MADURAI: Scheduled caste (SC) families from Mandikulam village petitioned Collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar on Monday alleging that upper caste Hindus have not been letting them enter or offer worship in the Mandaiamman temple in the village since 1993. They requested the collector to take steps to ensure their entry into the temple and include their representative in the temple management committee.
One of the petitioners, P Prabhakaran, told TNIE that Mandikulam village is located in Karuvanur Panchayat Union which comes under the Madurai East Assembly constituency. "Over 60 SC families are residing in the village. In 1993, there was a communal clash between caste Hindus and the SC people in the village. Following this, we were not allowed to enter into the temple and worship the Goddess," he said.
They further alleged that the temple management committee comprises five caste Hindu persons and they collect the entire income from the village kanmoi and land. "We asked them in vain to include one of us in the committee. Later, we lodged a complaint at Chathirapatti police station and peace talk ensued. However, the meeting yielded no results. So, we urge the collector to intervene in the issue," Prabhakaran added.