MADURAI:Close on the heels of the recent bomb attack on a Tamil news channel for reportedly airing a programme on married women wearing ‘thali’ in Tamil Nadu, members of a little known Kerala-based outfit Bhagavan Aathi Thiruvalluvar Gnanamadam (BATG) has said that there is no reference to married women wearing ‘Thali’ in Thirukkural.
Thirukkural emphasises only on self-purification of married partners and never advocates following of ‘agama’ rules, said A Sivananthan, BATG founder.
Speaking to Express on the sidelines of a five-day awareness campaign on Thirukkural here on Sunday, he said though people in Tamil Nadu have high regard for the values advocated in Thirukkural by Thiruvalluvar, they hardly practice them in their lives.
Sivananthan further said that in all Kurals on marriage and love, Thiruvalluvar never talked about any rituals but asked married couples to live harmoniously understanding each other. “Even the Kural on chastity emphasises only on married couples’ inner purity,” he said.
Sivananthan said BATG members have been following the marriage principals of Thiruvalluvar. “Men would not tie women ‘thali’ but would exchange rings. For us, the ring is a symbol of union.”
Around 30,000 BATG followers of Thiruvalluvar in Ernakulam district eat no non-vegetarian foods and consume no alcohol besides advocating a caste-less society. “Through our 30 centres, we advocate the principles of Thiruvalluvar to live in social harmony forgoing religious and caste differences. We also have separate graveyard for members in Megaladi, Thattanpadi, Illithodu and Marady,” he said.
Sivananthan, a farmer by profession, launched the outfit in Kerala 39 years ago after he accidentally spotted at a teashop in Coonoor a Thiruvalluvar picture with a Kural, which said, “Pirapokkum Ella Uyirkum Sirapovva Seithozhil Vetrumai yaan” (all human beings are equal by birth but differ by their characters and actions).
