Karnataka govt facilitates salon for Dalits after barbers deny them haircut service
Gadag (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka government has facilitated the opening of a salon at Shingatalur village in Gadag district after Dalits were allegedly denied hair-cutting services by upper-caste residents, sources in the Social Welfare Department said on Thursday.
According to department sources, Dalits in the village had been facing denial of tonsure services for several years during a particular time of the year, forcing them to travel to neighbouring villages for haircuts.
Following representations from Dalit residents, the authorities intervened to address the issue.
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The barber shop has been set up jointly by the Social Welfare Department, the Taluk administration, the Taluk panchayat, a body of Dalit organisations and the Shivasharana Hadapada Appanna community.
Basavaraj Hadapada from neighbouring Tippapur village has been allotted the shop to provide barber services in Shingatalur, the sources said.
“The initiative has been taken under the untouchability eradication awareness and harmonious living programme to promote social harmony and ensure equal access to basic services,” sources in the department said.
A belief reportedly prevailed in the village that Veerabhadreshwara Swamy visits the houses of the Hadapada community members during Mahanavami every year, and that cutting the hair of Dalits at that time would bring misfortune.
“Citing this superstition, some individuals stopped offering services to Dalits,” sources said.
Following petitions submitted by the affected residents, officials stepped in and ensured that a permanent solution was put in place.
The barber shop was formally opened in the presence of officials and villagers, sources in the Social Welfare Department said.
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India's neighbours wanted to break up Assam but Modi govt shattered their dreams: Fadnavis
Dibrugarh/Jorhat (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday claimed India's neighbours wanted to "break up" Assam by taking advantage of the unrest here earlier, but their "dreams were shattered" as the Narendra Modi government brought peace to the region.
Militancy has come to an end, and 92 per cent of the assurances made in the peace agreements with various groups have already been implemented, he told a poll rally.
Fadnavis maintained that the BJP-led government in Assam has not only ensured the state's development but also protected its identity.
He accused the Congress of having neglected the state and the northeastern region by adopting a "step-motherly attitude" towards them, while Modi has put the region at the centre of development.
Addressing a rally in support of BJP's Dibrugarh candidate Prasanta Phukan, Fadnavis said, "Due to the unrest in the state earlier, neighbouring countries thought they would break Assam someday. But their dreams were shattered by Modi ji, and Assam is progressing fast today."
Crediting the BJP government for bringing the militant groups to the mainstream, the Maharashtra chief minister said not only were peace accords signed with them, but 92 per cent of the assurances made have been implemented.
"Work is on for implementing the remaining eight per cent of promises also," he added.
Highlighting the various welfare measures of the state government, Fadnavis said special emphasis was being given on women's empowerment in line with the Centre's thrust on it.
"Women have benefited the most under Modiji's government. It will be 'Mahila raaj' from 2029 when 33 per cent reservation is implemented in Parliament and state Assemblies," he added.
Speaking at another rally in support of the BJP's Jorhat candidate Hitendra Nath Goswami earlier, the Maharashtra chief minister alleged that infiltration was at its peak in Assam under Congress governments.
"People had to launch a movement against it, and scores were martyred. But the influx did not stop, and the state was burning. It was staring at a full demographic change."
"But the situation changed when Modi came to power. Infiltration has been stopped, and almost all militant groups in the state are returning to the mainstream," he claimed.
Fadnavis claimed that the state's demography would have changed and Assam's history would have been rewritten under the Congress rule.
"But the Modi government works not just for development, but also protects the state's identity, culture, history, and tradition," he said.
He told the gathering that the BJP-led government has ensured massive infrastructure development for the state.
Mentioning the Tata Group's semiconductor unit at Jagiroad, Fadnavis said, "It is a gift of Modi ji to Assam. It will place the state on the global map."
He added that countries with the ability to manufacture semiconductors will be global leaders in the future, and India has joined the elite ranks of a handful of nations.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Fadnavis alleged it had always adopted a "step-motherly attitude" towards the northeast, due to which the region did not see much development, and was embroiled in unrest.
He also criticised the opposition party for its "anti-national stance" during the West Asia crisis, claiming it was trying to create discontentment among the people by raising false doubts over the availability of LPG and fuel.
"We had also been in the opposition, but we had never acted in such a shameful manner," he said.
Taking a dig at state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who is also the opposition party's candidate in Jorhat, Fadnavis said, "Those in Lok Sabha should remain there. BJP will return to power, and he will have no work here."
Gogoi is also the opposition party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
