Caste Hindus razed the temple after Dalits defied an oracle-delivered diktat to stay away from the temple's Aadi festival, and offered pongala to Kaliamman.
Published Aug 19, 2024 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 19, 2024 | 6:37 PM
The Dalits were banned from attending the temple Aadi celebrations after D Loganathan, a local 'medium', had a dream. (Credits: Rajalakshmi sampath)
Othering Dalits went a step ahead in Tamil Nadu when a section of Hindus demolished a temple near Gemmankuppam village in Vellore’s KV Kuppam taluk.
The reason: Dalits defied an oracle-delivered diktat to stay away from the temple’s Aadi festival, and offered pongala — a sweet dish made mainly of rice and jaggery — to the presiding deity, Kaliamman.
The Kaliamman Temple has been a place of worship for the Dalit community for generations. However, tensions have been simmering over the past few years due to increasing caste-based discrimination.
D Loganathan, a local figure who claims to be a medium, stirred controversy by announcing that Goddess Kaliamma had instructed him in his dream to exclude Dalits from the temple’s festival. This claim was made despite the Dalit community’s long-standing association with the temple, including their significant contributions to its construction and maintenance.
The exclusion “order” was issued in the context of broader social friction, as the Dalit community has faced persistent social and cultural marginalisation. Historically, caste-based exclusion has been a recurring issue in Tamil Nadu, where traditional practices often reinforce hierarchical social structures.
Despite the order, the Dalit community chose to participate in the festival, a decision that heightened tensions in the village. Their actions were seen as a challenge to the exclusionary practices, which they believed were unjust and discriminatory.
The Dalit community, which constitutes approximately 50 percent of the village population, has long been worshipping the goddess at the temple and contributed to its construction. However, recent years have seen increasing discrimination against them, leading to their exclusion from the festivities.
Despite being explicitly told to stay away, the Dalits went ahead with the celebrations on 2 August, prompting a boycott by the caste Hindus. On 6 August, caste Hindus demolished the temple using earthmovers, and the idol was taken away.
Dalits alleged that the demolition was supported by the then-jurisdictional and now-transferred Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ravichandran. He denied the charge.
The demolition was widely condemned and it triggered widespread outrage.
In response to the incident, a case was filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against individuals involved in the demolition. The local administration intervened and convened peace committee meetings to mediate between the conflicting parties and work towards restoring calm and cooperation in the village.
The demolition of the temple highlighted the persistent challenges faced by marginalized communities in asserting their rights. It underscored the urgent need for systemic change and greater protection for marginalised groups against caste-based discrimination and violence.
“We are doing our best to resolve the issue; we have arranged for a peace meeting for them to amicably solve it on Monday (19 August),” Vellore District Collector VR Subbulakshmi told South First. “Whoever is at fault will inevitably come under the law and be dealt with accordingly,” she added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
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