Hunger strike for Karthigai Deepam at Deepathoon held

MADURAI: In a development in connection with the Karthigai Deepam row, a section of people on Saturday staged a hunger strike pressing their demands to light Karthigai Deepam at deepathoon atop Thiruparankundram hill, after the Madurai bench of the High Court allowed the strike on condition.

The strike commenced at around 9 am on Sannathi Street, and police were deployed. Some of the participants, including women, carried placards urging the need for allowing devotees to light Deepam at Deepathoon and also raised slogans against the government over the denial of permission. Recital of Kanda Sashti, reading of the history of Thiruparankundram were part of the strike, which ended at around 5 pm.

The organisers also passed a series of resolutions urging the need for lighting Deepam at Deepathoon as directed by the HC, remedial measures to ease crowd flow on festival occasions at Thiruparankundram, retrieve encroached lands belonging to Thiruparankundram temple and protect it from being commercialised. Expressing solidarity, traders in the local bazaar lit agal vilakku.

One of the participants said the ritual of lighting at Deepathoon has remained in existence for over 35 years, but it’s disappointing that the ritual was disallowed this year. If permission is denied, people from 42 villages in and around Thiruparankundram would be called for a protest and also boycott the upcoming polls in 2026, he said.