Women priests from Shivashakthulu sect descend upon Osmania University, demand equal pay
HYDERABAD: A yellow sea laid seige on the Osmania University campus on Thursday afternoon, triggering police action while leaving a tense air as the waves withdrew by late afternoon. Women, hundreds of them, draped in red and yellow garbs walked the tree-arched roads of OU campus demanding equal-pay in their profession, which is to worship the rural goddess.
The women were members of the Shivashakthulu sect who were in the varsity to attend an event titled ‘Ancient Culture Research Feast with Shivashakthulu & Rural Goddess Priests.’ The Shivashakthulu community play an important role in religious festivals, especially in the Bonalu festival of the State and belong to SC, ST and OBC castes. They were soon joined by women and men priests from different backward castes who perform duties at temples of various goddesses in villages.
There has been a long-pending demand from them that they be paid salaries by Telangana government on par with the Brahmin priests in Hindu temples and Muezzins in the Mosques. In this regard, they took to the varsity roads vocalising their demands.
As the procession of Shivashakthulu and priests who had gathered at the Arts College began proceeding towards a goddess temple inside university near administration building, they also raised slogans. This is when the police tried to stopped them while erecting barricades near the OU police station to prevent them from marching towards Tarnaka.
However, this did not go down well with the OU authorities who claimed that the said event, for which the women were invited, was not sanctioned official permission by the university. Further, the concomitant demonstration, which crossed over academic boundaries to enter political territories was further condemned.
Organised by Dr Jayaram Gollapudi, a post-doctoral fellow at Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology department, event was also supported by Bahujan Pujarula Seva Samithi. However, head of archaeology department, Dr NR Giridhar, that neither the department nor he was in any way connected to the event.
This led to mild tension between the police and assembled groups, some of whom were also taken under preventive custody by the police. Later, the procession presented bonams at the goddess temple after which they dispersed from the university.
Will not hesitate to initiate legal action: VC
The university last year had released a circular banning any kind of political activities in the campus. Expressing his dismay on the Thursday’s event, Vice Chancellor Prof S Ramachandram said stringent action would be initiated against Dr Jayaram “for working in league with vested interests for certain organizations and mobilizing women for the massive gathering”.