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‘Ancestral Customs’: Barber Refuses Haircuts to Dalit Students, Booked Under Atrocities Act in Karnataka’s Aland Taluk

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A case has been registered against a salon owner in Kinni Sultan village, Aland taluk of Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, for allegedly refusing to give haircuts to Dalit students on caste grounds.

According to police, the incident occurred on Friday when a group of Dalit students visited a local salon. The owner, Premnath Shinde, allegedly denied them service, claiming he was “following ancestral customs.”

Despite there being three salons in the village, Dalits have long been forced to travel to Aland town (14 km away) or Tadakal village (5 km) just to get a haircut, due to entrenched caste-based discrimination.

After the matter came to light, police warned the barbers of stern action under anti-untouchability laws, following which they agreed to serve Dalit customers.

A case has been filed against Shinde under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on a complaint by a local Dalit villager.

Vijaylakshmi Holkar, Assistant Director of the Social Welfare Department, visited the village to gather information and assess the situation.

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