Temple disallowed from celebrating Ram Mandir Pran Pratishta in Tamli Nadu, police imposes restrictions
Tamil Nadu, India 
20 January, 2024
Case Summary
On 22nd January, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Tamil Nadu government for not allowing live telecast of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in temples. FM Sitharaman was scheduled to witness the ceremony live at a private temple in a small village in Tamil Nadu. However, the police personnel came in plain clothes and removed the LEDs. FM Sitharaman voiced her concerns about the repression of religious festivities and the infringement of Hindus’ rights by the DMK-led state government. The FM expressed her dismay over the direct attack on freedom of worship and stated the actions taken by the DMK govt were anti-Hindu. In the Kanchipuram district, FM said that there were reports that police blocked LED installation at 400 locations.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. Here too, the Tamil Nadu police working at the behest of the ruling DMK government, stopped the screening of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event that was held on January 22. For Hindus, the Pran Pratishtha event represents the pinnacle of centuries-long struggles to reclaim Lord Ram’s birthplace and reinstate Bhagwan Ram to his Janmabhoomi. The return of Lord Ram to Ram Janmabhoomi is a testament to the thousands of devotees, particularly the Karsevaks, who gave up everything to continue battling for a site that was forcibly taken by Islamic fundamentalists who humiliated the native Hindus by erecting a mosque on top of an already existing temple. Despite knowing what the event meant for Hindus, the TN Govt stopped the live screening of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha event. By doing this the TN Govt not only infringed on the religious rights of the Hindus but also displayed its animosity and prejudice against Hindu beliefs. Since the act was prejudicial to the rights of Hindus and stems from hatred against Hinduism, this case is being categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
