Lower-caste Hindus assaulted over temple entry in India
Attack highlights persistence of caste-based discrimination in Indian villages, where lower-caste Hindus remain barred from places of worship
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A group of men from India’s Dalit community—historically placed at the bottom of the caste hierarchy—were allegedly assaulted after attempting to enter a Hindu temple during a religious procession in the northern state of Rajasthan.
The case has renewed attention on how caste still shapes access to worship despite constitutional guarantees of equality.
Police in Churu district said the altercation occurred on Sunday when several men tried to join devotees inside the shrine following a community recital. A police complaint filed by a community member alleges that fellow villagers blocked the men at the entrance and then attacked them because of their caste identity. Authorities have named four suspects who remain at large and said an investigation is underway.
Dalits, sometimes referred to as “scheduled castes” in Indian law, were historically subjected to untouchability — segregation that restricted entry to temples, wells, schools, and public spaces.
India formally abolished untouchability in 1950 and subsequent legislation prohibits discrimination in access to religious institutions. Yet incidents of lower-caste Hindus being barred from temples continue to surface, particularly in rural areas where local customs and power relations remain entrenched.
Temple entry is about far more than ritual. In many villages, shrines function as central public spaces where community decisions are made and social status is visible. Denying entry reinforces hierarchy and limits participation in civic life.
Rights advocates and scholars say that when lower-caste families assert equal access, pushback can escalate into threats or violence, revealing the gap between law on paper and the realities of local enforcement.
Authorities in Rajasthan said an investigation is underway and pledged to bring the accused to justice. But for many in India’s marginalized communities, Sunday’s violence underscores how deeply caste discrimination remains embedded in daily life.
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