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They agreed to let Dalits enter
temple, but then reneged
WSN Network
NAGAPATTINAM: An
attempt by Dalits to enter a temple in Nagapattinam district under
police protection turned violent when non-Dalits in Chettipulam
hamlet in coastal Tamil Nadu began throwing stones at the group. The
police were forced to fire in the air to dispel the enraged crowds.
The event was
part of a series of such temple entry programmes in protest against
caste discrimination that prevents Dalits from entering temples in
several parts of Tamil Nadu, the state that saw the Dravidian
movement in the ‘60s that opposed caste suppression, but has done
little to end discrimination.
The Vanniyars of
Chettipulam near Vedaranyam — designated among the most backward
communities — had initially agreed to permit the Dalits into the
Arulmigu Kamatchiamman Sametha Ekambareswarat Temple during peace
talks organized by the administration days ago. But later they
reneged.
A similar
programme in Villupuram in north Tamil Nadu on September 30, too,
turned violent and police had to use force to disperse the Dalits,
who had apparently not sought prior permission to enter the temple.
The last
two-decades have witnessed bloody conflicts in several parts of
caste-sensitive southern region of Tamil Nadu where Dalits are
disallowed from entering many temples or participating in chariot
festivals.
21
October 2009
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