Dalits Enter Pudukottai Temple After Years Of Being Denied With Help Of Collector

Dalits Temple Entry: During the inspection, the villagers also informed Pudukkottai Collector and SP that they have been denied entry into the temple for several years now.

SP Vandita Pandey

Chennai: Pudukkottai Collector Kavitha Ramu and SP Vandita Pandey made Dalits, who were denied entry into the village temple for ages, enter Ayyanar temple in Vengavayal in the district. The Collector on Tuesday also slapped a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the members of the dominant caste for practicing the crime.

On Tuesday, Pudukkottai Collector and SP went to conduct an inspection in the village over the allegation of feces found in the water tank used by Dalits.

During the inspection, the villagers also informed Pudukkottai Collector and SP that they have been denied entry into the temple for several years now.

On hearing the pleas of the public, Kavitha Ramu and Vandita Pandey took the Dalits to Ayyanar temple in Vengavayal and made them enter the temple.

The SP also slapped cases against the Dominant caste Hindus who were condemning the entry of Dalits into the temple.

Recently, three children of 30 families from Vengaivayal were hospitalized at Pudukottai Government Medical College Hospital. 

Following this, the doctors advised the villagers to check whether the water was contaminated. 

On Monday morning, villagers inspected the lone overhead tank supplying water to the Scheduled Caste members. They were shocked to find out human excreta in the water. 

Gandharvakkottai MLA M Chinnadurai inspected the tank. 

Pudukottai town DSP G Ranghavi said that they have received a complaint from the panchayat president and have started the investigation. 

Earlier, revenue officials sealed the Sakthi Mariamman Temple at Virudasampatti in Tamil Nadu's Salem district after caste Hindus prevented the entry of Dalits into the temple.

Police said that the temple, under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department, was recently renovated and consecration was conducted by the caste Hindus. However, after this, Dalits were not allowed entry to the temple and a meeting was held by the revenue officials on October 31.