AHMEDABAD: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has issued an urgent notice to the district Collector and Superintendent of Police of Banaskantha district in Gujarat, demanding an explanation over a recent incident wherein the Dalits were kept out of a temple festival in Kalyanpura, Vav taluka.
The incident took place during the Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav at Shiv Mandir, where Dalit individuals were excluded from participation.
Despite efforts by Hindu awakening organizations to include them, the contributions of Dalits were outrightly rejected, prompting the Commission to take swift action.
The Prana Pratishtha Mahotsav at Kalyanpura village, held from February 8 to 10, spiraled into controversy following the exclusion of Dalits.
The issue came to light on January 16, when Gandhinagar's Indrajitsinh Sodha discovered the discrimination.
Attempts to resolve the matter began on January 25 when Indravadan Barot and Shankarbhai Patel visited Kalyanpura, meeting with temple chief administrator Bhalabhai Daiya, who promised to consult the temple committee. However, no resolution followed, and despite further talks with Scheduled Caste leaders, including a visit by Raghuveer Singh Jadeja on February 1, Daiya remained unresponsive.
Efforts intensified with Hindu Youth Organization-Bharat submitting written representations to local officials on February 5 and 6. The Mamlatdar denied approval for the program, while on February 4, Suigam PSI intervened with the organizers, yet no change occurred. As tensions rose, DYSP Samat Varotriya was notified on February 7 and attempted to mediate, but the Dalit community’s contribution continued to be rejected. A police force, including the DYSP and two PSIs, were deployed for the festival.
On February 9, Indravadan Barot brought the issue to the notice of the state government by shooting off a memorandum to the Chief Minister and sending copies to multiple authorities, including the Minister of Social Justice and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
The Mahotsav concluded on February 8, with the Dalit community persistently fighting for justice while maintaining peace. In response, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has issued a notice to Banaskantha’s Collector and SP, demanding a detailed report on the situation within three days.