Shyam Singh and his community were told by the priest that they could not perform puja at the Baghpat Valmiki temple. Photo: Shivam Agarwal
Source: The Hindu
By Muhammad Ali
March 14, 2015
A month ago, he called himself Shyam Singh. Now he declares himself “Azad” (liberated). The symbolic name not only sums up his situation, but is also his new identity.
Shyam, a member of the Dalit Valmiki community in Moga village of Meerut, converted to Islam two weeks ago.
A landless labourer, he didn’t convert only because the community was denied access to a prominent Valmiki temple, located in nearby Baghpat district, to perform the traditional puja.
He changed his faith also because of the “continuous threats and harassment” he and his fellow community members had to face from the local law and order officials after he persisted with his demand to have the right to perform puja at the temple.
The temple is controlled by the dominant Yadav community, and the priests had problems with the Valmikis performing puja. After their efforts to get equal rights failed, they announced that they would convert to Islam. Last week, the Meerut administration booked Shyam and his family for “disturbing peace and communal harmony” by persisting with their demand to perform puja at the temple and the announcement about converting to Islam.
In November last year, Shyam and his community members were told by the priest that they didn’t have any rights to perform puja.
‘What is the point in being a Hindu if I can’t enter a temple’
Since November last year, Shyam has petitioned the District Magistrates of Baghpat and Meerut, and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He also petitioned the Prime Minister’s Office.
“What is the point in being a Hindu and having this sacred thread around my wrist if I can’t even enter a temple and perform puja,” he argued.
Categories: Accepting Islam, Answers to Anti-Islam, Asia, Highlight, Hinduism, India, Racism, Universal Brotherhood
Hinduism and caste system of apartheid are inseparable. So is the Hindu superstitions and the principle of burning the wife of a dead man alive….Islam could have liberated the entire India from the clutches of Hinduism if not for the greedy Moghuls who wanted to appease the Hindu hierarchy for their own selfish agenda of promoting their evil rule over India…..
Human dignity and human rights should always be before any bragging rights of any group in any religion or the liberated will walk out.