Five members of a marginalised community defied a 300-year-old discriminatory tradition and offered puja at a Shiv temple in Kaliganj’s Bairampur village on Thursday, the Nadia district administration informed Calcutta High Court on Friday.
The incident comes close on the heels of “lower caste” members taking the help of the administration to be able to offer prayers at a Shiv temple at Gidhagram near Katwa in East Burdwan. After overcoming the resistance of the so-called upper caste villagers, five members of the Das community entered the temple at Gidhagram to offer prayers last week.
For the marginalised members of the Nadia village, the battle did not come easily and they had to move the high court to ensure that their fundamental right to worship was not violated. Following court orders, the Nadia district administration took measures and members of the Scheduled Caste were able to enter and offer puja at the Shiv temple in Bairampur on Thursday.
The Nadia administration submitted its report to Justice Tirthankar Ghosh on Friday, following the court’s observations earlier this week.
The high court took up the case on Monday when Scheduled Caste residents of Bairampur filed a petition alleging that local police had failed to secure their right to enter the 300-year-old temple. Their lawyer informed the court that the “upper caste” members had been preventing them from offering prayers.
Hearing the plea, Justice Ghosh said: “It is a matter of shame that such a system still prevails in Bengal.”
He further observed: “Such incidents can only happen if the police are not active enough.”
Justice Ghosh directed the superintendent of police, Krishnanagar police district, and the district judge to ensure that the petitioners could enter the temple and participate in religious activities.
On Friday, the Nadia administration submitted a report confirming compliance with the court’s directive.
Justice Ghosh then ordered the Nadia district judge to monitor the situation at the temple and ensure that members of the excluded Dhopa community could take part in the upcoming Gajan (a village folk festival associated with Lord Shiv) without obstruction. He mandated that police submit reports every three days until the festival concludes, adding that if any unrest arose, the superintendent of police, Krishnanagar, must take immediate action.
“If necessary, additional forces will be deployed,” he said.
Following the court’s intervention, members of the marginalised community were allowed entry into the temple on Thursday afternoon, marking the end of a nearly 300-year-old tradition of exclusion. For generations, SC residents had been barred from the temple, but under police protection, they finally offered prayers — an event hailed as historic.
Jaya Das, one of the first to enter the temple, shared the emotional significance of
the moment.
“My grandparents couldn’t even stand in front of this temple. But we have made history. This is not just about entering a temple; it is about dignity.”
Seema Das echoed the sentiment, saying: “For the first time, I feel like we belong to this society.”
To prevent any possible unrest, a heavy police presence was deployed at the temple, with senior officials overseeing the proceedings.
Additional superintendent of police, Krishnanagar district, Uttam Kumar Ghosh, said: “The matter has been resolved. People from the community were able to offer prayers without any obstacles. This was a unanimous decision.”
However, not everyone welcomed the change. The temple’s priest Ashish Kundu said: “Every temple has its own customs. I don’t understand how interfering in traditions is justified.”
During initial hearings, Justice Ghosh expressed shock at the persistence of caste-based restrictions in Bengal. Criticising the police, he remarked: “This is sheer incompetence. A senior officer, not just the OC, should be responsible.”
CPM state secretary Md Salim accused certain sections of society of perpetuating caste discrimination.
“Temple entry was only made possible after the district administration categorically told the so-called upper caste members that preventing access would result in criminal cases,” he said.
Members of Paschimbanga Samajik Naya Manch celebrated the community’s temple entry outside the DM office in Krishnanagar. The organisation’s Nadia secretary, Kalyan Gupta, highlighted past discrimination.
“So-called upper caste people hired dhakis from lower-caste villagers but never allowed them to offer puja. We are happy that the administration finally acted on the court’s order with a strong hand. This should have been done much earlier.”
Rishi Ramprasad Das, general secretary of Rabidasia Mahasangha, hailed the moment as a landmark. However, the organisation alleged that similar caste-based exclusions persist across Bengal. It has written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, urging immediate action to uphold the rights of marginalised communities.