The Hindu : National : 22 villages of Kendrapara tense

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Saturday, Dec 16, 2006
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22 villages of Kendrapara tense

Satyasundar Barik

A day after Dalits entered it, rituals in temple were stopped

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

CONTROVERSY: Police and local people gather in front of the Jagannath temple in Keredagada village, 60 km from Bhubaneswar, on Friday.

KEREDAGADA: The situation in 22 villages of the coastal Kendrapara district was tense on Friday, a day after Dalits entered the 300-year-old Jagannath temple here.

A sizeable section of upper-caste people have decided to sit on a hunger strike in front of the temple till King of Kanika R. N. Bhanjadeo, interim trustee of the temple, found a solution to the ``post Dalit-entry situation.'' The rituals in the temple have been stopped in protest of the Thursday's incident. About 100 upper caste youth took out a rally, raising slogans against administration. There were reports of rituals not performed in many temples of the village.

Police have been deployed in large numbers and all shops were closed. Three schools wore a deserted look.

Dalits jubilant

The mood among the Dalits of the village was jubilant.

``This is not an issue of starving. When a dog can enter the temple premises, why we have been for ages forced to see Lord Jagannath through nine holes in the boundary wall. We want to lead a respectable life and the entry into the temple is a symbol of breaking the social barrier,'' Baidyanath Jena, who entered the shrine first, said. Uchhabarna Bikash Parishad , a forum floated by upper caste people has called upon its people to go back to hard caste line.

Police present

Superintendent of Police Satrughna Parida said: ``We will act as per the law. The police are here to provide safety to everybody. It will be better if they manage to solve the problem among themselves.''

On November 5, 2005, when four Dalit girls were allegedly not allowed to enter the temple.

The Orissa High Court had ruled that any Hindu could enter any Hindu temple.

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