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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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
