Kanakapura: Dalits denied entry to temple; Peace meeting fails, clash erupts between two groups
Kanakapura: A peace meeting convened at the Kanakapura Taluk office to address the alleged denial of temple entry to Dalits in Kunoor village, Kasaba Hobli, ended in chaos on Thursday, leading to a clash between two groups and the matter escalating to a police complaint.
Last week, a dispute erupted in the village after Dalits were reportedly denied entry to the Basaveshwara and Maramma temples. Despite efforts by the Taluk administration, social welfare department, and police officials to hold a peace meeting and raise awareness in the village, the entry restrictions remained. This led to the authorities scheduling another meeting on Thursday.
The peace meeting, led by Tahsildar Manjunath and Circle Inspector K.L. Krishna at the Taluk office, began with a debate over temple entry rights for Dalits. Tahsildar Manjunath reiterated that every individual has the right to access temples as per the Constitution and that no one should practice untouchability or follow superstitious beliefs. However, some upper-caste leaders opposed the view, arguing that traditional practices must be maintained, and new customs should not be introduced in the village. Amidst the heated debate, several upper-caste leaders walked out of the meeting.
Dalit leaders Prashanth and Shivalingayya explained that Dalits have been denied entry to the temple in Kunoor for years. They cited an incident 15 years ago when a young Dalit accidentally touched the deity during a temple procession, which angered the villagers and led to an assault on Dalits. Since then, Dalits have been barred from participating in temple rituals during the annual fair.
Following the incomplete peace meeting, tensions flared outside the Taluk office, resulting in a verbal altercation that escalated into a clash between the two communities over temple entry rights. Police, who were aware of the situation, immediately intervened and dispersed the groups. However, Dalit leaders Srinivasamurthy, Muniyappa, Madesh, Ramu, and Pradeep expressed dissatisfaction and accused the village leaders of instigating the caste conflict.
Several village leaders, including Shivanna, Raghu Aras, Gadaraju, and Nagaraju, were present at the meeting.
Dalit leader Srinivasamurthy has lodged a complaint at the Kanakapura Town Police Station regarding the failed peace meeting and the caste clash outside the Taluk office, demanding action against the village leaders.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
