Tamil Nadu government refuses permission for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations

With Ganesh Chathurthi festival on August 22, it was expected that the Tamil public would get a chance to move out of their confined spaces and worship their favourite God, the remover of obstacles. The State government in Tamil Nadu however seems to have different ideas.

In an official statement, the Palanisamy government has prohibited public celebration of the festival by way of processions, installation of Ganesh pandals or its immersion in water bodies over the 10-day period.

Additionally, the worshippers have been informed that there would be no stopping them from visiting their favourite temples to worship the elephant God. However, they have been requested to maintain social protocol and also the necessary precautions when many of them assemble at the temples for a darshan of the diety.

It is also being whispered that the AIADMK government has acted with alacrity to nip the saffron fronts in the State from using this occasion to spread their tentacles. There were plans being made by many affiliate Hindu organizations to celebrate the festival and rally the supporters under the pretext of Vinayaka Chathurthi.

Though the existing State government has not been hostile to the BJP moves, it has not exactly been oblivious of its intentions of carving out a niche slot for itself, with a mix of caste and communal appeal. Among the five states of southern India, it has been Tamil Nadu which has had the minimum religious riots since Independence.