built a
huge bungalow and invited his
employer for the house warming party.
Immediately looking at the huge
bungalow of VTS Rahman Batcha, his
boss terminated his employment. Then
Rahman Batcha started his own
grocery shop.
It is said that Rahman Batcha
who is running an ordinary grocery
shop owns several crores worth
property. He has been accused of
involved in Hawala. VTS Rahman
Batcha's money is funneled into
Islamic terrorist activities. So we
complained to police asking for his
arrest. He and his brother have
repeatedly threatened Kumara Pandian
many times. So, it is impossible that
he is not related to the murder of my
son. Even though a case has been
filed against Rahman Batcha, police
have not arrested him.
There was a report that you
staged a demonstration against
the police.
After my three sons were killed,
police high officials came to talk to
me. We refused to take the bodies of
my three sons. Then we took the
bodies directly from the hospital to the
cremation ground only for maintaining
peace in Thenkasi. We did not want to
be a cause for riots in Thenkasi. I
could have brought the bodies which
were dumped in sacks to Thenkasi
town. Had I done that, Thenkasi would
have burned. For the sake of peace,
we cooperated with the police.
But soon after the cremation
was finished, police had started
showing their true colors. They started
to arrest innocent Hindus on murder
cases. Police, who came to Malyan
Street where our house is situated,
started harassing the women and girls.
To stop these atrocities, along with
about 50 women, we went to
Subramanyar Temple in our street and
staged a protest against police
atrocities. Night time raids by police
stopped only after this protest.
An unimaginable horror has
happened. What is the solution
for this?
I am a Gandhian. I suffered
beatings for freedom at the age of 6. I
am getting beaten even today for that.
We want peace. But I don't see an end
to these massacres. Muslims do not
love this land. If they do love this land,
would they kill so many people for a
mosque?
If mosque is an issue, would not
a solution be arrived, if the
Hindus give up the opposition?
The place where the Muslims
want to build the mosque belongs to
the centuries old Kasi Viswanathar
Temple. That place is directly in front
of the Ambaal sannathi. It is just 100
meters from there. In this place, the
Hindus build a bonfire. When the
Ambal chariot comes around, it is at
this place, Ambal would grace the
population. If the mosque is opened
there, nothing would be allowed there.
Muslims would ask Hindus to stop the
celebratory music and playing drums
in front of the mosque. If the mosque
is built, the peace in Thenkasi would
have to be written off. Would they
allow building a Ganapathi temple
directly in front of a mosque or
madrassa?
You claim to have been a leader of
Thenkasi Congress party. Even
today you are the vice president of
the Thirunelveli
Thirunelveli (west district)
congress party. Did any congress
leaders console you as you have lost
four of your sons?
No. For the Congress party,
Muslim votes are more important.
Maideen Khan who is a minister in the
DMK government now, had come to
Thenkasi to meet and console the
Muslims who were injured. But he did
not come to meet us. Maideen khan
had met in Palayamkottai jail the
murderers of my sons under the
pretext of inspecting the Jail. It is said
that Maideen Khan had helped
surreptitiously those Muslims who
were affected by these incidents.
What is the state of your mind
now?
We are scared. We are very
afraid that they will kill the remaining
family members.
Interviewers: PudvaiSaravanan, Rajendran

Page 13 of 16
 Tragedies from 1925
Pudhuvai Saravanan
News about the massacres in
Thenkasi has always been one sided
reports so far. Asst. D.G.P
Vijayakumar, D.I.G. Kannappan, S.P.
Sridhar and other police personnel
are issuing statements to the effect
that the massacres were due to
‘rivalry between two families’. Media
builds these statements up and
publicizes them. Truth is just the
opposite. All these have nothing to
do with family rivalry or quarrels.
Kumara Pandian, a leader of Hindu
Munnani in Thenkasi town, was
struggling sincerely to raise the
consciousness of Hindus
Thenkasi, and that is why he was
hacked to death on 17-12-2006 at 10
p.m. in the town. It is not for the first
time a Hindu representative has
sacrificed his life for the cause of
Hindus in this town. Since 1925 there
have been planned attacks against
Hindus in the area, and these
massacres are just a continuum of
these planned attacks. We present
below a compilation of such events.
• In 1925, during the British rule,
Muslims of the area petitioned the
district collector to grant them Patta
for the land in an area called
Vandipettai, which was all around the
Teppak kulam (Temple Pond) of Kasi
Viswanathar temple. The father of
Mr. Venkatramanan, an MLA of
Thenkasi during later years,
vehemently opposed this attempt to
grab the temple lands. The British
collector visited the place in person
to check the truth of the matter.
Muslims had occupied the plot
overnight and were putting on a
show of cooking food in that plot.
They approached the Collector and
pleaded, ‘We have lived here for
many years’ which were of course a
bundle of lies. Venkatramanan’s
father who was present protested
and argued, ‘These people occupied
this plot just last night. Inspect their
utensils. They are brand new and
shiny. If these people are living here
for a long time won’t their utensils
look like used utensils? They are
in plotting to deceive you by occupying
this plot en masse’. The Collector
saw through the game of Muslims
and refused to grant Patta to them.
• During 1952, Hindus of the
area protested sharply against
permitting Mohurrum processions
being permitted to pass through the
Aluppu mandapam (a building where
pilgrims and worshippers at the
temple rest) that belonged to Kasi
Viswanathar Temple. One,
Kozhumbu Sankaran Pillai who
Page 14 of 16
protested this permission
vehemently, had to run away from the
town in a hurry, because Muslims
were out to kill him in their
murderous rage.
• Muslims used to celebrate
Milad-e-Nabi in an area near the
temple Flagstaff which was placed
near a bridge over a canal (Vaaykkaal
Palam). During 1972 they grabbed a
plot near the above mentioned
Aluppu Mandapam, where the deity
of Kasi Viswanathar temple used to
be displayed on festival days for the
public view, and named it as
‘Hameedia Thidal’ (Hameedia Maidan)
and celebrated Milad-e-Nabi there.
Hindus of the area decided to break
this practice and land grab, and
installed a Vinayaka statue in this
plot and started worshipping.
Muslims set fire to the thatched roof
over the Vinayaka statue. There was
a big riot in town. A case was filed
against Hindus for this.
• In order to oppose the Hindus,
Muslims claimed that a Maulvi was
interned on a spot near the Flagstaff
(of the temple) and raised a shed
there, in preparation for construction
Page 15 of 16
of a Mosque there. This plot of land
belonged to the Municipality of
Thenkasi, where an earlier Chief
Minister, Kamaraj Nadar, had laid a
foundation stone for a water tank for
providing drinking water. So there
was meeting for compromise.
Muslims said if Hindus removed the
Vinayaka statue, they will not
construct a mosque. Authorities
agreed to this compromise. Muslims
won this round by staging this
drama, and the Vinayaka statue was
removed. But no water tank was built
in that plot till date. Now Muslims
claim that the Wakf board owns the
plot, and are trying to build a mosque
there.
• During 1980, Muslims staged a
mass conversion at Meenakshipuram
near Thenkasi, which shook the
nation and made it sit up and take
notice.
• During 1982, Ramagopalan
presided over a big meeting of Hindu
Munnani in Thenkasi. Police filed
false cases against Hindus who
participated in this meeting causing
them a lot of hassle over many years.
• Till about 20 years ago,
Muslims used to conduct an event in
which they used to mock Hindus,
during the Mohurrum festival times.
In 1986 when the Mohurrum
procession came along the South
street, Muslims hurled chappals and
stones at Thyagi Ramanatha Iyer, and
the then Thenkasi M.L.A.
Venkatramanan and attacked them.
Sorna Thevar, father of Kumara
Pandian, was one person who stood
against such hooliganism of Muslims
and fought against such anti-Hindu
festivities. Mohurrum festivities were
stopped after this incident. The
people of Thenkasi now believe that
it is in revenge for this stopping of
Mohurrum that Kumara Pandian and
his brothers were killed.
• During 1987, Bharathi
Subramaniam, a leader of Hindu
Munnani was stabbed on the day of
Bakrid. It was around 6 p.m. when he
was stabbed. Those who arranged
this stabbing are big industrialists
today, and they went unpunished.
RSS Meeting, asking them not to
sport Kumkum on their forehead
• Some 30 years back, Thenkasi
Amman temple conducted Thavasi
festival. At that time, the Muslim
baloon vendors insulted the Hindu
women using obscene words. This
resulted in riots.
While Thenkasi's real history is like
this, the police are spreading the
canard that this massacre is really a
result of a family feud. Since the
police are hiding the truth and acting
at the behest of the Islamic terrorists,
the Hindus are forced to live in fear.

This was published in Vijaya Bharatham

Tamil magazine 21-9-2007 .
Translated pages from 8 to 19.

• Muslims have been trying to

grab this plot of land where during
the Karthikai festivals the deity will
stay for a while for public viewing.
On 27-12-1990, even though a large
number (majority) of Town council
members opposed it, a resolution to
build a mosque in this plot of land
was declared passed. There was a
hunger strike against it, and cases
were filed against Hindus who
participated in the hunger strike. The
cases went on for many years.

• On 14-12-2001, Muslims
attacked the people returning from an

Page 16 of 16