BENGALURU: Although temples are seen to be symbols of unity and inclusivity, denying entry and worship in temples to people of the SC/ST still looms large, said the Karnataka High Court.
Justice M Nagaprasanna made these observations while refusing to quash the criminal proceedings initiated against eight people of the upper caste, under the provisions of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and IPC, for allegedly assaulting, and hurling abuses in public at a couple belonging to the scheduled caste who entered the Gadi Chowdeshwari temple in Davanagere district.
The petitioners Panduranga Bhat and seven others from Harihara taluk, Davanagere, had challenged the proceedings initiated against them by Savithramma, a resident of Vinayakanagara camp of Harihara, who had filed a complaint with Malebennur police station in 2016.
Rejecting the petition, the court said that it is rather unfortunate that despite the constitutional abolition of any form of untouchability, it still remains and persists in rural areas of the nation...
“This attitude of the petitioners is undoubtedly regressive for they have denied entry into a temple, only on the score that the complainant and her family belong to scheduled caste. This discrimination should stop, and stop forthwith. The fact that it is still prevailing shocks the conscience of the court,” the court added.
“Human beings are to be treated as human beings. The deity in the temple cannot even be imagined belonging to a few. Worshipping the deity by entering the temple, is a right to be given to one and all. Any kind of bigotry or discrimination is unacceptable. Trial in such cases cannot be interdicted. There are complete ingredients of the offences so alleged against the petitioners present in the case at hand,” the court said.
Savithramma, wife of one Nagappa alleged that special poojas are being held at Gadi Chowdeshwari Temple on every new moon and full moon day in their village. To witness one such pooja, she and her husband along with others sought to visit Gadi Chowdeshwari Temple on the morning of September 17, 2016, at 9 a.m.
At which point, the petitioners along with others were alleged to have stopped the complainants. They allegedly assaulted her and her husband including the child and hurled several abuses against them taking the name of the caste and preventing them from entering the temple. Since the complaint was filed in 2016, the high court directed the trial court to make an endeavour to complete proceedings as expeditiously as possible, within 6 months.