Clash over Dalits offering prayers at Madhya Pradesh Shiva temple
The Hindu
The brawl was allegedly triggered by upper castes using casteist slurs and chasing away a group of Dalit women offering prayers in the temple where they had been denied entry a few days ago
A clash broke out among communities in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone following an alleged argument over Dalits offering prayers at a Shiva temple on the occasion of Mahashivratri.
Over a dozen people were left with minor injuries following the brawl, during which stones were pelted from both sides in Chhapra village. Members of the Balai community, who are Dalits, alleged that the argument started when a few women from their community were offering prayers and were stopped from doing so by a group comprising members of the Maratha and Gurjar communities. They further alleged that the women were subjected to casteist slurs and were chased away from the temple.
The police said that a few days ago, there was another dispute between the two sides over the entry of Dalits into the same temple constructed jointly by three other communities, and the issue re-erupted and escalated on Saturday.
“Two days ago, the three communities who had got the temple constructed denied entry to the other [Balai] community. The other [Balai] community had proposed to install a statue of [Dalit icon B.R.] Ambedkar on an empty land behind the temple,” said Sub Divisional Officer of Police Vinod Dixit.
He added that back then it was explained to both the sides that no one could be stopped from entering the temple and the matter had been resolved. “However, today [Saturday, February 18], there was another dispute over the same issue and over axing of a tree on the same land. Soon other members from both communities arrived and pelted stones,” said Mr. Dixit.
Nearly a dozen people were left injured even as the police arrived and brought the situation under control. A complaint was later filed by a man named Premlal on behalf of the Dalits, while a counter FIR was registered on the complaint of Ravindra Rao Maratha against Premlal and 33 others for attacking them with weapons. In the first case, provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, have also been slapped on the accused.