News Headlines
Tamil Nadu: Dalits Enter HRCE Controlled Temple In Tiruvannamalai District For The First Time In 70 Years
S Rajesh
Jan 31, 2023, 12:12 PM | Updated 12:12 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Dalits of Thenmudiyanur village in Tiruvannamalai entered the village temple dedicated to Goddess Muthalamman for the first time in 70 years after the temple was built.
The temple is controlled by the government through the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) department.
According to a news report, the village consists of 1700 families of which 500 belong to Dalit communities.
Every year, after Pongal, each community (except the Dalit community) in the village is given a slot to perform their rituals.
This year, the district administration intervened and ensured the entry of Dalits to the temple so that they could perform rituals like other communities.
According to political commentators, it is a major failure of the government as the temple is under the HRCE department.
In December 2022, the district administration led by the Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) had to intervene to ensure temple entry of Dalits of Vengaivayal village in Pudukkottai.
This comes after a video of a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader, T Manickam, abusing a Dalit youth for entering a temple went viral. Manickam had said that he had scolded the youth because he was drunk while entering the temple.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
S Rajesh is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.