Police in Pudukkottai have booked 41 caste Hindus under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly preventing Dalits from participating in the annual car festival of the Moongil Ayyanar temple at Valavampatti near Gandharvakottai.
The action follows the cancellation of the temple car procession on Sunday, after a dispute between Dalits and the temple’s traditional eight ‘karaikarars’, who belong to caste-Hindu communities, over participation in the festival. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had earlier ordered the allotment of separate days for rituals by the two communities.
The annual festival, which began on July 17, witnessed tension on Saturday when Dalits prepared pongal and attempted to take the processional deity around the temple before pulling the chariot. They claimed that the karaikarars prevented them from doing so, triggering a blockade on the Thanjavur-Pudukkottai National Highway.
With failed peace talks on Sunday, the district administration cancelled the temple car procession. Police continue to be deployed in the village.
Pudukkottai police book 41 caste Hindus under SC/ST Act for preventing Dalits from participating in temple car festival; procession cancelled after dispute.
When faith is divided by caste, justice must rebuild the temple together.
