Discrimination over temple rights not new, claim Dalits

Even as the stalemate continues over temple ritual rights claimed by the Dalits of Pazhag Kallimedu, a remote coastal hamlet near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district, the incident had brought to limelight yet another case of discrimination against Dalits over the years.

Although the current issue is confined to the right of hosting mandagapadi (sponsoring a day’s event) of Sri Badrakaliamman temple located on a piece of land at Kallimedu, allegations of discrimination had surfaced in 2013 and before. It was alleged that the Dalits were denied entry into the temple, a charge the temple authorities had stoutly denied.

Problems began after the introduction of procession of “utsavar” (processional deity) in 2013 during the annual temple festival conducted in the last week of Tamil month of Aadi.

Aggrieved Dalits of Pazhag Kallilmedu had staged protests over the failure of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR and CE) officials to bring the ‘utsavar’ to their hamlet in 2014. It was alleged that the “utsavar” was not taken to the Pazhag Kallimedu, where about 200 Dalits families lived. A cross-section of Dalits said that the 2014 humiliation had forced a section of them to issue a threat that they would embrace Islam if the authorities failed to give the rights of hosting a

mandagapadi now.

“We were really humiliated and discriminated against by the acts of officials and other castes. We were waiting to perform puja at our doorstep for the deity and were waiting for the procession. But the utsavar was not brought to our area,” says S. Kaliappan, a Dalit.

According to temple authorities, the kumbabishekam of Sri Badrakaliamman temple, which was about 800 years old, was performed for the first time in 1957 by the Kallimedu village residents. It was brought under the control of the HR and CE in 1976. Since then, the annual festival had been conducted for five days in the last week of Aadi. Of the five days, the temple administration sponsored the events of two days. Non-Dalits living in Kallimedu West, Kallimedu East, and the residents of neighbouring Thamaraipulam host

mandagapadi for the remaining three days. However, there is no

mandagapadi for Dalits, who constitute about 50 per cent of the Kallimedu revenue panchayat.

Meanwhile, HR&CE Department authorities began another round of talks with the Dalits and other castes on the temple premises on Thursday.

“The current protest is forced on us. It is time to end discrimination against Dalits. We should be allowed to host mandagapadi for a day. The question of withdrawing the threat call to convert would depend on the outcome of talks. However, we are optimistic,” K. Tamil Selvam, one among those spearheading the campaign, told The Hindu .