Tamil Nadu political leaders mock Hindu traditions, cook and serve Pongal prasadam wearing shoes

Case Summary
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and CM M.K. Stalin disrespected and sidelined Hindu traditions during the Pongal festival celebrations on January 14, 2024. Photos showed Udhayanidhi cooking Pongal alongside women wearing burqas and crosses, with Hindu women visibly marginalised. Udhayanidhi wore shoes while performing this sacred act, which is against the festival's traditional norms. Similarly, CM Stalin faced backlash for serving prasad to a girl in the presence of a hijab-clad woman while also wearing shoes. Many viewed these actions as a deliberate attempt to secularise Pongal, a festival deeply rooted in Hindu customs. Social media users and commentators argued that such acts undermined the cultural and religious significance of Pongal, which includes worshipping the Sun God, Indra, cows, and bulls. Pongal, celebrated across Tamil Nadu, holds immense importance in Hinduism. It involves traditional rituals like cooking food in earthen pots on wooden stoves and offering it to the Sun. Critics noted that the inclusion of non-Hindu symbols, such as burqas and crosses, disrespected the essence of the festival. They emphasized that Pongal is a Hindu festival, supported by references in Vedic texts, Tamil Sangam literature, and Hindu mythology, which associate it with stories of Lord Krishna, Indra, and Nandi. Many viewed the leaders’ actions as dismissive of Hindu traditions, further intensifying debates about the cultural and religious integrity of the festival.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. In the incident involving Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, their actions during the Pongal festival serve as an example of the defilement of religious traditions, driven by animosity towards Hindu customs. Pongal, a sacred festival rooted in Hinduism, involves specific rituals, including cooking food in earthen pots, offering it to the Sun God, and following cultural norms that prohibit wearing shoes during such sacred acts. The Stalins' deliberate violation of these traditions, particularly by cooking Pongal and serving prasadam while wearing shoes, reflects a lack of respect for the faith and its practices. Given that the underlying motivation for these actions stems from contempt for the Hindu religion, this incident has been categorised in the tracker accordingly.

Case Status
Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male