<p>A woman belonging to a Dalit family in Ullerahalli of Malur taluk in Kolar district was asked to pay a fine of Rs 60,000 as her son touched a pole attached to the idol of Sidiranna during a religious procession held in the village.</p>.<p>On September 8, the villagers arranged the Bhootayamma fair. But Dalits were not allowed to enter the village deity’s temple. During the procession, Shobamma’s 15-year-old son touched a pole attached to the idol of Sidiranna, a prominent South Indian village deity. A villager noticed this and asked the Dalit family to appear before the elders in the village on the next day.</p>.<p>The elders considered his son’s action to be a crime and ordered her to pay a sum of 60,000 by October 1. She was told that she would be 'thrown out of the village' if she failed to pay the fine, as per <em>The Indian Express </em><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/fined-rs-60000-for-touching-idol-karnataka-dalit-family-says-will-only-worship-ambedkar-now-8164982/" target="_blank"><em>report.</em></a></p>.<p>Shobamma expressed her ordeal telling the publication, “If God doesn’t like us, we will not pray to him. We will offer our prayers to Dr B R Ambedkar. I take a train every morning at 5:30 am to Bengaluru and work as housekeeping staff and return by 7:30 pm. I get a salary of Rs 13,000 and that is all we have to run the house. The Rs 60,000 penalty came as a shock for us.”</p>.<p>After the incident came to light, the police invoked provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act against those who were involved in the incident.</p>
<p>A woman belonging to a Dalit family in Ullerahalli of Malur taluk in Kolar district was asked to pay a fine of Rs 60,000 as her son touched a pole attached to the idol of Sidiranna during a religious procession held in the village.</p>.<p>On September 8, the villagers arranged the Bhootayamma fair. But Dalits were not allowed to enter the village deity’s temple. During the procession, Shobamma’s 15-year-old son touched a pole attached to the idol of Sidiranna, a prominent South Indian village deity. A villager noticed this and asked the Dalit family to appear before the elders in the village on the next day.</p>.<p>The elders considered his son’s action to be a crime and ordered her to pay a sum of 60,000 by October 1. She was told that she would be 'thrown out of the village' if she failed to pay the fine, as per <em>The Indian Express </em><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/fined-rs-60000-for-touching-idol-karnataka-dalit-family-says-will-only-worship-ambedkar-now-8164982/" target="_blank"><em>report.</em></a></p>.<p>Shobamma expressed her ordeal telling the publication, “If God doesn’t like us, we will not pray to him. We will offer our prayers to Dr B R Ambedkar. I take a train every morning at 5:30 am to Bengaluru and work as housekeeping staff and return by 7:30 pm. I get a salary of Rs 13,000 and that is all we have to run the house. The Rs 60,000 penalty came as a shock for us.”</p>.<p>After the incident came to light, the police invoked provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act against those who were involved in the incident.</p>