Procession route mars Thaipusam joy in Penang

Thaipusam in Penang has always been a happy occasion and the celebration a grand affair. It has been revered by devotees and tourists alike in a carnival-like atmosphere.

However, since the early 1990s, a dark cloud has begun to engulf the festival in the form of the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) and its appointed agent, the Mariamman- Balathandayuthabani endowments management committee.

PHEB has moved in first to control the operation of tanneer panthals (refreshment sheds) and now to dictate the route of the silver chariot procession, an important role belonging to the economically vibrant Chettiar community.

PHEB and its agent have moved in with a uncompromising drive to exert a non-existing authority to direct the Chettiars to re-map the procession route, which has been practiced for the past 150 years.

Currently, police permit for the annual chariot procession is issued to the Chettiar community trust fund - the Registered Trustees Nattukottai Chettiar Temples Penang.

The board wants the chariot to make a reverse journey from Kovil Veedu to the nearby Mariamman Kovil in Lebuh Queen to pay homage to Goddess Durgai Amman first before resuming its routine first-day journey.

Since the inception of the procession by the Chettiar community, the chariot had stopped at the Mariamman Kovil only during its return journey from Waterfall to Kovil Veedu on the final and third day of the Taipusam celebrations.

Until now, on the first day of the festival, the chariot procession starts from Kovil Veedu and enters straight to the adjacent Lebuh Victoria on its way to Waterfall’s Nagarathar Balathandayuthabani Kovil.

Many Hindus in Penang are unaware that PHEB was formed during the British colonial era merely to be a government statutory board of trustees, entrusted to safeguard endowments, namely Hindu endowments, estimated to be worth RM100 million.

The governing statute - the Hindu Endowments Ordinance - is unambiguous that PHEB shall safeguard and manage only the endowments, which mean properties and money.

Religious affair not the function of board

“The board is neither an authority of the Hindu community or religion, and it has no locus standi to act as one,” said its former assistant secretary AK Suppayah, who served in PHEB for nearly two decades.

However, due to naivety and ignorance of the Hindus at large, the board, since early 1990s, has encroached into religious affairs, rather acting in ultra vires to the Federal Constitution, by first controlling the operations of the panthals and music played during the festival.

It is said that PHEB’s unwarranted encroachment was initiated during the previous Barisan Nasional state administration.

When the new Pakatan Rakyat state government took office after winning last March general election, many Hindus expected the board to change its ways and return to its original duties.

However, much to the disappointment of the Hindu community, the new PHEB commissioners, dominated by Pakatan assemblypersons, have not only maintain the BN tradition, but according to its critics, have made it worse.

“Never before have we encountered so many problems with the board like now,” lamented the Chettiar trust fund president N Ramanathan.

A critic, Hindu Action Network (HAN) coordinator G Mugunthan (top) warned that today’s PHEB style of governance would backfire on Pakatan and cost the coalition Indian votes if left unchecked.

Directed to change route

During Friday’s state consultative council meeting for Thaipusam festival 2009, the Chettiars and police were said to have been directed to change the route by the state authorities.

According to the Chettiar trust fund secretary and the procession organising chairperson Dr A Narayanan (right), the Chettiars did not want to change the route due to logistic difficulties and overwhelming demand from the Hindu community to maintain the current route.

In the re-route path mapped out by the board, the chariot will not be able to pass through Lebuh Cina for there will be makeshift structures erected for the Chap Goh Meh celebrations the night before.

The venue is known as ‘the Place of Harmony’ due to the existence of many places of worship of major religions.

It is feared that the re-routing of the chariot procession would not please the Chinese community.

Moreover, the police had issued permits for the current route and how could the Chettiars follow the routes stipulated according to the whims and fancies of PHEB?

It is pertinent to point out that Article 11 of the Federal Constitution clearly stipulates that the religious affairs of a community, other than Islam, would be managed by the respective communities.

In other words, no government authorities, including PHEB, are allowed to interfere into religious affairs, other than Islam.

Certain groups are already contemplating legal action against PHEB for unwarranted interference into Hindu religious affairs.