Ground Report: How fake narratives have kept Thiruparankundram on its toes
Walking through the pilgrim town's streets and interacting with residents show that locals, both Hindus, and Muslims, want to live in peace, and don't want to stoke communal tension
Thiruparankundram, the first among the six holy abodes of Lord Murugan, is in the news for all the wrong reasons, thanks to a series of fake narratives. The town, known best for its communal harmony for centuries, houses Jain caves, a Murugan temple, and an Islamic dargah on the iconic hill. However, in recent weeks, political outfits have been stirring unrest.
Right-wing groups in Tamil Nadu claim that Hindus in Thiruparankundram are living in fear and that the sacred hill — home to both a Murugan temple and a Sikkandar dargah — is a point of contention, comparing it to even Ayodhya. Fake news videos and posters are circulating in several WhatsApp groups, alleging that efforts are being made to rename the hill from Sri Kandar Malai (Kandar being another name for Lord Murugan, and Malai meaning hill) to Sikkandar Malai.
Ground situation
But is this true? The Federal interacted with local residents, both Hindus and Muslims, social activists, and police officials to get the real picture of Thiruparankundram in Madurai district.
We spotted several wall posters near the temple claiming that Hindutva fighters had saved the temple on the hill and had achieved victory. However, visiting the sacred Thiruparankundram Murugan temple, walking through its streets, and interacting with residents prove that locals do not believe in fake news narratives about communal tension. They stated they do not live in fear but feel intimidated for refusing to accept the misinformation.
A fake news was spread with this photo, claiming that non-vegetarian feast would be served atop Thiruparankundram hill on February 18. However, no such feast was organised by Muslim organisations on the given date.
In January, the Madurai district administration prevented animal sacrifice at the dargah, a tradition followed for several years, without prior notice. This fuelled protests by Muslim organisations, who viewed it as a violation of their right to worship. The district administration advised the protestors to seek legal recourse.
‘Digital protests’
Meanwhile, Hindu right-wing outfits staged protests and even entered the temple with party flags, demanding the relocation of the dargah and the reclamation of temple land. A second protest, organised by the Hindu Munnani, was held on Madurai's outskirts and attended by thousands of supporters. However, local Hindu residents and police sources said that the protest was dominated by outsiders, more than town’s residents.
Now that the protests are over, a digital narrative, read fake news, has begun. New posters are being designed daily and circulated in several groups, aiming to spread the message that animal sacrifice and meat consumption at the dargah affect the sanctity of the temple. Many Hindus who previously participated in the annual Kanthoori festival, where animal sacrifice and serving meat were part of the tradition, told The Federal that a centuries-old tradition should not be turned into a controversy.
Facing intimidation
Many residents told The Federal that they are being intimidated by right-wing outfits. Some women even said that they stopped speaking to the media in fear. In case of Muslims, they are told not to go overboard by giving bytes to media.
A 40-year-old woman, K Sundari (name changed to protect her identity), who lives next to the temple and the mosque, described her ordeal. “My video went viral because I said Murugan and Sikkandar share the hill, and it should continue. Initially, I was proud and happy, but then some men entered our house and asked me whether I was a true devotee of Lord Murugan. They told me I should feel guilty for speaking about brotherhood in the media. They indirectly threatened me and told me to stop giving statements. My family felt uncomfortable. Hindus and Muslims here share good ties, but members of right-wing outfits are targeting us,” she told The Federal.
The Federal accessed posters shared in a couple of WhatsApp groups that circulate fake news clips and misinformation about meat consumption. Some posters falsely claimed that Muslims were preparing and offering meat at the dargah for free to provoke Hindus. These posters were shared with specific dates and times, but when we checked, no such events occurred.
Peddling fake news
“Since we are all locals and know each other, we know the truth — these instances of meat distribution and cooking for offerings did not occur on those dates and times. But outsiders may believe them. Rumours spread like wildfire and can create bitterness,” said Syed Ibrahim (50). He also clarified that no Muslim organisation had attempted to rename the hill.
“Hindus call the hill Kandar Malai as they worship Murugan. We identify the place where the dargah is located as Sikkandar Malai because we worship Sikkandar. There is no reason for conflict. None of my Hindu brothers and sisters believe the fake news about renaming the hill,” he told The Federal.
Meetha Pandian, a social activist in Madurai, recently formed the ‘Madurai Forum for Communal Harmony’ to spread awareness about the city's tradition of religious brotherhood. He urged the DMK government to take strict action against right-wing outfits spreading fake news.
Awareness drive
Speaking to The Federal, he said, “We have decided to embark on a door-to-door campaign to educate people not to believe in fake news and rumours. We will speak to both young and old about how social media platforms instigate tension among residents. We will emphasise that preserving our culture of harmony is the only way to combat communal tension.”
He also urged the district administration to introduce a helpline for residents to report unruly individuals attempting to disrupt peace.
When The Federal approached E Loganathan, Commissioner of Police of Madurai city, he said that he could only address the issue of intimidation if residents filed complaints. “We can take action only if complaints are filed,” he said. Asked whether the police department could persuade residents to come forward, he responded, “We can ask the Revenue Department to make an announcement."
He refused to answer further questions on the issue.
HRCE Minister P Sekar Babu admitted that misinformation spreads rapidly, but fact-checking reports do not gain as much traction in digital space.
“We make efforts to clarify fake news reports as soon as possible. But as you can see, positive fact-checked messages do not spread as widely compared to negative fake news reports. However, we will take action against intimidators and those spreading fake news about religious places,” the minister told The Federal.
BJP denies charge
Narayanan Thirupathy, vice-president of Tamil Nadu unit of BJP, said no right-wing cadres are engaged in spreading fake news or intimidating residents.
Also read: Thiruparankundram issue: TN Minister accuses BJP of attempting violence, warns party
“You might have spoken to a few persons, but largely locals support our initiative to protect the temple. The dargah was built in the memory of an Islamic ruler who killed many local residents in the past. We protested against the efforts of the Muslim organisations to perform animal sacrifice which the Tamil Nadu government actually banned. We are not engaged in any illegal activity,” he told The Federal.
He also added the Hindutva organisations want to protect Thiruparankundram because many temples across Tamil Nadu are facing appropriation. “Thiruparankundram movement is just the first step. Our party will speak for the rights of Hindus and their religious places. The DMK government is not concerned about the issues faced by Hindus,” he said.
