The District Collector and the District Revenue Officer of Nagapattinam deserve to be congratulated on leading Dalits into the Ekambareswarar temple in Chettipulam, Tamil Nadu. The Hindu philosophy does not endorse untouchability, which is a crime against god and humanity. The fact that villagers other than Dalits were absent during the event is a sad pointer to the fact that mental barriers are yet to be broken. A change of mindset is absolutely necessary for creating a casteless society.
B. Suresh Kumar,
Coimbatore
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The District Collector and his administration have upheld the Constitution by leading Dalits into the temple. The discrimination of people on the lines of caste and community in a place of worship is highly condemnable. A temple is a public place and worshipping god is not the prerogative of a few. Our leaders should strive to achieve the ideals enshrined in the Constitution and ensure that those belonging to the weaker sections get what they are entitled to — a decent and dignified living.
S. Irudaya Selvaraj,
Chennai
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The entry of Dalits into the Chettipulam temple is laudable. As for the non-Dalit villagers, one hopes they too will fall in line soon because they cannot ignore the administration forever.
P. Rajarajeswari,
Coimbatore
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Sixty-two years of independence, innumerable social legislation, religious conversions, globalisation and economic development have all failed miserably to root out untouchability and discrimination against Dalits. The government should pay special attention to Dalit empowerment and concentrate on their education and economic development, not just temple entry.
Many schemes meant for the development of Dalits are not implemented properly. I hope Rahul Gandhi will come out with some brilliant plan at the end of his dine-and-discovery visit to Dalit homes.
Sharada Sagar,
Hyderabad
