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Orissa Dalits dare age-old rituals
Published on Thu, Nov 02, 2006 at 11:29, Updated on Thu, Nov 02, 2006 at 11:39 in India section
Tags: Dalits, Orissa , Bhubaneswar
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Bhubaneswar: Dalits of Keradagada village in Orissa have gathered to do something they have never dared to do before. On November 19, they plan to force their way into the Lord Jagannath temple in the village where they have been deprived entry by the majority upper caste people.
At this 200-year-old temple, the priest still serves prashad to Dalits outside the temple gate. And leading the war cry for change are educated Dalits who work outside the village.
"I feel so humiliated that I can go to Jagannath temple in other villages but not to the temple in my own village. The Constitution gives us this right but then why does not the Government help us in getting this right,” a Dalit in Keraragarh village, Sukhadev Ghochayat said.
The Dalits have complained to the district administration, the State Human Rights Commission and the Orissa government.
"The district collector seems helpless. I will send my department secretary and will enquire into the matter. I will see that I help them in getting them justice,” Minister of State, SC and ST, Chaitanya Prasad Majhi said.
But upper caste villagers are unwilling to compromise.
"Our tradition says not to allow Dalits into the temple. If they force their way or administration uses any force to allow them in, then we will all discard our service to the Lord in the temple and go away. Then let them do what ever they want,” chief priest, at Jagannath temple, Keraragarh, Madan Mohan Rath said.
This is not the first time that a controversy has erupted over entry in a temple in Orissa. There have been many such instances in the past but the state government does not seem to care for obvious reasons.
(With inputs from Prasant Swain in Kendrapara)
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