In yet another incident that reflects the exclusions and indignities suffered by India’s Dalit populations, a temple priest in rural Kanpur’s Mangalpur temple, not only refused Munni Devi and her companions entry into the garba griha but performed the offensive ‘putification with Ganga Jal’ (water from the Ganges ritual after they left. The incident reportedly took place on July 11.
Reportedly, villagers said that Munni Devi and her companions had gone to the temple connection with some rituals related to her daughter’s wedding. When the priest could not stop the entry of the women despite his best efforts due to the interventions of other locals, he shut down the temple for over an hour to perform the ‘purification’ ritual. While the fact that Munni Devi is from the Valmiki Dalit caste is mentioned, there are no details of the identity of the priest. While the Navbharat Times reported that the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) has initiated an inquiry as the act consists of an offence under the Atrocities Act, ADM Shivshankar Gupta told Muniza Khan of Sabrangindia that “no such incident had happened and nor has any such enquiry been ordered.
The issue of Temple Entry for Dalits has been a contentious one, historically, ideologically and academically.
Sabrangindia had carried an exclusive report on how the Gujarat Government’s appointment of only Brahmin priests to government-temples in the state mocked Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Violated the Constitution. The matter had come to light when former Director General of Police (DGP) Gujarat, RB Sreekumar had written an Open Letter on the issue to the state’ chief minister, Anandiben Patel.
Besides, 83 years ago, at the historic meeting between Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi at the Yeravda prison o February 4, 1933, when Gandhi had requested Ambedkar's support to the Dr. Subbarayan’s Temple entry Bill and that of Ranga Iyer, the latter had refused.
Ten days later, he issued a statement on February 14, 1933. He outlined the impracticability of the bill, crticised it for not making Untouchability illegal and outlined why he would not prefer just temple entry. Ambedkar in his own detailed arguments, had detailed why he did not support Gandhi on Temple Entry. Key to this was the spiritual argument. Ambedkar said, “As religiously minded people, do the Depressed Classes desire temple entry or do they not? That is the question. From the spiritual point of view, they are not indifferent to temple entry as they would be, if the material point of view alone were to prevail. But their final answer must depend upon the reply which Mahatma Gandhi and the Hindus give to the questions namely: What is the drive behind this offer of temple entry? Is temple entry to be the final goal of the advancement in the social status of the Depressed Classes in the Hindu fold? Or is it only the first step and if it is the first step, what is the ultimate goal? Temple entry as a final goal, the Depressed Classes can never support” …..”In the same way, if Mahatma Gandhi and the reformers were to proclaim what the goal which they have set before themselves is for the advancement of the social status of the Depressed Classes in the Hindu fold, it would be easier for the Depressed Classes to define their attitude towards Temple entry.”