Tension gripped Kavanadala village in Madhugiri taluk, Karnataka, on Saturday after a Dalit youth was publicly humiliated and stopped from entering a local temple, allegedly by members of the temple committee.
The victim, identified as Swaminatha, had travelled from a neighbouring village to visit relatives in Kavanadala. During his visit, he went to the Ramanjaneya temple to perform a pooja. However, he was stopped at the entrance by a man named Shivananda, who claimed that Dalits were not allowed inside the temple — a practice reportedly followed in the village for generations.
Swaminatha objected strongly, citing his constitutional rights, which led to a heated argument. According to his complaint, several local villagers then joined in, hurled casteist slurs at him, and forced him to leave the temple premises.
He later lodged a complaint at the Badavanahalli Police Station. Officials from the Police, Revenue, and Social Welfare Departments visited the village following the complaint. A peace meeting was convened by the district administration, which sternly warned the temple committee that denying entry based on caste was a violation of the law and could attract penal action under caste discrimination laws.
After the intervention, Swaminatha was allowed to enter the temple. Authorities also ensured that Dalits in the village would not face such restrictions going forward.
Superintendent of Police Ashok K.V. confirmed that while the matter had been resolved amicably through dialogue, the investigation into the case of caste-based discrimination would continue. “Legal action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation,” he added.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com.