Hubballi: The country's independence and progress mean little here. While the state boasts of a progressive city like Bengaluru, in its villages, time stands still. Denied their rights for years, Dalits in a village in Mudhol taluk are still not allowed entry into local hair saloons by the upper castes and must travel 20 kms for a haircut.
Unable to take the humiliation any more, the Dalits went on a 35 km long padayatra to the office of the Bagalkot deputy commissioner on Saturday, demanding that police and political leaders intervene to stop the harassment.
Machakanur village in Mudhol taluk is home to around 200 Dalit families, who have for decades not been allowed into the local saloons for a haircut, with even barbers toeing the line of the upper castes. Recently, some Dalit youth decided to take things into their hands and quarrelled with the owners of hair saloons in the village. The tahasildar and other officials ordered the saloons to offer their services to the Dalits. The barbers response?
They shut shop for over two weeks, the upper castes called for a bandh in the village and damaged shops belonging to Dalits. The protesting Dalits told the Bagalkot DC that they couldn't afford to visit the city for haircuts. Pointing out that Dalits of over 70 villages in Bagalkot district were being denied haircuts in their local saloons, they demanded an end to such discrimination.
"We are not allowed to enter hotels or flour mills," said Dalit villager, Vittal Kencheppagol, calling for political leaders like B S Yeddyurappa and minister H Anjaneya to visit and set things right.
BJP MLA, Govind Karajol who represents Mudhol Assembly constituency, would have none of it, alleging that some Dalit leaders were simply trying to instigate trouble for their own personal ends.
