A day after the CPI(M) held a public meeting at Bhajanamadam in Vadayampady demanding that the right of the public over a ground in front of the Devi temple there be protected, the temple authorities told the media that they had chosen to construct a wall around the ‘temple ground’ over concerns of ‘purity’ and to put an end to “public drinking and other unsavoury activities taking place there at night”.
They blamed the ongoing Dalit stir there on a conspiracy hatched by “terror-inclined organisations like the SDPI, Welfare Party and Maoists to divide the people of the area along caste lines”. The temple authorities said in their defence that though they had a patta (title deed) for the ground, they had never stopped anyone from entering the ground or worship at the temple. “Even when the wall [which was pulled down by the protesters in April, 2017] was erected, we had kept four gates for the entry of the public. It’s absurd to call it a caste wall, as we have all been living there in harmony. In fact, it’s a woman from the Pulaya caste who has been working as temple attendant for years – cleaning the temple lamps and utensils,” B. Ramesh Kumar, temple administration president, said.
He, along with temple convener Sivankuttan, secretary M.S. Anil Kumar and joint secretary T.G.S. Pillai, demanded police protection for the temple, declaration of prohibitory orders in view of “activities and meetings in the area that would foment religious and caste divide”, and action “against those hurting religious sentiments on the issue on social media”.
They said while the munsiff court at Kolencherry had issued an interim injunction in November, 2017, against hindering the construction of the compound wall, they had decided not to construct it again without the “concurrence and consent” of the public in the area.
The protesters, united under the Dalit Bhoo Avakasha Samara Munnani, are, however, going ahead with their plans to hold a Dalit self-respect convention in the area on February 4. While its activists petitioned CPI(M) district secretary P. Rajeev, who inaugurated the party’s public meeting at Vadayampady on Monday, the party drew flak over its reluctance to acknowledge the struggle as one arising from caste bias, as it was seen as reducing it to one of ‘common right over land’.
