Dalit families entered Gideshwar Shiva temple after 300 years, but social boycott started.
West Bengal – March 13, 2025 became a historic day for 130 Dalit families of Gidagram village in East Burdwan district. For the first time, after a wait of 300 years, they were able to enter the Gideshwar Shiva temple in their own village. The occasion took place under heavy police security, but the event was like a symbolic break on centuries-old caste discrimination.
However, this moment of happiness could not last long. According to a report by Frontline The Hindu, after the temple entry, the Dalit families faced social and economic boycott by an influential section of the village. A visit to the village two months later found that while there was a grudging acceptance on the surface, deep tensions still simmered within — shattering the image Bengal has of itself as an ‘ajaati’ society.
Victory, but at a heavy cost
The Gideshwar temple is located just a few hundred metres from Das Pada, where Dalit (mostly Das sub-caste) families live. In Gidagram, which has around 2,000 families, only these 130 Dalit families were denied entry into the temple — a discrimination that had been going on for generations. After several meetings, administration intervention and local consensus, finally on March 13, five Dalits entered the temple under heavy police protection and worshipped the deity.
But surprisingly, this was followed by a strong backlash. The Dalit families were socially boycotted for almost a month. The influential sections of the village also called for an economic boycott against them.
“Our joy of entering the temple was taken away by the boycott. Though the situation is improving a little now and people are accepting us, the heartache remains,” said a resident.
The suppressed pang
The Das community says they never faced discrimination in other social matters — they attended weddings, invited guests, and had good relations with other communities. But when it came to the temple, they were treated as untouchables. “Now that we have been able to enter the temple, we have a new sense of self-respect. It is as if our fortunes have turned,” said Sukanto Das.
“Earlier, our boys and girls lacked courage, but after this fight, they have a new courage,” said Dinabandhu Das, a senior member of the community. He admits, however, that relations soured after the demand for temple entry was raised, and the entry under police protection worsened it.
Dalit families are keeping their cool
Though Dalit families try to publicly pretend that things are back to normal, the anguish inside often spills over. “Initially, the upper caste women stopped going to the temple, but now they have returned, laughing and talking to our daughters as if nothing had happened,” says Dyuti Ram Das, whose two daughters were among the first Dalit women to enter the temple. But Mithu Das admits many women still shy away from visiting the temple. “We want these problems to end and we all live together in peace like before,” she said.
Precautions to avoid escalation
To avoid escalation of tensions in the village, the Dalit community has made its own rules — even though they have full authority, they make sure only two women enter the temple at a time. “We know what people think of us, so we don’t crowd too much. People are already angry, this will only add fuel to the fire,” said one woman. They also refused to be photographed in front of the temple. However, sometimes hushed threats are heard. A local resident said, “Many times we hear, ‘You have been able to enter now because of the government, we will see when the government changes.’”
Tradition versus equality clash
Not every voice in the village is in favour of the Dalits. Some men sitting near the temple openly expressed their displeasure. A local quipped, “What is the use of saying anything now, they entered with the help of the police. What will happen to our 400-year-old tradition?” This year, the biggest festival of the temple, which is celebrated every April, was not celebrated for the first time.
Many villagers believe that the Das community traditionally worked with animal skins, so they were denied entry into the temple. “This is not the case of all SCs or OBCs, only Das,” said a villager with the surname Pramanik (barber caste), but refrained from giving his opinion.
Questions on Bengal’s ‘Ajati’ image
This incident highlights the caste reality in Bengal. “People from outside think there is no casteism in Bengal because all the information is centred around Kolkata. But the reality in the villages is different,” says noted sociologist Surjit C. Mukhopadhyay.
Mukhopadhyay said Bengal’s reform movement — Raja Rammohan Roy, Vidyasagar, and later the Left movement — is relatively new, while caste structures are centuries old. “The Gidagram incident reflects the socio-political reality of Bengal,” he said.
Inspired other villages
According to senior CPI(M) leader Tamal Majhi, the fight of the Das community of Gidagram inspired other villages as well. “After this, the Dalit community in Ketugram and Devagram also got the right to enter the temple. In some places without a fight, in some places by court order,” Majhi said.
It was a long and humiliating journey for the people of Das Pada, but they finally got the basic dignity they deserved. Their struggle may have alienated a section of the village, but they are confident that one day those who oppose them will also understand the error of their thinking.
An elderly man confidently said, “We know, one day they will understand that it was not to end tradition, but to restore justice.”
Courtesy : Hindi News