Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Desist from interfering with temple rituals, Chidambaram

By Our Special Correspondent

VILLUPURAM Sept. 7. The State Government should not apply different yardsticks with respect to worship and offerings to deities, and must desist from interfering with temple rituals, the Congress Jananayaka Peravai leader, P. Chidambaram, said today.

At a press conference here, he said the ban on animal sacrifice had created an apprehension among the people that it might disturb peace in the State.

It had been the practice of the socially backward sections to offer animal sacrifice at temples. Though this custom was still in vogue, it was not as rampant as it used to be.

With improvement in the educational status and employment opportunities, he expressed the hope, these sections would gradually drop the practice.

The so-called upper castes were still performing yagnas, offering milk, curd, butter and silk sarees. If sacrifice of animals and fowls were to be stopped, the oblations of curd, milk, butter and silk sarees in yagnas should also be stopped, he said.

Referring to the ban on the DMK procession, scheduled for September 19 at Villupuram, Mr. Chidambaram said that without political parties there could not be democracy, and it was the fundamental right of the parties to take out procession.

``The demolition of the Seerani Arangam on the Marina and the ban are the manifestations of an anti-democratic attitude of the AIADMK Government.''

On the Government move to construct a new Secretariat, he said "the CJP was against building the Secretariat by demolishing an existing structure, but not against its construction in an open space."

But the Government must get its priorities right: should it accord importance to the new Secretariat or concentrate on alleviating the lot of the drought-affected farmers, he asked.

``The honorary ration cards are as good as honorary doctorates to be framed and kept at home.''

On conferment of honorary doctorates by various universities on the Chief Minister, the CJP leader said ``it provided amusement or break from the routine.''

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