Dissent is Democracy pic courtesy Legend has it that the Lord Shiva decided to test the integrity of the famous poet of the Pandya court, Nakkeerar. The Pandya King had announced a grand reward for any poet who could give an answer to a personal confusion of his, through verses. The Lord composed a poem and sent it through a poor and greedy poet, who could claim the verse as his own, and thus, the reward too. The King was pleased with the poem and was about to hand over the reward, when Nakkeera stopped him. The verse was falsehood and hence could not be awarded, was his argument. On hearing this the Lord himself appeared disguised as a poet. He argued with the critic on the merit of the verses. And when the critic refused to budge, He is said to have threatened to open His legendary Third Eye to burn the poet to ashes. The poet is said to have stood his ground with the famous proclamation: Even if You open Your wrathful Third Eye, a fault is a fault.  This is the tradition I identify