NCSC Issues Notice Over Dalit Exclusion from Temple Festival in Gujarat

Ahmedabad— The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has issued an urgent notice to the Banaskantha district Collector and Superintendent of Police, seeking an explanation over the exclusion of Dalits from a temple festival in Kalyanpura, Vav taluka.

The incident occurred during the Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav at the Shiv Mandir, where Dalit individuals were reportedly denied participation. Despite efforts by Hindu awakening organizations to include them, their contributions were outright rejected, prompting swift intervention from the NCSC.

The controversy came to light on January 16, when Gandhinagar-based Indrajitsinh Sodha uncovered the discrimination. Attempts to resolve the matter began on January 25, when Indravadan Barot and Shankarbhai Patel visited Kalyanpura and met with the temple’s chief administrator, Bhalabhai Daiya. Daiya assured them that he would consult the temple committee, but no resolution followed.

Further discussions with Scheduled Caste leaders, including a visit by Raghuveer Singh Jadeja on February 1, also failed to yield any response from Daiya. As tensions escalated, the Hindu Youth Organization-Bharat submitted written representations to local officials on February 5 and 6. The Mamlatdar subsequently denied approval for the program. Meanwhile, Suigam PSI intervened with the organizers on February 4, but the exclusion persisted.

On February 7, DYSP Samat Varotriya was notified and attempted to mediate, yet the Dalit community’s contributions continued to be ignored. As a precautionary measure, a police force, including the DYSP and two PSIs, was deployed for the festival.

On February 9, Indravadan Barot escalated the issue by submitting a memorandum to the Chief Minister and sending copies to multiple authorities, including the Minister of Social Justice and the NCSC.

Although the Mahotsav concluded on February 8, the Dalit community continues to demand justice while maintaining peace. In response, the NCSC has directed the Banaskantha district administration to submit a detailed report within three days.