A letter from Evangelists D G S
Dinakaran and Paul Dinakaran to an ardent Shiva devotee and authority on
Shaivism has sparked a controversy with the recipient of the letter raising
a pertinent question: Under what provision of the anti-conversion law can
the founders of 'Jesus Calls' Trust be booked?
Matchi Shiva Sokkalinga Raja Vadivu
Thevar, known as Raja Vadivu at his native Kamayagoundanpatti village in
Theni district, received a letter signed by the Dinakarans expressing happiness
over his (Raja Vadivu's) visit to 'Prayer Tower', the headquarters of Jesus
Calls in Chennai and requesting him to send his testimony, if any, and
prayer requests.
The letter, which said that Raja Vadivu's prayer request had landed in their hands and that they had prayed for him, has enraged Raja Vadivu, who has never set foot at the Prayer Tower premises on the Greenways Road or sought the evangelists' help in any way. Raja Vadivu, speaking to News Today at Chennai, wanted to know from the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa as to how he could proceed against the father-son duo of evangelists, for he sees in the letter an attempt to convert him to Christianity, fraudulently or indirectly.
The letter written early this month , which the Shaivite head has described as mischievous and dangerous, had created a lot of damage, disrepute and mental agony to him. Raja Vadivu said that the letter had created an embarassment to him among his followers and wanted to know whether this 'mischief' comes under the purview of the Anti-Conversion Act.
A staunch Shaivite that he is, Raja Vadivu said he would not even go to any other temple as his life is dedicated to Shaivism and Shaiva mannu.
Regarded as an authority on Shaivism, he accuses the Evangelists of trying to destroy the Shaiva philosophy on which he is working and is even writing a text on Shaivism.
Now on a visit to Chennai, the Shaivite, who hails from Kallar community, says he had undertaken 'Shiva yatras' to all the temples of Lord Shiva in the country 'and why should I think of Jesus when I do not even go to a Murugan or Amman temple'?
Alleging that the letter was a gameplan by Christian missionaries in the State, Raja Vadivu said by writing such a letter, the Dinakarans were trying to create an impression among the people that a Shaivite too prays to Jesus.
'If the Dinakarans want to invite me let them do so. But not like this letter wherein it is mentioned that I had visited the Jesus Calls office', he says.
Asked what he proposes to do, Raja Vadivu says he will wait for the Chief Minister's reply or else he would take a legal course.
Raja Vadivu is now doing a research
work on Kallar Kula Varalaru and also writing about Shivajothi sthalangal
in Tamil.