It’s 10 am, and the village of Gidhagram under Katwa subdivision in Purba Bardhaman district, some 150 kms from Kolkata, has turned into a fortress as it prepares for a historic, never-before-seen event: in a few minutes, a group of Dalits from the village will enter the local Gidheshwar temple for the first time in decades — an event they hope marks the end of centuries of discrimination.
“The 16 steps we climbed to enter the temple and offer puja ended generations of discrimination,” Mamata Das, 50, tells The Indian Express after the event.
Villagers outside the temple. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)
Mamata was among the first five people of the Dalit Das sub-caste group to enter the temple Wednesday. She, and the others — Santanu Das, 45, Lakkhi Das, 30, Puja Das, 27, and Sasthi Das, 45 — are among the village’s 550 Dalit inhabitants who have, until recently, never been allowed to set foot in the village.
The development came about after the village’s Dalits, which form about six percent of the village’s total population of around 2,000 families, wrote to the district administration highlighting the discrimination.
As a result, the five Dalits were escorted to the temple by the police and the civic volunteers as they walked from the predominantly SC neighbourhood of Daspara to the temple 10 minutes away. At the temple, they offered prayers for an hour while the entire area was cordoned off by the police and the Rapid Action Force.
“For us, it’s a historical day since for the first time in history we got our right to worship in this temple. We were for generations driven away whenever we approached the temple. Even last year, I came to offer prayers but they didn’t even allow me to climb the steps. But, from today, I hope for peace in the village,” says Sasthi Das.
For the Dalits of the village, this is a significant step that came about after years of resistance from the village upper castes. The Gidheshwar Shiva temple is believed to be around 200 years old, with a plaque on the temple stating that it was renovated in 1997 (Bengali year 1404).
Mamata was among the first five people of the Dalit Das sub-caste group to enter the temple Wednesday. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)
According to the local Dalits, they have been fighting unsuccessfully for their right to enter the temple for decades but it was not until last month that it was finally fruitful. On February 24 – just before Hindu festival of Mahashivratri – they wrote to the district administration, the block development officer and the district police seeking its intervention to allow them entry. In that letter, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, they argued that they had for centuries been considered “untouchables” and called “choto Jaat” (low caste) whose presence would render the temple “Apabitra” (impure).
Despite their pleas, however, they were kept out of the temple during the festival. Then, on February 28, the sub-divisional officer (Katwa) called a meeting of all stakeholders – the residents of Daspara, the temple committee, the local MLA, TMC’s Apurba Chowdhury. and the BDO. A resolution taken at the meeting – a copy of which is with The Indian Express – said that such discrimination had been banned by the Constitution and asserted the Dalit village residents’ right to pray at the temple.
“Everyone has the right to worship. Therefore, Das families will be allowed to enter Gidheshwar Shiv Mandir in Gidhagram, under Katwa 1 Block,” the resolution read.
However, according to officials, it was not until a meeting on March 11 that the resolution was turned into action. In that meeting headed by the district administration and chaired by the SDO, the stakeholders involved finally resolved to allow five members of Das community to enter the temple and offer “puja” as a symbolic gesture. Chowdhury, the TMC MLA from Mangalkot, also attended this meeting.
Police personnel outside the temple. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)
Puja Das, who was one of the five people who entered the temple Wednesday, hopes the village’s Dalits can continue to offer prayers at the temple.
“Our forefathers were never allowed. But we are educated now, and the times have changed. That’s why we appealed to the administration and police. With their help, we finally managed to get our rights,” she says. Another Dalit village resident, Lakkhi, adds: “I saw the god of our village temple with my own eyes for the first time”.
It was a team effort, says Katwa Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) Ahimsa Jain.
“Such discrimination cannot be allowed. We held multiple meetings keeping in mind that it’s a sensitive issue and finally convinced the people involved,” she says.
Locals believe the Dalits will continue to be allowed to visit the temple. “There was a tradition according to which they were not allowed in but that has been broken today. I think they will continue to offer prayers here,” Mintu Kumar, the temple caretaker, says.
The members of Dalit family entered a temple at Gidhagram in Purba Bardhaman and offered Puja for the first time amid heavy police protection. (Express Photo: Partha paUL) 
Villagers outside the temple. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)
Mamata was among the first five people of the Dalit Das sub-caste group to enter the temple Wednesday. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)
Police personnel outside the temple. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)
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