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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Dalits enter Madurai temple after two long decades by S Sundar

Dalits enter Madurai temple after two long decades by S Sundar

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published Published on Nov 11, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 11, 2011

Residents overcome an age-old bastion of discrimination

The Dalits of Uthapuram village near here, where the ‘untouchability' wall was demolished in 2008, on Thursday entered a temple under the control of the upper caste Hindus, with police protection.

Although scores of upper caste Hindus received the 11 Dalit persons outside the temple with folded hands, the scene was marred by the loud wails of women from the nearby streets who were opposed to the entry of Dalits into their temple.

The Dalits, led by their leaders, K. Ponnaiah and Sankaralingam, offered prayers at the Sri Muthalamman, Sri Mariamman temple at around 4 p.m. They offered a garland, coconuts and fruits to the presiding deity. The priest performed puja and deeparathana, even as the Madurai (Rural) Superintendent of Police, Asra Garg, along with a huge posse of policemen waited outside the temple.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which was instrumental in demolishing the wall that divided the Dalits from the upper caste Hindus, hailed the temple entry as a “historic” event.

“We are entering the temple premises for the first time after 1989,” said Mr. Ponnaiah. The Dalits used to offer prayers at the Pipal tree on the temple premises during the Karuppasamy temple (belonging to Dalits) festival.

The devotees, who perform the role of Lord Karuppasamy, Vairavan and Agni, used to go around the Pipal tree as a ritual. “Our belief is that the ritual will keep the evils out of our village. But it was stopped after people threw stones at us during the festival in 1989,” he said. Since then there were clashes between the two groups followed by the construction of the wall.

After the CPI (M) and the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) took up the wall issue, the district administration demolished it. However, tension prevailed in the village and a permanent police picket was posted.

Meanwhile, the district president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Chinmaya Somasundaram, and his long-time friend and former Aavin General Manager, K. Athimoolam, who had relatives on both sides, began fresh negotiations between the Dalits and upper caste Hindus. “After nearly two months of talks, we were able to bring peace. This (temple entry) has been the demand of the Dalits for nearly seven decades,” said Mr. Somasundaram. The SP offered all possible help to further the peace talks, he said.

An agreement to settle the issue was reached on October 20. “This is only a symbolic entry. Things are not going to change abruptly overnight. But it is good that people from both sides have come to a meeting point,” Mr. Garg said. He added that over 50 criminal cases booked against both the parties would be withdrawn. However, the police picket would continue, he added. Mr. Athimoolam said the Dalits would be allowed to offer their worship at the Pipal tree after a ritual, to reverse a “promise” made by the caste Hindus way back in 1989.


The Hindu, 11 November, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2616813.ece


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