Dalits of Namandi ends age-old practice set their foot inside century old village temple

After decades of oppression, Dalits set their foot inside temple

 

J. Shanmugha Sundaram

 

Tiruvannamalai: There was nothing special about October 25 for 32-year-old Sudhakar, a Dalit in Nammandi colony, until the sun began its downward journey. It was a short walk from home that made a difference to his life as it was on a path not tread before. 

 

After years of being denied entry into Arulmigu Thulukanathamman Temple, which is just a few yards away from their dwelling, a group of 60 Dalits of Nammandi colony set their foot in the temple with the help of revenue officials on Tuesday. The Vanniyars of Hariharapakkam where the temple is located have been discriminating against the Dalits for several decades.

 

As the temple doors were opened, the extreme feelings of joy and anger took over the village. While the Dalits were short of words to express their happiness, the Vanniyars turned furious.

 

Even as an uneasy calm prevailed in the village, Sudhakar stood rapt in the wonder of the moment that was forbidden for his father and grandfather. His feet turned chill, like the cold floor of the temple on which he was standing for the first time in his life. “I have no words to explain how I feel right now. It is a divine experience,” he exclaimed.

 

For Dass, an auto driver, this was like the festival of harvest. “Pongal is months away but today is Pongal for me. We have not been allowed to enter the temple for several decades. Why, even my grandfather has not stepped inside, and I never thought I would,” he said.

 

But this experience that left them in awe did not come easy. It was a result of a seed sown by a group of youngsters – Sudhakar, Aruldass, Pandiyaraj, Prakash, karthick and Parthiban - of the colony. Unable to withstand the oppression, the youngsters appealed to the district administration to take steps to put an end to this discrimination three months ago. After a series of peace talks were of no avail, officials closed the temple two months ago.

 

Nevertheless, the Vanniyars were in no mood to give in and they locked the temple.

 

Following this, T. Prabhu Shankar, sub-collector of Cheyyar along with police officials made arrangements to take the Dalits inside the temple on Tuesday. The officials broke open the lock put by the Vanniyars to let the Dalits enter into the temple. A few days ahead, the revenue officials brought the Vanniyars under a bond to prevent them from obstructing the entry of the Dalits.

 

“We gave them a chance to settle the issue amicably but the Vanniyars failed to give in. So, we decided to take the Dalits inside the temple,” the sub collector said.

 

The Dalits offered prayers and performed poojas for the presiding deity. “It is a life-changing experience. This moment has to be cherished for life long,” said Thirunavukarasu, a class XI student.

 

For elders like 62-year old K Shanmugam, this was possible only because of the efforts of the youngsters.

 

A police team will camp in the village for nearly a week to maintain law and order, he added. /eom/shan/

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