No plans to reconstruct razed temple in hamlet in Vellore

Vellore district officials hold peace meeting to ease tensions after temple demolition in Gemmankuppam hamlet.

The Vellore district administration has no plans to reconstruct the demolished temple in Gemmankuppam hamlet in K.V. Kuppam taluk “as it would only escalate the tension between caste Hindus and Scheduled Caste (SC) residents”.

Instead, officials want the status quo to be maintained to ease tensions between the two communities. A peace meeting will be held by K. Subbulakshmi, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), at her office in Gudiyatham town on Monday. 

It will be the third meeting since both communities opposed each other on proposed temple car procession into Scheduled Caste areas as part of Aadi month festivities early this month. “We have taken legal action against those responsible for the temple demolition. Strict action will also be taken against any discriminatory practices, Ms. Subbulakshmi told The Hindu.

The decision to hold a peace meeting comes after a section of caste Hindus led by a mason D. Loganathan, 56, allegedly demolished the Kaliamman temple on the outskirts of the hamlet on August 6 after the Scheduled Castes demanded a car procession into their areas. He also allegedly took the main deity of the temple.

Gemmankuppam hamlet is part of Devarishi Kuppam village panchayat with around 1,500 residents. Among them, around 40 per cent of them are SCs and the rest belong to communities such as Vanniyars, Yadavs, Chettiars and Naidus.

Residents, mostly SCs, were worshipping a small granite Amman idol under a neem tree on the outskirts of the hamlet for many years. A decade ago, Mr. Loganathan, who belongs an intermediate caste, built a temple around the main deity with public donations. Residents of all communities including SCs were worshipping in the temple peacefully.

In July, a meeting was held by residents in the hamlet over the annual Aadi festival on August 2. A temple car procession was also planned. “We wanted the car procession to pass through streets in the Dalit colony. It was objected by caste Hindus,” said S. Naveen Kumar, 26, a Scheduled Caste member.