Harmony
Dalits Granted Entry into Temple After Three Centuries
For the first time in nearly 100 years, Dalits have been granted entry into a Shiva temple in West Bengal. In the village of Gidhagram in the East Bardhaman district, about 130 Dalit families had previously been denied access to the Gidheshwar Shiva Temple. This tradition had been in place since the time of the landlords. Although Dalits had raised demands for entry several times in the past, they were not allowed.
According to news reports, after centuries, following Maha Shivaratri last month, the Dalits united and requested permission from the administration to enter the sanctum of the temple. After long meetings and negotiations initiated by the local administration, the centuries-old tradition was finally changed this week. In the final meeting held on March 11, local MLAs were also present. With the intervention of the administration, Dalits were granted permission to enter the temple. Following this, a large number of police personnel were deployed, and five Dalits from the village entered the temple to offer prayers. One of them, Puja Das, stated that the discrimination that had persisted since the time of their ancestors had now ended. " This is a historic day for us."
Gidhagram, located in the East Bardhaman district, has a population of around 2,000, of which 6 % are Dalits. The Gidheshwar Shiva Temple, which is around 200 years old, had a plaque stating it was renovated in 1997. The residents of Daspada, who belong to the Mochi community and are from the Scheduled Caste, were not allowed entry into the temple. For decades, the Dalit community had been demanding access to the temple.
On the occasion of Shivaratri, the Dalit community sent a letter to the district administration requesting that high-caste people consider them untouchable and not allow them entry, citing that their presence would desecrate the temple. Finally, after a series of meetings and discussions initiated by the local administration, the centuries-old practice was changed.
Shambhu Das, a Dalit resident of the village, shared that their ancestors were never allowed entry into the temple. " But now, we are educated, and change was needed in this policy. That ' s why we raised our voices. With the help of the police and administration, we have finally received our rights. We hope this continues without any issues." He also mentioned that when the local administration did not provide support, he wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to intervene, which led to an acceleration of meetings.
One member of the community opposing the Dalits ' entry into the temple, Shantanu Ghosh, said, " This tradition was created by our ancestors. They had defined the responsibilities of each community. Only Brahmins were allowed in the sanctum, and we were following that tradition." However, now Dalits have been granted the right to worship in the temple, and this decision has brought joy and happiness to the Dalit community in the village. This also reflects the positive social changes happening in society. �
36 Dalit Andolan Patrika | April 2025