By Shaju Philip / Indian Express
Kerala Temple Affairs and SC/ST Welfare Minister K Radhakrishnan’s statement that he had faced caste discrimination at a Kannur temple, with priests reportedly reluctant to hand over a lamp to him, embarrassed the LDF government, which takes pride in the state’s renaissance values and cites appointment of Dalit priests in temples in 2018 as part of its inclusive policy. On Wednesday, the Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam, an organisation of top priests, said the incident was the result of a “misunderstanding” on the minister’s part, and that nobody was discriminated against in temples. A CPI(M) central committee member, Radhakrishnan rose from the ranks in the party, starting from its youth wing DYFI, and is seen as the most prominent Dalit face of the party in Kerala. The five-term legislator, who is also the state president of a CPI(M)-affiliated farm workers’ union, speaks to The Indian Express about the incident, why the caste system endures, and what needs to be done to fight it. Excerpts:
You said that the incident at the Kannur temple occurred a few months back. Why did you raise it now?
Radhakrishnan: My statement should be seen against the backdrop of recent atrocities against Dalits across the country. I want to bring focus to the Dalit hunt underway in the country. I was pained hearing recent incidents of cruelty towards Dalits in many states. In Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit was beaten to death for asking for his wages. In Madhya Pradesh, a BJP leader urinated on a tribal youth. All these incidents indicate that caste-based violence is growing in the country. I see these incidents as part of the Sangh Parivar agenda to re-establish the caste system.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here