SC devotees, ‘caste out’ for 200 years, enter TN temple

KALLAKURICHI: For the first time in their living memory, about 300 devotees belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) communities entered a 200-year-old temple at Eduthavainatham village on Monday. About 400 police personnel were deployed for security as SC members marched to the temple carrying special offerings, including fruits, garlands and silk, to the deities on the day of Vaikunta Ekadasi.

Though the Varadharaja Perumal Temple at Kachirapalayam taluk in Kallakurichi district comes under the administrative control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HE&CE) department, upper caste Hindus had traditionally kept the shrine out of bounds for SC members of the village. 

In 2008, after a dispute between caste Hindus and SC devotees, SC community members were denied the right even to take part in the temple car festival which happens on public roads outside the precincts of the temple, sources in  the village said. 

Agreement reached at peace meet: RDO

M Ilayaperumal (35), a resident of the village, said, “For over two generations we had never been allowed inside the temple. We always thought that the temple was a private one owned by members of dominant castes and never tried to venture into it. Recently, however, we came to know that it’s a government temple and realised that we had been discriminated by caste Hindus till now. We petitioned the district collector demanding to safeguard our right to enter the temple.”

Social worker V Saravanan from the village said, “In June this year, we filed a petition demanding temple entry to Kallakurichi collector Shravan Kumar Jadavath and RDO. In December, the RDO told us we have our right to enter the temple. Though we have been denied the right for 200 years, we are happy that at least it happened now. We hope peace will prevail in the future and we can continue to visit the temple without any police protection.”

RDO S Pavithra said, “After we received the plea, a peace meeting was conducted. Caste Hindus were clearly said entry of SC community members into the temple must not be stopped and both parties reached an agreement. It is a temple run under the HR&CE department that allows every citizen to enter the temple. There is no place for caste discrimination,” she said.

Collector Shravan Kumar said, “During the peace meet, caste Hindus told us they don’t have any issue with SC members entering the temple. We encouraged SC members to access the temple as a matter of right. So, on Vaikunta Ekadasi, they have entered the temple.”