West Bengal News: A village in the Katwa subdivision of Bengal was transformed into a fortress on Wednesday, March 12, after the Dalit community was permitted entry to a temple after decades of denial of entry.
Dalits from Gidgram village started entering the local Gideshwar temple on Wednesday, marking the end of centuries of discrimination.
Temple Committee Accused of Discrimination
Dalits residing in Gidgram village in Purba Bardhaman district have long complained of being denied entry into temples. They have repeatedly accused the temple committee of discrimination. Pooja Das, one of those who entered the temple on Wednesday, said she was among the five people who gained entry. She hopes that Dalits in the village will now be able to continue worshipping at the temple.
’16 Steps Climbed, Decades Of Discrimination Overcome’
According to an Indian Express report, Pooja Das said, “Our ancestors were never allowed to worship, but now we are educated and times have changed. So, we appealed to the police and administration. We finally managed to get our right. The 16 steps we climbed to enter the temple and worship have ended the discrimination that has lasted for generations.” Another Dalit resident of the village, Lakkhi, said that he saw the deity’s idol in the village temple for the first time.
Shantanu Das (45 years), Lakkhi Das (30 years), Pooja Das (27 years) and Shashthi Das (45 years) were among the 550 Dalits in the village who were previously denied entry. The incident came to light when the village Dalits wrote to the district administration highlighting the discrimination. Following this, the police and civil volunteers escorted five Dalits to the temple. At the temple, they prayed for an hour. The entire area was cordoned off by police and Rapid Action Force during this time.
‘We Were Driven Away For Generations’
Shashthi Das, who entered the temple, said, “This is a historic day for us, as for the first time in history we have been given the right to worship in this temple. Whenever we went near the temple, we were driven away for generations. Last year too, I came to pray, but they didn’t even allow me to climb the stairs, but today I hope for peace in the village.”
Katwa SDO Ahinsa Jain said, “Such discrimination cannot be allowed. We held several meetings keeping this in mind. This is a sensitive issue and eventually the people involved were persuaded.” The Gideshwar Shiva temple is believed to be around 200 years old.
Administration Holds Meeting with Leaders and Locals
According to local Dalits, they have been unsuccessfully fighting for their right to enter the temple for decades. Just before Maha Shivratri last month, they wrote to the district administration, Block Development Officer and district police requesting intervention to allow Dalits entry into the temple.
Despite their pleas, they were kept out of the temple during the festival. Subsequently, on February 28, a meeting was called by the Sub-Divisional Officer with the residents of Daspara, the temple committee, the local MLA, TMC’s Apurva Choudhary and the BDO.
Everyone Has the Right to Worship, Says Administration
The resolution passed at this meeting stated, “Such discrimination is prohibited in the Constitution. Everyone has the right to worship. The Das families will be allowed entry into the Gideshwar Shiva temple in Gidgram under Katwa 1 block.” According to officials, this resolution was implemented only after the meeting held on 11 March. Katwa SDO Ahinsa Jain was quoted as saying by ABP News, “Such discrimination cannot be allowed. We held several meetings, keeping this in mind. This is a sensitive issue and eventually the people involved were persuaded.”
