Untouchability does not spare IAS officer
From our correspondent
A Dalit IAS officer has been denied permission by the forward
castes to conduct the marriage of his kin at the temple in Devar
Gonal village of Surpur taluk, Gulbarga district,
Karnataka.
Amidst
complaints that Dalits are still facing untouchability in their own villages, the latest victim of
this practice is Pre-University Examination Board Director Gonal
Bheemappa. Untouchability
is apparently still in vogue in the village. The Mouneshwar
temple in the village is a symbol of communal amity with both Hindus and
Muslims converging to pray.
However, the managing committee of the temple denied permission to Bheemappa to hold the marriage of his younger brother's son
in the community hall attached to the temple, just because he is a Dalit.
When Bheemappa's younger brother Kenchappa
Gonal sought his help for conducting his son Hanumantha's wedding in the temple community hall, the
former telephoned temple managing committee members Basavalingayya
and Basavanthrai, both teachers by profession, for
permission.
It is a common practice in the village to hold marriages in the temple and the
feast in the community hall. However, permission was flatly refused and the
marriage was held at Gopalaswami temple at Surpur. This in spite of Gonal Bheemappa being a donor of the temple, according to his
brother Kenchappa. Bheemappa
is even denied entry into the temple and has to be content praying from
outside.
Apart from Dalits being denied entry inside the Mouneshwar temple, separate cups and utensils are kept for Dalits at hotels in the village. The same practice prevails
in about 40 other villages in Surpur taluk.
Kenchappa said since he did not wish to make it an
issue, he did not repeat his request to the temple management or complain to Surpur Tahsildar, who is the
Chairman of the temple managing committee. The temple comes under Muzrai department.