MP: Social Boycott and ₹11,000 Fine Imposed After Dalit Groom Enters Temple
A decree was issued during a village *panchayat* (council meeting) stating that if any farmer or laborer in the village were to employ any member of this Dalit family, that individual would face a financial penalty of ₹11,000.
In Padlya Gawli village of Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district, the village *panchayat* decreed a social boycott against a Dalit family after a young Dalit man entered the local temple. Consequently, all social ties with the family were severed, and a ban was imposed on selling them goods at village shops, dairies, and ration outlets.
According to a report by *The Mooknayak*, Nirmal Kanade (belonging to the Balai caste), a resident of the village, got married on April 20. The groom recounted that after the wedding, when the newlyweds went to the Hanuman temple to offer prayers, they were denied entry as the doors were shut. It is alleged that the groom was barred from entering the temple solely because he was a Dalit. The temple doors were even padlocked, subjecting the newlywed couple to humiliation. They were instructed to offer their prayers from outside the temple premises. However, the groom was eventually granted entry into the temple later, under police supervision.
Subsequently, the situation escalated further. It is alleged that certain villagers convened a *panchayat* with the specific intent of “teaching the Dalit family a lesson.” During this *panchayat*, held on April 24, the following resolutions were passed:
- A decision was taken to cut off the Dalit family’s “Hukka-Pani” (social interaction/access to basic necessities)—meaning no one was permitted to touch their water or maintain any social relations with them.
- An announcement was made throughout the village via public proclamation (*dhindhora*) stating that no shopkeeper was to sell rations, milk, or any other goods to this family. Anyone found violating this order would also face a social boycott.
- If any farmer or laborer in the village were to employ members of this Dalit family for work (daily wage labor), that individual would be subject to a financial penalty of ₹11,000.
The silence maintained by the Khargone district administration and police regarding this entire episode has raised serious questions. Activists and supporters of the Bhim Army have strongly criticized this caste-based decision on social media. They have stated that they will soon visit the village to hold a meeting with the locals and, while protesting against this decision, will raise their voices against those responsible.
Condemning this incident in the strongest terms, Bhim Army leader Sunil Astey posed a question to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. He asked whether, under his administration, depriving Dalits of basic amenities—such as temple entry, water, and rations—is what is to be considered “law and order.” Or will the government continue to disregard the sanctity of the Indian Constitution in this manner, bowing to the pressure of a “Manuvadi” (casteist) mindset?
It is noteworthy that incidents involving caste-based discrimination and humiliation against Dalit grooms are frequently coming to light in Madhya Pradesh. In many instances, young men are targeted simply because they wish to take out their wedding processions (barats) while riding a mare—a traditional custom. Sunil Astey alleges that the administration’s response is often lax, which emboldens the perpetrators. He warned that if strict action is not taken against the culprits—specifically under the SC/ST Act and the NSA—the Azad Samaj Party and the Bhim Army will launch a large-scale agitation.
It is worth noting that similar incidents have surfaced in the past, involving disputes over the entry of Dalits into temples.
Earlier this year, in February, a man was arrested in a village in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district on charges of forcibly evicting a newlywed Dalit couple from a temple. The police confirmed this information to the media.
According to a report by the *Hindustan Times*, the incident took place at the Arasamma Temple in Goni Tumakuru village, located in the Turuvekere taluk—the home district of the state’s Home Minister, G. Parameshwara. The couple, identified as Pankaja and Puneeth, had visited the temple after their wedding to seek blessings when they were confronted by a man named Narayanappa.
According to the police, Narayanappa allegedly feigned being possessed by the deity and began shouting at the couple, thereby preventing them from entering the temple. In a video of the incident, he can allegedly be heard saying, “Dalits cannot enter the temple. Go worship somewhere else. Leave this place immediately.”
Officials stated that the newlywed couple subsequently went to the police station on their own. A senior police officer remarked, “Pankaja’s younger brother, Jagdish, filed a complaint at the Turuvekere police station. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrested Narayanappa.”
Meanwhile, a controversy erupted in Somayajulapalli village—located in the Orvakal Mandal of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh—after a Dalit woman was allegedly denied entry into the Sunkulamma temple. In this instance, a complaint was lodged with the police under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the complaint, Malathi—a government employee belonging to the Mala community—had visited the temple to offer prayers. It is alleged that a priest named Janardhan prevented her from entering the temple premises. The woman stated that the priest told her she had certain “boundaries” and could not be granted entry. During this exchange, the priest’s son, Vamsi, also allegedly sided with him.
Malati stated that when she asked for the reason, the priest told her that she could complain to anyone she pleased, but she would not be granted entry into the temple. This incident sparked an altercation within the temple premises, creating an atmosphere of tension in the village.
Ultimately, Malati lodged a complaint at the Orvakal Police Station and demanded action under the SC/ST Act. Speaking to the media, she remarked that facing caste-based discrimination in this day and age is deeply distressing.
She asserted, “Everyone is equal before God. Denying entry to a temple on the basis of caste is absolutely wrong.”
Courtesy : Hindi News
