CM Pledges To Stand By The Devout And Spiritualists
Equality and fraternity should be fostered not just in Tamil Nadu but all over the country and unity among the people should be developed: Chief Minister M K Stalin
CHENNAI: Averring that compromise and equality alone could be the real spiritual paths to be followed, Chief Minister M K Stalin said people’s self-respect and rights should be honoured and those inimical forces that tried to divide the people should be identified and shunned.
Speaking at a conference of village temple priests at the Kapaleeswarar ground in Mylapore on Saturday, Stalin said equality and fraternity should be fostered not just in Tamil Nadu but all over the country and unity among the people should be developed.
Assuring the devout, spiritually-oriented persons and temple workers who had gathered for the meeting that he was there for them and to protect their interests, the Chief Minister urged them to ensure the continuation of the Dravidian Model government in the State so that it could be a win-win situation for all..
Announcing 11 new welfare measures for the benefit of temple priests and their families in the State, he said that, among other things, the ceiling in annual income for village priests would be raised to Rs 1.25 lakh, the marriage allowance for them and their children would be increased and the scholarship for their wards would be raised.
He also listed out the slew of measures taken by the government through the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department for renovating temples and conducting poojas in small temples. A total of 4335 temples were renovated and consecrated in the 1759 days of DMK rule, he said.
It was the DMK government that upheld the rights of majority of the people, he said, adding that there was a time when many people could not even enter temples which was changed, along with the ushering in of reforms like facilitating people from all castes to become priests and conducting temple rituals in Tamil.
The DMK wanted such changes that were actually social development as it believed in the axiom of Thirumoolar, ‘Onte Kulam, Oruvane Thevan’ (there is only people and one God), which was popularized by DMK founder C N Annadurai, he said.
Even M Karunaidhi had said that it was not to say that there should be no temples but the concern was that temples should not be turned into dens of cruel people (kovilgal koodathu enpathala; avai kodiavarglin koodaramaha aahevida koodaathu) and it was on those lines the HR&CE department was run to respect everyone, safeguard everybody’s dignity and protect everyone’s rights, he said