Anti Brahminism

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Idols removed from temples, thrown into the Bhima </b>
Special Correspondent
http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/26/stories/...800400.htm
 
The incident occurred in a Gulbarga village 
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Idols in five temples in the village were removed
Dalit youths defend their action
`We do not need temples which are of no use to the people'
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GULBARGA: Tonasanalli (S) village in Chitapur taluk of Gulbarga district witnessed a strange spectacle of youths belonging to the Dalit community removing the idols of deities in five temples in the village and throwing them into the Bhima, declaring that they would embrace Buddhism.
 
According to delayed reports reaching the district headquarters here on Sunday, Dalits, who are in a majority in the village, removed the idols from the temples on Thursday night, took them in a vehicle and dumped them in the river at Kattisangavi.
 
The temples from where the idols were removed included the ancient Chennamallikeshwara Temple and Margamma Temple.
 
People of the village were shocked when they found the idols missing from the temples.
 
The Dalit youths removed the idols from the Margamma Temple, considered the biggest in the village, and installed the portraits of Buddha, Basaveshwara and B.R. Ambedkar at the temple entrance.  
Although the Lingayats in the village were shaken, their protests were not vehement.
 
There is a fear of the Sangh Parivar making it into a big issue.
 
Deputy Commissioner Pankajkumar Pandey told The Hindu that the district administration had initiated steps to ensure that the peace was not disturbed in the village and discussions were being held with both groups.
 
Mr. Pandey said the situation in the village was peaceful and that additional police force would be deployed there as a precautionary measure.
 
The Dalit youths have defended their action. One of them said that the Dalit youths of the village were inspired by the speeches of people such as Chennamalla Swamiji of the Babasaheb Ambedkar Manava Dharma Peetha, State organising convener of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Sagar) Malleshi Sajjan, former government Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Vittal Herur and others and had decided to give up Hinduism and embrace Buddhism.
 
"We do not need temples which are of no use to the people and the idols which do not solve the problems of people and end the discrimination in the name of caste," said another Dalit youth who was also involved in the removal of idols from the temples.
The Dalit youths are also not bothered about the consequences of their action.
 
"When we do not need temples, where is the need for the idols. We will convert these temples into public utility buildings," they said.
 
The village on the Shahbad-Jewargi road, 38 km from here, is divided into two parts.
 
While the first part on the main road has people all communities, the main village in the interior is dominated by Dalits.
 
The village has five temples, including the Chennamallikeshwar temple which is revered by the villagers.
 
The Dalits, while removing the idols from the temples, had to break into pieces the idol of a snake goddess installed in front of the Margamma temple. The Dalits had also not spared the idols of Basaveshwara, installed outside all the temples.
 
The idols that were removed from the sanctum sanctorum of the temples in the village included that of Mailar Mallaiah Devaru, Basavannappa Devaru, Gangi Malamma Devaru, goddess Turangabali, Heggana Pradhani, Kari Lakshmi Devaru, Tala Margamma Devaru, Seemi Margamma Devaru and Samavva Devaru. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->