Tirupati: A simple act of questioning the right to have a haircut at a local barbershop has led to a movement against caste discrimination in Nellipatla village of Chittoor district. The movement has not only confronted the deeply ingrained discriminatory customs but also granted access to scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) groups to temples, which had been hitherto off-limits for them.
Nellipatla, along with its neighbouring villages, is home to more than a thousand SC and ST families. They primarily work as labourers in local fields and at construction sites, earning approximately Rs 150 a day along with a single meal.
This exploitative practice came to light when certain village elders issued an informal decree, warning barbers in the area not to serve Dalits. Otherwise, they would lose their upper-caste clientele. Accordingly, a youngster Soundarya Rajan was denied service by a local barber.
Rajan refused to accept such discrimination. He took it upon himself to sensitise the Dalit community and draw the attention of authorities to their plight. The spark ignited a movement that leveraged social media to highlight the discrimination. A video of the barber's refusal to serve Rajan went viral. It caught the eye of district authorities, including Palamaner Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) N. Manoj Kumar Reddy.
Accompanied by tehsildar Kumaraswamy and sub-inspector Mohan Kumar, Manoj Kumar visited Nellipatla village on Thursday. They conducted a thorough examination of grievances faced by the SCs and STs. They then convened a gram sabha and addressed all communities.
The officials issued a stern warning to village elders against discrimination. Under the watchful eye of the RDO, Rajan went to receive a haircut from a village barber.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, RDO Manoj Kumar said: "We explained to villagers the evils of untouchability and their legal consequences. We issued clear directives, emphasising the importance of treating all communities on an equal basis. Village elders have been sternly warned that any form of discrimination against Dalits will not be tolerated."
In a parallel development, the age-old issue of SCs and STs being denied entry into local temples has also been resolved. The RDO and other officials, alongside Dalit community members, participated in special pujas at the local temple. Later, they shared a meal with the villagers.
Social media has gone abuzz with praises for the RDO's initiative.
