Dalits Denied Right to Offer Prayers to Goddess

From kantiputonline.com Dalit parents denied right to prayer Kantipur Report BAJURA, Feb 2 - Dalit parents were prohibited from offering prayers during a Saraswati Puja ceremony organized by a school at Martadi of Bajura district on Saturday. Priest Dharmadev Upahdyaya, who was invited by Badimalika English Boarding School to conduct the ceremony, denied the Dalit parents from offering prayers to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge. The school had sent invitations to all the parents of children attending the school on Friday, requesting their presence at the ceremony. The Dalit parents, waiting with other parents for their turn to offer prayers to the goddess, were asked to leave by Upadhyaya. “It was an embarrassing situation to be placed in, in front of all other parents,” said Harka BK, a Dalit parent. The mortified parents said that even the school Principal Binod Mishra ignored them when they complained to him about the priest's actions. Priest Upahdyaya and Principal Mishra both apologized for the incident after the Dalit parents, along with Martadi-based rights activists, lodged complaints at the District Administration Office on Sunday. Posted on: 2009-02-01 20:26:13 (Server Time)