Dalits denied entry into private temple near Palani

CPI cadre block road; TV reporter ‘detained’ by intermediate caste people

Members of the Communist Party of India blocked Palani-Coimbatore Highway at Kavalapatti panchayat near Palani in Dindigul district on Wednesday after Scheduled Caste people were denied entry into Uchikaliamman Temple at the village.

For well over 40 years, the villagers belonging to different castes had been performing pujas and celebrating festivals of the old Uchikaliamman Temple at the village. In the recent past, the temple was locked due to some administrative issues.

About a year back, some members of an intermediate caste (Goundars) reportedly collected ₹40,000 per family and built a new temple for the deity on a private land. According to them, they performed the temple kumbabhishekam on March 6 and completed the 48-day mandala puja.

It is alleged that when Dalits attempted to go to the new temple, a section of the intermediate caste people stopped them and asked them to contribute towards the expenditure incurred in building the temple (₹40,000 per family). If they did not donate the money, Dalits should build their own temple, they were told.

However, Dalits insisted that they should be allowed inside the temple to worship the deity.

When CPI members came to know of the issue, they resorted to a road blockade to bring it to the attention of the government. Police detained them, and released them in the evening.

Speaking to reporters, the CPI members said the temple had been built on government poromboke land by some people. Hence, demanding money from Dalits amounted to practising untouchability. The intermediate caste people were affluent in the belt and they should set the tone for peace and harmony, they added.