Chaitra Krushna Chaturthi
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The Film-puja[1] cancelled following the prompt action of the Police: On 15th night posters were prepared to be put up at different parts of the city caricaturing Hindu Gods Rama and Anjaneya – pissing at roadside, drinking etc. When the news came to Vadapalani Police Station, the Assiatant Commissioner, Vijayaraghavan informed his higher officers. More than 150 such posters to be pasted at Kodambakkam, Royapettai, Adyar and other places were seized by the police. Already pasted posters were torn and removed[2]. The persons Ramesh, Tirunavukkarasu, Rope Basha, Gopi, Anathkumar, who were involved in the pasting posters were arrested by the Kodambakkam Police, Ranganathan by Royapettai Police and Sankar by Adyar Police respectively.
Hearing the news, Rama Gopalan, the Hindu Munnani Organizer requested the Police to stop the puja-function to be conducted. He also announced that if the puja is performed, then they would organize protest in front of the Studios followed by demonstrations throughout the state.
The police contacted the Film-unit and asked them to stop their function. After a lengthy argument with the Police, they announced that they would stop the puja-function. The actor Saravanan informed the reporters: "Good governance is going on in Tamilnadu. But some people are trying to created bad image for it. Not to give room to such exigency, we cancel our function today. But we have decided to conduct the puja-function on May 5th. We have spent two lakhs for the function. 50,000 was spent for printing the posters. But the Police has seized the posters. The scene depicted in the poster is a scene shot for a comedy scene of the film and we do not have any intention to hurt feelings of anybody".
Though the function was cancelled, the film-troop and members had come to the studios.Therefore, the T. Nagar Assistant commissioner Lakhsmi came there with police. As the Hindu Munnani announced that if the function were held, they would protest, they were also gathered on the opposite side of the road. They disbursed only after the confirmation of the cancellation of the function.
A hand written placard put up at the AVM Studios announced that "The date of inaugural function of `Vanakamma’ is postponed due to unforeseen reasons". Thus reported Dinamalar dated 17-04-2008, p.6.
The report of Junior Vikatan: April 16, 2008. In A. V. M. Studios, the film group had been hectic in preparing for the new film puja (inauguration of the film). At the same time, Hindu Munnani protesters gathered outside the main gate and started shouting, "The authorities should not allow the Puja function that insults our religious sentiments".
The film is "Vanakkamma" produced by Anbu Thennarasan. The invitation card for the inauguration -Puja function has been printed in high quality multi-colured shining card. But after opening it, a still printed inside would make one stunned, as Sri Rama and Anjaneya portrayed as pissing with urine visibly coming out.
The invited dignitaries have been: M. Balasubramanian, the Mayor of Chennai to lit the auspicious lamp; and Saghul Ameed[3], Seeman, Suba. Virapandian to speak on the occasion. On 15th April itself, Rama Gopalan, the Hindu Munnani leader had telephoned to A. V. M. Studios and asked with much anxiety as to how they could allow their premises to conduct Puja for a film that insults the feelings of Hindus, Moreover, the depiction of Gods had been intentional, as could be easily noted from the invitation card. The Hindu Munnani had also given a complaint to the City Police Commissioner in this regard.
Anbu Thennarasan, the producer had also given a complaint to Ashoknagar Police station to provide protection to his Puja-function! Thus, the police gathered already, even before the Function organizers started coming there to the Studios on 16th morning.
Pressure had come from the Police Commissioner Office to abandon the Puja-function. But Anbu Thennarasan had requested that they would perform Puja and disburse. Then, a Red-signal had come from the Chief Minister "No function at all". Anbu Thennarasan postponed the function as he felt that there should not be any complication for the rulers by them.
The Juniuor Vikatan reporters met the HM leader Rama Gopalan: "The portrayal has not been for comedy. They have done it with motive. There has been a practice in Tamil films just to denigrate Hindu Gods. We opposed when Actor Vijay named his film as "Gita". We opposed a scene depicted in the film "Azhwar", where, the actor Ajit portraying as Rama and killing. Anbu Thennarasan, the film-producer has been the close friend of K. Veeramani, the DK. They have printed "Tamizh muzhakkam Saghul ameed avargalin Nal vazhthukkaludan" = With the Best wishes from Tamizh-Thunder Saghul Ameed. Would he include a photo in the same invitation caricaturing Allah? Siman, the Director has been a Christian. Would he allow a wall poster denigrating his religion? They would have burned the place where the function is organized. Suba. Veerapandian had beaten the person on the road who took a film on Prabhakaran[4], the LTTE leader. So therefore, do you expect that these people would go on indulge in such mischiefs, but we should just sit and watch the tamasha?", this has been the response of Rama Gopalan.
Then, they reportedly met Anbu Thennarasan, the producer of the controversial or rather unimaginable film to be produced in film with vulgarity. "First, I tell you for information. One day, we were discussing in our office in the first floor. At that time two persons were going that side donning the disguise of Rama and Anumar begging. At that time I thought of including such a comedy scene in our film. According to story, Saravanan and Vishnuvardhanan are thieves. They used to roam in the day to note the house that is to be burgled during night by them. For that we took the still portraying them as Rama and Anumar. That is all. There is no motive in it as Rama Gopalan tells. Saghul Ameed is neither a Muslim, nor Siman a Christian and I am a Hindu. Tamils have been suffering for the last 60 years. There are issues of price-rise of essential commodities, Bus fair etc affecting the people of the state. Has Rama Gopalan has ever voiced for such issues? We printed 300 invitation cards and proposed to perform the function in a simple manner. But in a single day, he has given publicity to 6 crores Tamil people. We took photograph just for a comedy in the film. But what he would do with beggars who roam on the roads in reality donning the masquerade of Gods?", thus responded Anbu Thennarasan with heat.
When we met Saravanan, the actor, he responded as follows: "The scene depicted has been comedy one in which Rama has been portrayed. Just for fun. But I never thought that would create such a big controversy! If it had hurt the feelings of anybody, I seek apology from all of them. As for as I am concerned I have no other motive other than an actor who acts in scenes of the film".
The above has been the version of Junior Vikatan dated 23-04-2008, pp.40-41.
The motive has been very clear: The producer, actors and film-members involved had been intentionally pursuing such anti-Hindu attitude obviously with the nurtured hope that the ruling atheist government would protect them. Anbu Thennarasan’s assertion that, "There is no motive in it as Rama Gopalan tells. Saghul Ameed is neither a Muslim, nor Siman a Christian and I am a Hindu" has been a blatant lie. Had there been so secular, their minds would not have accepted such denigration or even such filthy portrayal in any comedy scene. Even living human beings would not agree for such shooting. Therefore, his intention has been revealing and perverted having done the act. That "Tamils have been suffering for the last 60 years" etc., it is not known, in what way it is connected with dragging Hindu Gods. Why not then other Gods? Here only the problem comes. If Mary or Jesus or Mohammed or Fathima or Allah is depicted as done in the case of Rama and Hanuman, would they accept? First of all, why Anbu Thennarasan could not have thought of such portrayal? Just remember, last month with permission, paintings were displayed at the Lalit Kala academy, but they were objected to by the Mohammedans. Even though, they were based on historical facts, the Mohammedans could not tolerate. Of course, there also, the police took action in a different way.
Price-rise and anti-Hindu blasphemy: Then, he asked, "There are issues of price-rise of essential commodities, Bus fair etc affecting the people of the state. Has Rama Gopalan has ever voiced for such issues?". It is well known fact that price-rise has been due to State and Central Governments’ policies, manipulations and corruption. Never in the history of Tamilnadu history, we find the starting of association for granite, blue metal, dhur dhal, black dhal, vegetable, salt etc., issuing full page advertisements thanking CM. The consumers are really bewildered as to why for these associations suddenly formed, why they should thank CM, what CM has done to them – the wholesale businessmen and others instead of to the consumers! Therefore, there has been cartelization, collection and distribution of extra money looted and extracted from the poor and middle-class consumers. Tell Anbu Thennarasan, which Tamil is cheating which Tamil. First of all do you know the feeling of price-rice, as you have boasted of spending two lakhs for the filthy function and 50,000 for the vulgar posters? Have you ever experienced the difficulty of meeting both ends in a family? Have you ever gone to vegetable market and purchased vegetables. But you have decided to shoot Rama and Anjaneya as pissing, as it is done just for fun without any intention, Very nice in deed.
April 16 exposed the plot: In fact, Hindus could doubt that Thennarasan might have been engaged to do such nonsense just to divert the issue of price-rise, perhaps with the command of "his rulers". That is why he evidently confessed immediately that he did not want to create any complication for their rulers. So Karunanidhi or K. Veeramani would have given such idea to have such comedy scene, as the former has already declared that he is proud of being ant-Rama and about the the latter, one need not tell anything. Moreover, the date April 16 exposed the plot. Yes, it is the day of Rama Navami! When the city used to celebrate with different functions, particularly, distributing "nirmore" = butter milk and "panagam" = sweetened water to quench the heat of summer, he had decided to add fuel to the fire. So why one wants to do harm to people knowingly that such action would hurt the people. If it is not with motive, what else could be attributed? Ironically, he had been proud of spending lakhs of money for such unholy act of carrying out blasphemy.
The Terrorist background of the involved: Suba. Veerapandian has been hard-core terrorist supporting LTTE openly in Chennai. For supporting LTTE on April 13, 2002, he was arrested under POTA along with Nedumaran, Pavanan, Sahul Ameed and Tayappan[5]. They were in jail for one and half years. Ironically these two – Suba Veerapandian and Shahul Hameed have been among the terrorist group against which a Writ Petition was filed under POTA. In July 2006, the atheist Tamil Nadu Government withdrew its writ petition against a ruling of Central Review Committee under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) that there was no prima facie case against Tamilar Desiya Iyakkam leader P. Nedumaran and four others identified as Suba Veerapandian, Thayappan, Shahul Hameed and Pudukottai Pavannan (The Hindu, 15 July 2006). Sahul Hameed was in jail in 2003, as the Court refused a grant a bail in December 2003[6]. Tamil Tiger sympathisers in Tamil Nadu have seized the print of a Sinhala film titled Prabakaran which was being translated at a film studio in Chennai. The film was in the final stages of the production when the Tamil activists led by Dravidian Tamil Movement (DTM) leader Suba Veerapandian stromed into the Gemini Film Labs on Wednesday 26-03-2008. The group have assaulted the director Tushara Peiris and seized the print saying that the film insulted the feelings of the Tamil speaking people in India and Srilanka. Suba Veerapandian told BBC Tamil Service that they could not be silent spectators when the work of a film which belittles the Tamil national feeling was being produced in Chennai. He also expressed regret at the director being manhandled by DTM youth cadres.
An agreement was reached with the police officials and the director, he said, to hold the film print in the Gemini studios and that they will express their final say after viewing the film. Suba Veerapandian denied allegations that it was an act of interfering in a commercial venture between India and Sri Lanka. While agreeing that DTM members are prepared to face any legal action in this regard, he disagreed that people in TamilNadu do not have a right to intervene in such affairs when there is a certifying body in Sri Lanka. BBC Sandeshaya could not contact director Thushara Peiris despite repeated attempts[7].
Interestingly, Seeman is also figuring in the pro-LTTE group. A group comprising Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan, his sidekick Vanniyarasu, pro-LTTE director Seeman, Dravidar Iyakka Tamilar Peravai president Suba Veerapandian reportedly met the Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi in this regard[8].
The useless Act and Rules – From Hussain’s nudism to Anbu Thennarasan’s pissing: Note the irony. Though, material evidence has been there, witnesses have been there nothing happened. Only, the poster-pasters have been arrested and they would be or would have been released already. Or at worst, some fine or penalty would have been imposed and their protectors would have paid, as it would be a meagre Rs. 500 or 1000. But what about the punishment of real culprits? Anbu Thennarasan would be roaming scot-free. Or he would start the song of freedom of expression. He would cite the example of H. M. Hussain and the Baroda student. He would blame the Hindu fundamentalists for not understanding and appreciating the nuances of art and artistic depiction of characters or characterization.
Conclusion: The background of the involved has been not only anti-national;, but also, anti-Hindu, as could seen from their association with terrorist organizations, DK, DMK and other extremist groups. These people have always been pouring venom in the channels like WIN-TV, MAKKAL, KALAINJAR etc., posing as Tamil-talkers. Therefore, just because, the ruling anti-Hindu and atheist government support the activities of these extremist and fanatic groups, the incidence cannot be taken lightly. First of all, what interest they have in such depictions, when their background and other activities have been entirely different. When they could be arrested, jailed etc., under terrorist acts, the complaint under IPC and other acts are nothing. They simply go to police stations and come out. Or maximum arrested in the morning and released in the evening.
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[1] The performance of Puja conducted by the atheist groups have been fooling believers and an act of shameless creatures.
[2] This clearly shows the involvement of local police, as they evidently kept quite.
[3] All these have been anti-nationals and atheists, attacking particularly Hindus through private TV-channels like WIN etc. See below for more details.
[4] See below for more details.
[5] http://thenseide.com/cgi-bin/PotaJudgement.asp
[6] HC grants bail to Nedumaran, 3 others, DH News Service CHENNAI, Dec 18 http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/dec19/n3.asp
[7] http://www.tamilstar.com/news/lanka/article_7119.shtml
[8] Walter Jayawardhana, Sri Lankan journalists demand the robbed film Prabakaran while some Chennai politicians think otherwise, http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/10271
