All barber shops in a village shut down as Dalits seek haircuts; discrimination continues in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Yet another incident of caste-based discrimination against Dalits has surfaced in a Karnataka village. Barber shops in a village in Koppal district were shut down after Dalits arrived seeking haircuts. The incident took place in Muddaballi village.

Recent reports had revealed that barbers in the village were refusing to cut the hair of Dalits, prompting the police to intervene with a warning. The shop owners were cautioned that practising untouchability would attract legal consequences. Although the barbers initially agreed to provide services to Dalits, they later closed their shops. Some began visiting regular customers at their homes to offer haircuts instead.

As a result, Dalits in the village are forced to travel several kilometres to Koppal town just to get a haircut or shave.

In recent times, multiple cases of caste-based discrimination against Dalits have come to light from various villages in Karnataka. The discrimination reportedly continues in different forms—denial of goods from shops and refusal of entry into temples among others.