Dalits allowed entry into Tamil Nadu temple after official’s intervention

Dalit residents in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur were not allowed to enter a temple, but were later allowed to do so and offered their prayers along with the District Collector after his intervention on Monday.
It all started when preparations were made for the kumbabishekam ritual in the Ettiamman Temple on August 9. However, some Dalit residents complained to the tehsildar, alleging that they were not allowed to enter the temple. Later, it was decided that caste Hindus would offer their prayers first and then the Dalits would follow.
However, on the day of the kumbhabhishekam, Dalits were barred from entering the temple by caste Hindus, citing a disagreement over a shared passage, which led to tensions in the area. As a result, the district administration intervened and sealed the temple to prevent further unrest.
The Ettiamman temple is maintained by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE).

Members of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front took up the matter and announced that they would forcefully enter the temple on September 20 as a mark of protest.
Following this, District Collector T Prabhu Shankar then called all the parties for a meeting and decided to provide entry for Dalits into the village. Shankar directed officials to unseal the temple and offered his prayers along with the Dalits.
“The temple is maintained by HR&CE and the 160-metre passage is not privately owned but donated to the temple. We emphasised to the people that all are equal and all have equal rights to pray, following which an amicable solution was attained, After that, both communities decided to worship together,” Shankar said.
“The district administration has also allowed Rs 75 lakh for laying roads, building a mandapam (temple porch), and supporting structures for the temple,” he added.