Monday, April 12, 2010

Novel Protest against untouchability in Kurnool

New awakening: A barber offers his services to a Scheduled Caste person,
ignoring the diktat of upper caste landlords, near Yemmiganur in Kurnool district on Sunday

Kula Vivaksha Vyatirekha Porata Samiti (KVVPS) a front organisation of CPI(M) organised a protest to remove the age-old residual untouchability in a remote village near Yemmiganur in Kurnool district on Sunday. Under threat from upper caste landlords, the washermen and barbers in the village refused to extend their services to Scheduled Caste families of the village.

The SC families either washed their clothes on the own or went to nearby town to have a haircut. The volunteers of KVVPS led by CPI(M) district secretary T. Shadrak counselled the service castes to extend the service to SC members.

Feudal practice

Bheemanna, an elder from the barber community told the activists that they were willing to undertake the job if protection was given to them from the landlords who wanted to enforce the age-old feudal practice. Mr. Bheemanna trimmed the hair of Samuel and Moshe and received remuneration for the service. Dalits of the village expressed happiness for breaking the age-old caste system and joining the mainstream social life.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)