http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=226461
Dalit shot for entering temple Manoj Chaurasia PATNA, Oct. 11: A different face of fanatism comes to fore when Dalits in Bihar are being killed and brutally tortured for entering temples and offering prasad. Despite various claims by the NDA government, Dalits continue to be on the receiving ends when we talk of human rights and liberties. The just-concluded navratra did nothing less than adding fuel to the fire. While others were engrossed in festivities, at least three incidents of violence took place where people belonging to Dalit community were kicked, punched and prohibited from entering temples. Those who dared to defy this "unwritten law" were shot. Incidentally, the downtrodden class that constitutes nearly 15 percent of Bihar's total population of 90.2 millions, has always been used as a key vote-bank by almost every political parties during the elections. The latest incident of atrocities was reported from Nalanda ~ the home district of Bihar chief minister Mr Nitish Kumar ~ where a Dalit youth was shot because he had entered a temple and offered prasad there. The incident took place last night in Giyar village of Nalanda, the district where Buddha and Mahavira had preached the message of "social harmony" and "breaking of caste barriers". Police said a fight broke out after a few people belonging to a Dalit community offered Prasad to the Durga idol without waiting for the upper-class people do it first. The clash left many injured from both the communities. Eventually, some upper caste men opened fire on the dalits, killing one Kalu Paswan and injuring a few others. The local superintendent of police, Mr Vineet Vinayak, said police had arrested two of the four persons who were named in the FIR. He said that land dispute between the two community could also be the reason behind this murder. Similarly, in Indrath Khurd village under Bikramganj block of Rohtas district, the dalits were prohibited from entering a Kali temple and worship there by the upper caste villagers during the puja. The so-called ban was imposed on 7 October. The level of the discrimination could be figured out from the fact that drum-beaters passed through the streets of the village to inform the dalit villagers of the ban imposed on their entry into the temple. However, they were permitted to pay obeisance to the Goddess from outside the temple boundary. The ban on the entry of dalits inside the temples is very common in Rohtas, according to reports. The same day, about a dozen houses belonging to dalit villagers were set on fire by the upper caste people at Mushari-Navtolia village in Khagaria district.
