Odisha: Dalit women stage dharna over denial of ritual at temple

The women alleged that they were barred from performing a traditional ritual of offering milk to the deity during the holy month of Kartik.

Posted by Sayima Ahmad 

A group of women belonging to the Dalit community staged a dharna (sit-in protest) against alleged caste bias at the Siddheswari Ramachandi Shakthi in Garajanga village of Odisha on Saturday, November 9. The women alleged that they were barred from performing a traditional ritual of offering milk to the deity during the holy month of Kartik.

Priests denied entry

The tension emerged when the priests of the temple and members of the upper caste community allegedly stopped the Dalit women from performing the puja and engaging in the ritual.

The protesters argued that this exclusion is not only discriminatory but also a violation of their rights to participate in religious practices that they have historically been part of in the past.

The women lodged a formal complaint with the Marshaghai police station demanding legal action against those who prevented them from joining the ritual.

Police response

Speaking on the case, police inspector Purna Chandra Pattayat of Marshaghai police station, stated that they received the complaint and efforts are underway to resolve the issue amicably. He further said that discussions were held with various leaders from the upper caste and the Dalits to resolve the conflict.

Heavy security forces were deployed in the village to maintain peace and prevent any potential unrest. The situation is currently reported as under control.

Community leaders including Kadambini Das, the sarpanch of Garajanga gram panchayat have called for inter-community discussions in tackling issues of conflict arising from caste differences.

Courtesy : Siasat

Note: This news is originally published in siasat.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights