IF Chief Minister Siddaramayya is secular and progressive, he should bring an ordinance within 24 hours and prohibit caste discrimination practised in Udupi Sri Krishna temple, demanded G V Sreerama Reddy. He was inaugurating the indefinite dharna called by the CPI(M) state committee at Udupi on May 5. The dharna was held in the backdrop of an incident at Udupi temple on April 15 (Soura Ugadi – Solar New Year Day). Vanita Shetty, an assistant professor who had visited the temple and was sitting along with her friends to have Anna Prasadam (temple lunch), was insulted when she was asked to leave as she is a non-Brahmin. Her husband has lodged a complaint, but no action has been taken. The CPI(M) has called for state-wide dharnas to mobilise support for the indefinite dharna at Udupi and put pressure on the government. Backward Classes Awareness Forum and mass organisations like SFI, DYFI, JMS are participating in the dharna. While 72 hours day and night dharna is called at Bangalore – the state capital, 24 hours dharnas have been called at all district centres. Sreerama Reddy challenged Pejavara Mutt Swamiji of Udupi to stop this heinous, illegal practice and invite non-brahmins and dalits for community lunches, instead of staging a ‘drama’ of visit to dalit colonies. Pejavara Mutt Swamiji (infamous for being one of the founders of VHP) is in the forefront of communal-reactionary forces justifying the twin evil practices of Panktibheda-Madesnana. In Bangalore, Dr G Ramakrishna inaugurated the 72 hour day and night dharna. Dr Ramakrishna noted in his address, that dogged resistance of mutts/temples and reluctance of governments to stop the evil practices like Panktibheda-Madesnana, is prevalent because of the desperate attempts of the ruling classes to maintain the hierarchy-based caste system. However it is the duty of any democratic government to prohibit all forms of caste discrimination in public places. He also emphasised that the government should equip itself with required authority by enacting the Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill, 2013 into a law. The Bill was drafted during an upsurge in the wake of the killing of anti-superstition crusader Prof Dabholkar. Many progressive, democratic mass (including two dalit) organisations are participating in the dharna. Slogans, songs, talks, seminars were held at the dharna venues. Many district centres reported about the 24 hour dharnas being held successfully. PANKTIBHEDA- MADESNANA Udupi (as also many other temples in the state) Sri Krishna temple is practising caste discrimination in serving food. Separate rows (Pankti) are set up for Brahmins and non-Brahmins while serving food, though the Temple collects donations in many forms from people of all castes without any ‘discrimination’. This kind of discrimination is called Panktibheda. This temple has a long record of discrimination. As the legend has it, Kanakadasa (later a famous saint-poet of Bhakti cult) – a devotee from lower caste - wanted to visit temple and have a darshan of Sri Krishna. But the temple priests did not allow him in. He started singing songs in praise of Sri Krishna. And lo and behold! Sri Krishna turned and gave darshan to him by making a hole in the wall. Other forms of even more heinous and inhuman forms of caste-discrimination are practised, in many temples that lowers basic dignity of people. Most prominent of them is Madesnana. In this inhuman ritual, lower caste people roll over the left-over food after Brahmins have a feast in the temple. This ritual is supposed to cure diseases (including skin diseases!) and is a ‘thanksgiving’ to God when a wish is fulfilled. ‘UDUPI CHALO’ AND AFTER The CPI(M) has launched a state-wide sustained movement against these twin evil practices of Panktibheda-Madesnana for the last three years. In December 2012, a ‘Udupi Chalo’ was organised by the Party to enter the temple and demand food to be served to all without discrimination. Over five thousand volunteers mobilised by the Party and other progressive social movements broke the security cordon around the temple. The police obstructed the attempt by using brutal force, arresting and booking criminal cases on hundreds of participants. The practice was banned by the state government reluctantly, under the pressure of the movement. However, the concerned temples went to the Supreme Court and obtained a stay. The CPI(M) has revived the movement to take it to its logical conclusion.