The Hindu : Caste Hindus again pour cold water on Dalit fire-walking

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Caste Hindus again pour cold water on Dalit fire-walking

By P. Sudhakar

Tirunelveli April 28. Fire-walking was cancelled at the Mariyamman temple at Vasudevanallur, about 70 km from here, this year also, following stiff resistance from caste Hindus to permit Dalit participation in the ritual.

Now, the caste Hindus have decided to conduct ceremony at nearby Nerkattum Seval on April 29, 10th day of the festival, as they did last year after the event was cancelled as a peace committee meeting, convened by the district administration, failed to break the deadlock.

Though the caste Hindus from all communities celebrate the 11-day festival with their contribution (mandagapadi) each day, the Dalits have not been allowed to give their share. They can only enter the temple, which was taken over by the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment 15 years ago, and worship the Goddess.

"The most agonising aspect is that anyone, barring Dalits, can take part in the fire-walking ceremony. As our rights were denied in the past, the matter was taken up with the district administration, which also supported us. But the tough postures adopted by the Caste Hindus prevented the official machinery from experimenting anything new and it was decided to celebrate the festival on behalf of the Government. However, the caste Hindus last year shifted the venue of fire-walking from Vasudevanallur to Nerkattum Seval, where the devotees from all communities, except Dalits participated," said a Puthiya Thamizhagam functionary.

The district administration conducted the peace committee meeting this year too, but the Caste Hindus were said to be inflexible in their decision that no `mandagapadi' be taken from the Dalits and that no Dalit be permitted to take part in fire-walking, while representatives of the "oppressed community" were stubborn on getting their legitimate share in the festival, at least this year.

"We tried our best to convince both sides to make the festival a success, but every effort went in vain as the Caste Hindus thwarted all our moves, opposing Dalit participation," said an official.

Though the festival started on April 20, there is no festive mood in this small town as only policemen, in good numbers, can be seen everywhere, even on the temple premises. And only a handful of devotees turn up to worship the Goddess.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States