Differently abled woman alleges ordeal at Meenakshi temple
Says temple staff demanded ₹300 for pushing wheelchair for her and that the priests abused her for using wheelchair inside the temple and disturbing the public and the staff
A mobility-impaired differently abled woman from Dharmapuri was denied entry into Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai on Tuesday. She alleged priests abused her for using wheelchair inside the temple and disturbing the public and the staff.
G. Tamilselvi, 47, due to her disability, was using a caliper to support her movement. When she tried to enter the temple, she was stopped by the police personnel deployed at the entrance to confirm her disability. “I was stopped by the police and was asked to show how my leg was affected. Though I showed it to them in front of the public, they doubted whether I could walk without the caliper. As I replied I could not move without the support of it, they asked me to remove and take a wheelchair,” she added.
A temple staff took her on a wheelchair and after pushing for about 200 metres, he demanded the woman to pay ₹300 which he claimed was a concession for a differently abled woman as he usually charged ₹500 from others. “I refused to pay him and asked people who accompanied me to push the wheelchair. As those who accompanied me were also differently abled people, they could not push the chair for the long distance, but a few public there helped me,” she said.
When they reached the main hall of the temple and was waiting to push the wheelchair over a ramp, few temple priests reportedly stopped them and asked not to move beyond a certain point as the ramp was very narrow and it would disturb the public if the wheelchair was pushed on it, she added.
“We do not use the supporting equipment to just show off our disability but to help us in leading a normal life. When even using such things cannot be tolerated by the officials and priests, why even have such facilities for us,” Ms. Tamilselvi questioned.
S. Namburajan, State vice-president, Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers, condemning the temple authorities said, despite having clear rules and Government Orders of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department permitting differently abled people access into the temple and mandating temple staff to assist them by providing wheelchairs, etc., the action of the temple authorities in demeaning a differently abled woman was not acceptable.
“HR and CE Minister and officials should immediately take action against the police, staff and the priest,” he added.
A. Balamurugan, district secretary, said that as a mark of condemnation, they would stage a temple-entering protest on Thursday.
S. Krishnan, Joint Commissioner, Meenakshi Temple, said such things never happened and it would be investigated and action taken against the culprits .
A statement of Madurai City police stated that the woman was stopped as she carried a small knife in her bag and the caliper was asked to be removed as it was attached with shoes. Accompanied by friends, she went inside the temple on a wheelchair, and after darshan she had food served as ‘annadhanam’ before leaving the temple.
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