'Have No Issues With Lighting Of Lamp But...’: Thiruparankundram Dargah Secy Arif Khan On Deepam Row

New Delhi:  In an exclusive interview with Republic TV, the Thiruparankundram Dargah Secretary Arif Khan said that their religious establishment has no problem with the Hindus lighting a lamp but insisted on a court-ordered land survey to clearly delineate which area belongs to the temple and the dargah.

Speaking about the ongoing ruckus owing to the Deepathoon controversy,  Khan said that both the communities have been following their respective communities for decades but the Hindu Makkal Katchi have now come forward with an agenda to create rift between them by insisting on lighting the lamp near the dargah itself.

“Over decades, there has been a tradition that is followed. I am 52 years old. Nearly a century back my family came here and from then we have been living here in unity with the Hindus. Muslims follow their customs and Hindus follow theirs. We never interfered in each other's tradition. Now, suddenly, the Hindu Makkal Munahihas have come up with a underlying plan. To create problems from the two religions, they say that they want the lamp lit near the dargah itself,” the Dargah Secretary said.

Khan said that the Hindu Makkal Munahihas has been trying to push their agenda for several years but they did not succeed. However, the recent judgement on the Deepathoon lamp, which was a hurried one and did not even listen to them, Khan added.

“They (Hindu Makkal Munahihas) have been trying it for multiple years, but in the past, it never happened. But suddenly now they are bringing one judgement, and that judgement also was done immediately and at a very fast pace. They did not even ask if the dargah has any issue or did not even approach us telling that there is a case like this and what would be our side of arguments. Also after knowing the case, we put a petition but even before hearing to our side, the judgement was given,” he said.

Pointing out the religious harmony between the two communities, Khan said, "Over the last 50 years, multiple judgements regarding the same was given - 1924, 1948, 1952, 1994, 2014 and 2017- in all those hearings, they never bought up the topic of a Deepathoon at all. Till today Hindus and Muslims of Thiruparakundram didn't have any difference. We live like brothers. 

He reiterated that the Dargah has no problem with lighting the lamp but it is against instigating "communal disharmony."

“We have no issues if they follow their tradition and custom, but, suddenly a random person who is not even part of the Thiruparakundram area files a petition trying to instigate a communal disharmony,” the Dargah official said.

Arif Khan said that the dargah has not observed lighting of the lamp on the hill top. “Dargah has not seen this tradition of lighting the lamp on the hill top. The area called Nellithoppu which is the top is where there are the steps, flag post. The new building belongs to the dargah,” he said.

Asking for a land survey to determine whether the area where the lamp is to be lit belongs to the dargah, Khan said, “The land survey says that area is occupied by dargah and if there is a question that the place does not belong to us, we will ask the civil court legally to do a proper survey. All we are asking is for a survey. If that happens, they can do what they want in their land. The steps to the Deepathoon is behind the dargah and they have to cross the dargah area to reach that place.” 

Khan said that the Dargah cannot determine where the Karthigai lamp should be lit and called for a court determined survey.

“We cannot say it is the place where Karthigai lamp is lit cause in our RTI it says it is a pillar. We the dargah cannot decide what pillar it is, let the court survey it and decide. The government and the temple administration is trying to make sure that no law and order issue should arise because of this. Let the civil court decide. which land belongs to whom. That's all we are asking for now. Both of us are now sharing the place,” the Dargah official said.

On being asked by the reporter about the consequences if the court decides to give the land to the temple, he said, “We have no issues if the land is theirs. So let the civil court decide whose land the pillar is. Plus the temple is constantly asking them to light the lamp only on the Ganesh temple, but we cannot force someone to light the lamp.”

When asked whether the dargah would accept the practice of lighting the lamp on the hill top, Khan said, “I cannot say yes or no because we never faced this earlier. Let it be Ramzan or Bakrid we did it inside the dargah compounds and the temple had no issues. Even now temple did not ask for permission to light the lamp on the hill.”

The Dargah Secretary asserted that they were against the way the single bench judge heard the case without even asking the Dargah to present their arguments.   

“The central government is ruled by majority Hindus. The person who filed the petition is also from a Hindu party. They have planned to move this case very fast and did it with a single bench court. Initially after the judgement we had no idea that the petitioner had filed a case like this. Only after the government side and the the dargah side telling that we also want to have few arguments on the judgement and asked for the 2 bench judge. Is the case when heard first had asked the dargah committee, it would have been better,” he said.

What Is The Controversy About?

The Thiruparankundram Hill is a religious site, home to a Murugan temple as well as a centuries-old dargah. The hill has been ridden with conflicts and has sparked political tensions in Tamil Nadu. In the recent conflict, a petitioner named Ravi Kumar asked for permission to light the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon pillar. According to some devotees, the flame had once burnt atop the Deepathoon for more than 1,300 years, but the ritual stopped only 80 years back. Following this, the lamp has been lit at a Ganesh temple mid-hill. 

On December 1, Justice G R Swaminathan of the Madras High Court permitted the sacred lamp to be lit atop the hill on December 3 before 6 pm. However, the state government opposed the direction. It argued that the ritual had not been practiced for eight decades and could spark communal tensions.

Soon after, Justice Swaminathan convened an unusual 6 pm video conference. It demanded answers from the Madurai Collector and Police Commissioner. They cited the pending appeal and delays from the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments of Tamil Nadu. Justice Swaminathan then permitted the petitioners to go up the hill with CISF protection and light the lamp.

On December 4, the Madurai High Court heard contempt charges again. It instructed the Collector and the Police Commissioner to oversee the preparations and ensure that the ritual was carried out. Justice Swaminathan also sought a detailed report on why the order could not be implemented and why prohibitory orders had to be imposed.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice of India however directed that the case would be listed only after the state government files all the relevant documents.

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