Dalit women attacked after being stopped from entering temple in Odisha
Bhubaneswar: A group of Dalit women were stopped, abused and assaulted when they tried to enter a temple in Odisha, highlighting continued concerns over caste-based discrimination and violence against marginalized communities in Modi’s India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident took place on Monday when the women visited the Shiva temple at Atimati village under Erasama police limits. Police said that some villagers carrying sticks and lathis stopped them from entering, leading to an argument between the two groups.
The women said that some villagers prevented them from entering the temple, hurled casteist and abusive remarks at them, and threatened them with physical violence if they did not leave the premises.
The situation reportedly escalated after the women refused to leave the temple premises. The villagers snatched their puja offerings and threw them on the ground.
During the confrontation, one of the accused, identified as 40-year-old Satya Rout, attacked a 55-year-old Dalit woman with a knife, leaving her seriously injured.
The injured woman later approached the Erasama police station and filed a complaint against eight people.
Based on her complaint, police registered a case against all eight accused persons. Police said that the situation in the village was currently under control, but police personnel had been deployed to prevent any further escalation.
The incident has once again raised concerns over caste-based discrimination and the denial of equal access to places of worship to Dalit communities in India.
