KENDRAPARA: Several Scheduled Caste women staged a dharna at a temple in Garajanga village under Marsaghai block on Saturday after they were allegedly prevented from offering milk to the deity.
The women accused the temple priests and some people from upper caste of preventing them from offering milk to the deity at Siddheswari Ramachandi temple in the village. The protesters said when they objected to the discrimination, the priests and people from upper caste allegedly hurled casteist abuses at them.
Following the incident, the women lodged a complaint at Marshaghai police station. Marsaghai IIC, Purnachandra Pattayat said, “The issue would be sorted out soon by the administration after discussions with both the parties . We have been closely monitoring the situation. Police have been deployed in the village to avoid any untoward incident. Everything is under control as of now”.
On the other hand, a priest of the temple Niranjan Padhiari said the women had collected the milk by milching their cows and such offering is considered unfit for offering to the deity and making prasad. One of the protesters, Laxmipriya Behera said people of all castes and communities live in harmony in the village and the incident has hurt her and others of her caste.
President of Kendrapara unit of Odisha Dalit Samaj Nagendra Jena demanded stern action against those who allegedly violated human rights by preventing dalit women from offering milk to the deity in the temple.