NCPCR asks Tamil Nadu government to probe Governor’s statement

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday asked the Tamil Nadu government to inquire into Governor R N Ravi’s statement that minor girls were forced to undergo two-finger test following allegations of facilitating child marriage against priests of the famous Lord Shiva temple in Chidambaram.

In a notice to Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo also asked the state government to file an action taken report on the issue. In an interview to a leading newspaper which appeared on May 4, Ravi accused the government of targeting Podhu Dikshithars (priests) of the Sri Sabanayagar Temple in Chidambaram by levelling allegations of performing child marriages against them.

The Governor alleged that minor girls, who were reportedly married by the priests, were taken to hospitals and made to undergo 'two-finger tests. He also said he wrote to Chief Minister M K Stalin regarding the issue.

“The Commission has taken suo-moto cognizance in the above matter,” the NCPCR chairperson said, and asked the Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry by not disclosing their identities.

“…send the factual action taken report along with the following information/documents to the Commission within 07 days from the date of receipt of this communication,” the letter added.

Priests of the temple were arrested after the Social Welfare Department lodged eight complaints against them. The priests and the government are at loggerheads over a host of issues, including the control of the temple.

The temple is managed by the Podhu Dikshithars and not by the Hindu Religious and Endowments (HR&CE) Department which controls over 44,000 temples in the state. The Dikshithars had also refused to show accounts of the temple to HR & CE officials in the past.