Latest news with #Caste
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Madurai Bench of Madras HC raps collector, police for inaction over caste discrimination in temple
MADURAI: Shocked that even after 75 years of Independence, people are still being denied entry into temples over their caste, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, while hearing two petitions related to such an incident at a Mariyamman temple in Chinna Dharapuram, Karur, directed the HR&CE department, Karur collector and SP to file separate reports on the current situation, reason for the temple's closure, and steps taken to ensure joint worship. Justice B Pugalendhi criticised authorities for keeping the temple closed since 2018 due to communal tension. 'The closure of a public temple, not for days or weeks but for years, under the guise of law and order, is a dereliction of constitutional duty,' he said. 'Stopping everyone from entering is not the way to maintain peace. The law cannot treat the oppressor and the oppressed as equals. The government must remember that peace built by denying rights is not real peace, it is surrender,' he added, slamming the collector and police for inaction. The judge stressed that it is the duty of the HR&CE department and the state to ensure that no caste-based exclusion takes place in any temple. Citing the Kandadevi temple festival in Sivaganga, successfully conducted last year after a 17-year halt due to communal tension, he said it was possible only because the government took proactive steps, deployed adequate police force, engaged with communities, and ensured the participation of Scheduled Caste devotees.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
CM delaying promotions, recruitment for SC, ST employees: BSP leader
Mysuru: Bahujan Samaj Party's Karnataka unit president M Krishnamurthy on Friday accused chief minister Siddaramaiah of not providing promotions and stopping the recruitment of Dalits to various departments of the govt. The delay in providing promotions to SC/STs exposed Siddaramaiah's commitment to the empowerment of Dalits, he told reporters. He said thousands of SC/ST employees working in various departments of the govt, including PWD, education, forest, excise, power, and agriculture, are waiting for their promotions under the roster system. The state govt has also stopped all recruitments of SC/STs until the ongoing census of the Scheduled Caste population is completed and a report is submitted on the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission of internal reservation for Dalits. The delay in promotions and recruitments of SC/STs has demoralised them in discharging their duties. This has impacted the administration of the state, he charged. Even though the then chairman of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Committee of the State Legislative Council, PM Narendra Swamy, recommended the state govt extend promotions to over 80 lecturers belonging to SC/STs as principals of state PU colleges in 2016, the successive govt withheld the promotions to 80 SC/ST lecturers in the pre-university education department from 2016, he accused. Even promotions of over 500 assistant executive engineers were withheld in the power department headed by energy minister KJ George, who is one of the close confidantes of Siddaramaiah, Krishnamurthy contended. He criticised the SC/ST ministers in the Siddaramaiah cabinet, mainly HC Mahadevappa, KH Muniyappa, Satish Jharkiholi, KN Rajanna, and Priyank Kharge, for not raising their voices against their govt over the issue of providing promotions to SC/ST govt employees.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SC certificates of anyone other than Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs will be cancelled: Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said if a person belonging a religion other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism has obtained a Scheduled Caste certificate fraudulently, it will be cancelled. Action will be taken against such a person if he or she has secured reservation benefits such as government jobs. If such a person has won an election using a fraudulently obtained SC certificate, their election will be declared null and void, Fadnavis said in the legislative council. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Digital Marketing Leadership Technology Degree Project Management others Design Thinking Data Analytics Cybersecurity Others Data Science Healthcare Management MCA CXO Artificial Intelligence MBA Data Science Public Policy Product Management PGDM Operations Management Finance Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Social Media Marketing & Advertising Data Analytics & Measurement Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate Programme in Digital Marketing Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategies Customer Journey Mapping Paid Advertising Campaign Management Emerging Technologies in Digital Marketing Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Digital Marketing and Analytics Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Replying to a 'calling attention' motion, he also said the state government intends to bring in strong provisions to deal with cases of religious conversion through coercion and cheating. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Amit Gorkhe (BJP) had claimed that freedom of religion was being misused by " crypto Christians ", and some people benefit from reservations under the SC category while professing other religions. 'Crypto Christians' was an apparent reference to people who discreetly follow Christianity while belonging to a different religion on paper. On the face of it, they belong to an SC community and get reservation benefits like government jobs, he had said. Live Events Fadnavis said on November 26, 2024, the Supreme Court gave a verdict in which it made it clear that the Scheduled Castes category reservation can be availed only by Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, and not by those belonging to other religions. "If anyone from religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism has availed an SC certificate or reservation, their validity certificates and caste certificates will be cancelled with due procedure. If anyone has availed benefits like government jobs, action will be taken against them," he said. "Recovery (of monetary benefits) will be recommended from those who have availed benefits using fraudulently obtained caste certificates," he said. BJP leader Chitra Wagh said there have been cases where women were duped into marriage by hiding the husband's religion. She cited a case in Sangli where a woman married into a family which secretly professed Christianity. The woman suffered torture and was forced to change her religion, leading to her death while she was seven months pregnant, Wagh said. A person can follow any religion and convert another person with consent, but law does not permit the use of force, cheating or enticement for conversion, the chief minister said. "Complaints of coercion or inducement for conversion will lead to investigation and action against the concerned organisation," Fadnavis added. The state government had formed a panel headed by the Director General of Police (DGP) for giving recommendations to deal with such cases, and it has submitted its report, he said. The government will study it and bring in new (legal) provisions so that conversions do not happen by force or cheating, he said. "Action can be taken under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in such cases. But a panel was formed to suggest strict provisions. The state government has the intentions of bringing in strong provisions to deal with such cases, and we will take a decision on this soon," he said. On Monday, Pankaj Bhoyar, Minister of State for Home, had said the state will bring an anti-conversion law in the winter session of the legislature, and it will be more stringent than similar legislations in other states. Pravin Darekar (BJP) claimed a secret campaign to lure people into converting was being carried out in poor localities and slums. Fadnavis acknowledged that such things take place in slums. He, however, said the government has no intention to ban religious conversions that take place consensually.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Temple entry cannot be denied based on caste in a country governed by rule of law: Madras High Court
Observing that caste-based discrimination cannot be permitted in a country governed by the rule of law, the Madras High Court on Thursday (July 17, 2025) directed the Ariyalur Superintendent of Police to ensure that Scheduled Caste (SC) persons are not prevented from entering the Puthukudi Ayyanar Temple in Udayarpalayam taluk. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh directed the Superintendent of Police and the Udayarpalayam Revenue Divisional Officer to ensure that all classes of people, irrespective of their caste, are permitted to enter the temple and worship the deity at all times, including the annual festival being held at present. Further, directing the two officials to initiate appropriate action in accordance with the law if anyone prevents a section of people from entering the temple, the judge ordered that the Police and the Revenue departments must also ensure that no disturbance is caused to law and order. Disposing of a writ petition filed by a local resident A. Venkatesan, complaining of caste-based discrimination, the judge said, the Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorization Act of 1947 was enacted after a long struggle by many leaders who wanted to ensure that no one was denied temple entry based on their caste. Section 3 of the Act makes it abundantly clear that notwithstanding any law, custom or usage to the contrary, every Hindu, irrespective of their caste or sect to which they belong, shall be entitled to enter any Hindu temple and offer prayers in the same manner and same extent to which another was entitled to do. 'If anyone is restricted from entering a temple based on caste of sect, it will clearly amount to an actionable wrong/offence and the person concerned (the one who restricts) could be sued or prosecuted therefor,' the judge wrote and said, the public officials were duty-bound to implement the law in letter and spirit. What the petitioner said In his affidavit, the petitioner stated the Ayyanar temple in Puthukudi village had been in existence for several decades and worshipped by villagers of all castes and sects for long. However, in 2019, a group of people tried to hijack the temple administration by deciding to construct a new temple on the premises. Though the Scheduled Caste residents too had made monetary contributions toward the construction, they were prevented from entering the temple, leading to multiple complaints made to the police as well as revenue officials. However, these complaints could not be pursued for quite some time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, the offending group demolished all statues and stone structures that had been put up by the Scheduled Caste residents on the temple premises. Even a big statue of Ayyanar that had been installed, with the name of the Scheduled Caste donor, was removed and dumped into the temple well, the petitioner alleged. He also said an iron gate was installed at the Puthukudi Ayyanar Temple and the Scheduled Caste devotees were made to worship the deity only from outside the gate. Despite such discrimination, the government officials had not made any effective intervention in the matter fearing law and order problems, he added. Further, stating that the offending group identifies itself as the 'Ezhu Vaigaiyara,' the petitioner sought a direction to permit the Scheduled Caste devotees too to enter the Puthukudi Ayyanar Temple, besides letting them participate in the temple car festival scheduled from July 16 to 31, 2025.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Dalit textile worker dies by suicide in Tiruppur after employer's threats over alleged theft
TIRUPPUR: A 39-year-old dalit knitwear company employee in Tiruppur killed himself allegedly after he got embroiled in a suspected theft at his workplace. The city police has ordered a detailed probe into the death after his family claimed the company owner threatened and attacked him over the missing of fabric worth Rs 40 lakh from the company. K Dhayalan of Valayankadu in Tiruppur, who was a fabric in-charge in a knitwear company in Kumar Nagar, took own life by consuming poison on Tuesday night, a week after a failed similar bid. He had returned home after treatment following the first poisoning attempt only three days earlier. The Anupparpalayam police have registered a case. The company management had fired him from his job last month after he was blamed for the theft of fabric. Thereafter, the company owner forced him to part with 2.25 cents of land belonging to his family in Pongalur, said police sources. On July 8, Dhayalan's wife Gomathi filed a complaint at the Tiruppur city police commissioner's office claiming the company owner had called Dhayalan in person on July 3 and attacked him. "They continue to threaten us even after we gave up our land. Due to this, Dayalin attempted suicide by consuming poison on July 5, and the police should take appropriate action in this regard," the complaint stated. However, allegedly, the police did not take any action on the complaint, she stated. Speaking to TNIE, S Rajendran, Commissioner of Police, said, "The deceased belonged to a Scheduled Caste community. So I have ordered a detailed investigation into this matter. Appropriate action will definitely be taken against the owners of the knitwear company if the investigation finds any wrongdoing." Dhayalan is survived by his wife Gomathi and a seven-year-old daughter. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
