Dalit students stopped from entering temple by upper caste men in Uttarakhand’s Almora
ALMORA: After Dalit girl students were allegedly prevented from entering a temple in Someshwar, Almora district, police have registered a case against two upper caste men, both in their late 50s. Cops are further investigating the matter.
On March 15, on the occasion of the local Phooldei festival, the students, about eight of them in the age group 12 to 19, went to the Shiva temple in Maloj village of Someshwar. They later said that “at least two upper-caste men” did not allow them to enter the shrine. “They had also made casteist remarks,” one of the students later said. The incident caused an uproar in the area, and the girls filed a complaint at the Someshwar police station. Police registered a case against the two accused, Kishor Adhikari and Soban Singh, both said to be ex-servicemen, under the SC/ST Act on Wednesday night.
Circle officer (Ranikhet), Tilak Ram Verma, said on Thursday, “Statements of the students have been taken. We are investigating the matter. Action will be taken as per the law.” An elderly man, who lives near the temple, said, “I have been staying here for 10-11 years but never came across such an issue in this temple. No one is barred as such from entering the mandir. I can’t understand why the students were stopped.”
Courtesy : TOI
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