Barber refuses haircut to Dalit, relents following official intervention

Chitradurga: Tension prevailed on Saturday in Yadalakatte tanda in Challakere taluk, Chitradurga after a barber refused to cut a Dalit man’s hair. The hamlet was witness to a standoff between the aggrieved members of the Dalit community and the barber. On being intimated of the incident, Chitradurga deputy commissioner Kavitha S Mannikeri directed Challakere tahsildar N Raghumurthy to visit Yadalakatte, and take stock of the situation on the ground and to ascertain the cause of the unrest.

Raghumurthy, who was accompanied by police personnel on his visit to Yadalakatte, met the barber in question, who was told he could not refuse a haircut to a member of a Dalit community since this amounted to discrimination,, and was in violation of the laws of the Constitution.

The visiting officials called on the people to live in harmony with each other, and to treat one another as one would members of a family. Convinced of the error of his ways, the barber, Srinivas, agreed to cut the Dalit’s hair. He further agreed not to refuse a haircut to any Dalit individual.

Courtesy : Times of india

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