Chennai, Jan 30 (BPNS)
Despite strong and stiff opposition from upper caste people, mostly women, Dalits in Thenmudiyanur village of Tiruvannamalai district entered the Sri Muthalamman temple for the first time on Monday since the temple has been built seventy years ago.
The Dalit community members including children and women entered the temple with floral garlands and fruits in the temple whose administration is by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department.
It may be noted that the village consists of 1700 families of which 500 are Dalits and the remaining are Caste Hindus. According to the custom and tradition, after the Pongal festival, rituals are conducted by 12 communities and each community is given a slot a day to perform the rituals. However, Dalits were left out of this and prohibited from entering the temple and participating.
The Dalits appealed to the district administration including the district collector and district police superintendent who called for a peace meeting in the village. It was decided that no one has the right to prevent anyone from entering the temple. The district administration allowed the Dalits entry to the temple on January 30th which was Martyr’s day, the day when the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.
The caste Hindu community, however, was stiff in their opposition to the Dalits entering the temple and a large number of people especially women were seen in front of the temple protesting against the entry since morning 5 am. A heavy police contingent of more than 300 policemen was present at the spot to prevent any untoward incident and the Dalits entered the temple for the first time in the last seventy years of its inception.
The Tiruvannamalai district Collector, B. Murugest, and district Superintendent of Police, K. Karthikeyan were present on the occasion and informed the protestors that such discriminatory practices as preventing entry of Dalits to the temple were against the law and that it was a state government controlled-temple. The policemen and the district administration pacified the agitators. The Dalit community has demanded to perform pooja in the temple on Tuesday and Friday and peace talks are being carried out between the Dalits and the Upper caste Hindus in the town.
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