VILLUPURAM: The Shri Dharmaraja Draupathi Amman temple in Melpathi village in the district was reopened on Thursday, a year and 10 months after it was sealed following the attack on a Dalit family by the caste Hindus allegedly for entering the temple. The Madras High Court had issued an order to reopen the temple on February 20.
After opening the temple at 5 am, the authorities made an announcement around 6 am, saying it is open for public worship. Shortly after, a few caste Hindus, including children, went inside the temple, followed by at least 80 people from the Dalit community. ADSP V Thirumal and police officials accompanied the Dalits.
The temple was closed around 7.45 am, 45 minutes beyond the scheduled closure time of 7 am. The temple has about 12 CCTV cameras for safety and surveillance purposes.
However, after the Dalit residents worshipped and exited the temple, a group of women from the caste Hindu community began screaming and cursing them. One of them said it is unfair for them to go inside the temple. Police took three elderly women under custody for creating commotion but they were released later, as the members of the community apologised.
Meanwhile, DMK panchayat president and a member of the caste Hindu community, Manivel, said, “We have decided to enter the temple on Friday en masse, as it is the auspicious day for Amman worship. We have no more say in the issue as the court has ordered that the temple is open to all community members. We have to follow the order no matter what.”
A 45-year-old Dalit resident told TNIE that it is their duty to adhere to the court order “and that is why we entered the temple with police protection”.
“We aren’t sure of what is going to happen. The police can’t always be here for our protection. We entered today for the sake of court order, but we all know the reality,” he said.
On the night of April 7, 2023, during the festival at the temple, four SC residents - K Kathiravan, his brother, mother and sister - were physically assaulted and verbally abused, allegedly by caste Hindu residents for trying to enter the temple. The temple was sealed by the revenue divisional officer on June 7, 2023, after which only a priest was allowed inside the temple, to do the rituals in morning and evening.