T. Perumapatti villagers with their petition in Madurai on Monday.
| Photo Credit: MOORTHY G
Scheduled Caste residents from T. Perumalpatti village near Usilampatti here on Monday approached the district administration to petition for equal rights and access to their local temple.The villagers said that while both Scheduled Caste and caste Hindu communities resided in the area, the Santhana Mariyamman temple remained under the exclusive control of caste Hindu members, who restricted SC residents from entering and worshipping the deity.According to the petitioners, discriminatory practices extended to temple festivities. They noted that the ceremonial temple car bearing the deity was deliberately kept out of the streets inhabited by SC families.They pointed out that such actions violated their fundamental rights and constituted punishable offences under The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.Tensions recently escalated when caste Hindu members allegedly hurled casteist slurs at SC residents and blocked them from participating in festival rituals such as offering eatables to the deity.Urging immediate intervention, the petitioners requested Collector Nishant Krishna to ensure equal temple access and safety from caste-based discrimination and intimidation. Published - August 03, 2026 09:30 pm IST
