Kurul village is located near Chinnasalem in Kallakurichi district. An ancient Sri Kaliyuga Srinivasa Perumal temple stands on land owned by an individual there. Other communities had been denying Dalit people permission to enter and worship at that temple.
As a result, the Dalit community had been worshipping from the temple entrance and had been fighting for more than 50 years to be allowed to enter the temple and worship. In this situation, two years ago, the temple came under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. Even after that, people from other communities continued to refuse entry to the Dalit people of that village.
At that time, Dalit people had requested the district administration that they be allowed into the temple. However, no action was taken on that request. It was in this situation that a special puja was held on the 3rd, on the occasion of the third Saturday of the month of Purattasi. As usual, Dalit people tried to worship it from outside while standing there.
The people of the dominant community, who opposed this, locked the temple after the puja was over. As a result, a tense atmosphere prevailed there. After learning of the incident, Kallakurichi woman SP Shanas went there that night and held talks with the people from the dominant community.
However, they argued with the SP that Dalit people could not be allowed into the temple. In particular, the women from the dominant community strongly opposed it. At that time, she said, “Even if the temple is ancestral, no one can stop anyone from worshipping!” Then someone in the crowd shouted, “That’s right….”
In response, SP Shanas became furious and said, “Whoever says that it is right, come forward boldly and speak.” After that, no one there came forward to speak. He then ordered that the temple be opened. But no one came forward for that either.
After that, he ordered that the temple key be brought. Even then, the members of the other community said, “We cannot hand over the key.” Following that, the SP ordered the police to break open the temple doors. After that, SP Shanas took the more than one hundred Dalit people gathered there into the temple and had them worship.
After that, as per his orders, a case was registered against 16 people who had protested by locking the temple doors. Praise is pouring in for SP Shanas, who brought to an end in a single night the demand of Dalit people that had persisted for more than 50 years.