http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=509036
DALITS Dalits prevented from entering temple in TN village MADURAI, OCT 5 (PTI) Dalits, led by CPI-M cadres, have gained entry into a temple in Dindigul District which remained out of bounds for them for 40 years but the party's programme ended in failure in a village in Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu following resistence by a forward community. Dalits and party cadre, under the CPI-M's state-wide Temple Entry Campaign programme, entered the Badrakali Amman Temple in Ayakudi near Palani in Dindigul District yesterday and offered prayers, officials said. The Dalits were not allowed into the temple for the past 40 years by caste Hindus. However, in Padali village in Virudhunagar District, forward Reddiar community members prevented about 700 Dalits and other community people, led by CPI-M MLA Nanmaran, from entering the Kannimar Kamatchi Amman Temple, whose ownership is in dispute, according to local CPI-M leader Venkataraman. The temple was locked under the RDO's orders for some time but the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had ordered officials to open it and allow Dalits a few years ago. A case over the ownership is pending before the high court. Despite the court order, Dalits could not enter the temple yesterday. About 150 police personnel were deployed in the village as the situation was tense with people belonging to Reddiar community and Dalits and others gathering there. There was also a scuffle between the two groups in which a few persons suffered minor injuries, officials said. Revenue Divisional Officer R Venkatesan, who intervened, persuaded both the groups to disperse and assured them that the issue would be resolved within a week's time. The 150-year old temple was built by then Zamindar of Padali who belonged to Reddiar community. From 1998, the community members were not allowing others, particularly Dalits, into the temple, officials said.
