Dalits denied entry to Mariamman temple in Tamil Nadu, officials intervene
Chaos broke out in a village in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district when some Dalit villagers were stopped from entering a temple by caste Hindus during a festival. Residents of Veesanam village on Tuesday were stopped from entering Sri Maha Mariamman temple when its annual festival, which began on Monday, was underway.The Dalit villagers had requested to take part in the temple festival and pray inside the temple, which is managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Board. However, some caste Hindu villagers objected to this and stopped them from entering the temple. Reportedly, they claimed that Dalits should build their own temple instead of coming to this one.advertisement
Separately, ahead of the festival, miscreants had removed the 'kambam' (a pole placed to mark the start of the temple festival) and thrown it into a nearby well, which added to the tension in the region.
As the situation between caste Hindus and Dalits escalated, local officials and police were called to the village. The authorities asserted that the temple was public and under the government-run HR&CE department; thus, all Hindus have the right to pray there. Despite this, some people from the caste Hindu community persisted in opposing the entry of Dalits.To avoid any violence, the police gave protection and allowed Dalits to enter the temple. Seeing this, several caste Hindu women gathered around the temple and started protesting. They demanded that the temple be sealed and asked the police to leave the premises.In September 2024, a similar incident occurred in Tiruvallur district when Dalit villagers were denied entry to the Ettiamman temple, also falling under the authority of HR&CE, due to a dispute over a shared passage used to access the premises. Tensions escalated, prompting authorities to temporarily shut the temple. Following this, Dalits were allowed to enter the temple and offer prayers.Must Watch
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