TIRUPPUR: A group of Dalits along with VCK cadre and officials of HR&CE and revenue departments entered a Mariyamman temple in Pongupalayam near Tiruppur on Thursday and offered worship, following a peace committee meeting held on Wednesday. The Dalits had alleged that dominant caste members prevented them from entering the premises and locked up the temple after they entered it during a festival in December.
Speaking to TNIE, A Kandasamy, an SC villager, said, “We were under the assumption that the temple was under private ownership. When we realised that it came under the HR & CE department, we raised the issue with members of the temple committee. However, they belonged to the dominant caste and remained silent. At this juncture, we entered the temple during a festival held from December 18 to 21. However, the temple was washed, and closed and the festival was cancelled abruptly the very next day. When we asked the committee members to explain the reasons for doing so, they cited silly reasons.”
VCK district wing secretary APR Moorthy told TNIE, “The committee members were very adamant in not allowing Dalits inside, apart from practising untouchability. When we questioned them, they even threatened us. Since they wilfully closed the temple during the festival, we launched a big protest to enter the temple on January 12, and circulated the information on social media.”
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A peace meeting was organized in the presence of police, revenue and HR & CE officials under Tiruppur North tahsildar A Maheshwaran at Tiruppur North taluk office on Wednesday. Talking to TNIE, Maheshwaran said, “There were three groups - one belonging to a dominant community and two belonging to SC communities. The dominant caste members refuted allegations of refusing entry to Dalits and stopping the temple festival abruptly.
They claimed that the temple was shut and the festival was called off only because the ‘pandhakkaal’ erected for the occasion had been damaged and not because of SCs entering the premises. They also said they weren’t against Dalits entering the premises and even handed over the temple’s key. We believe there had been only an ego clash between the communities. Dalit families have prepared Pongal, entered the temple and offered worship today.”