On June 7, the district authorities shut the Sri Dharmaraja Draupadi Amman Temple in Melpathi village of Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district. The futile and ineffective peace negotiations between the Vanniyars and the Dalits led to a complete lockdown of the temple after the ongoing hostilities over the latter’s access to the shrine were unresolvable.
The orders were issued as per Section 145(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code by S. Ravichandran, the Revenue Divisional Officer of Villupuram. The temple was shut down due to the community’s persistent law and order problems, and officials said that the continued conflict among the two caste groups over religion might potentially cause serious problems. It was decided to close the temple and forbid admission until a peaceful compromise was found to stop further aggravation.
The Ongoing Temple Disputes in Melpathi Village
Since April 7 of the current year, there have been several tragic incidences in the town of Melpathi. Vanniyars, the upper caste, attacked three youngsters from the Scheduled Caste as they tried to enter the temple for the annual celebration and offer their devotion. The Vanniyars insisted they pray away from the temple to prevent their admission. The incidents in question have caused law and order issues inside the village and in the district’s neighboring municipalities. Dalits organized rallies and traffic blockades to demonstrate their inherent right to worship.
K. Ponmudi, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education, offered Dalit communities his word that the district government will take the necessary action to address the problem, highlighting the significance of putting disagreements aside. The minister further mentioned that although some Vanniyar locals thought it was a caste-specific shrine, the temple is actually under the control of the state’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments division.
Vanniyars coordinated a protest opposing Dalit access to the temple, believing it to be a violation of the temple’s customary practices. Many protesters showed their disapproval by shredding apart their Aadhar and ration cards.
Measures Taken to Resolve the Tension
Following the direction of the North Zone Inspector General, almost 2000 law enforcement personnel from five different districts have been dispatched to Melpathi, and protection has also been stepped up in the nearby villages. The administration of the district launched a total of seven rounds of negotiations to ease tensions between the two communities.
The scenario in the village—caused by the conflict between two factions over temple worship—was not usual, according to an official notice on the temple’s doors. Based on complaints submitted by those harmed, the police have filed a case against eighteen Vanniyar men, but none of their arrests have been made yet.
The Villupuram MP D. Ravikumar spoke with the collector of the district, and other top authorities, pleading with them to take the appropriate steps on the issue. Ravikumar emphasized that Article 17 makes the practice of untouchability a crime and that it is the government’s duty to guarantee that everyone has a fair opportunity for temple worship and access to religious practices.
On May 25, after the fourth round of talks with the two communities, the collector notified the media that the dispute had been resolved and that the ruling caste had consented to permit Dalits access to the shrine. But the Vanniyar community did not uphold their word, resulting in the village growing extremely tense, and the authorities finally implemented the aforementioned order.
