The News Impact: Haircuts happening and the Tent Material also being given

The News Impact: Haircuts happening and the Tent Material also being given

Uttar Pradesh— In a village of  Pilibhit of Uttar Pradesh, the refusal to rent Tent material to a Dalit family for a family function generated a lot of controversies. The people from the Scheduled Caste alleged that some days back the hairdresser refused to give them haircuts and now they are being subjected to untouchability. The issue gathered steam when The Mooknayak published a news regarding the untouchability being practiced in the village. The efforts paid off and the Dalits are not being treated unfairly after the intervention of SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) and the Circle Officer. They were given all the rights.

The lowdown of the issue

In the Amariya area of Pilibhit, lie Barha and Majhaliya village. Both the villages have 1000 people of different caste and religion. There are 40 villages of Dalits in this village. Both the villages are 20 Kilometers from the city headquarters. Dalits have their houses in one corner of the village. Both lie in different  Village panchayats. Both of them have Muslims as their pradhans.

What Villagers have to say about their plight

Anil Kumar is a resident of this village. He says "The barber refuses to cut our and our children's hair. He says that if we cut your hair, we would be ostracised by the villagers. On being pressurized the barbers close the shop. We are forced to go 5-7 kilometres from the village to get the haircutfor our children and ourselves. This has persisted for years. But the times have changed, the children why are subjected to such discrimination. We are hard-pressed to answer this question. We are made to feel inferior in front of our children.

Ravi Kumar says "We are not given tent and the utensils in the marriage function of our children. The tent owner says that if you touch our utensils no one will take our tent and utensils on rent, therefore we cannot rent you the utensils. The people have to take tents and utensils from the urban centres; only then are we able to get our children married.

The Tipping Point Reached

In one particular incident, the villagers went to chotelala for the tent material. They were refused the tent material.

This enraged the people of Schedules Caste. When the news trickled in then the people of their society gathered. Madanlal told that his children were refused the haircut at the hairdresser's shop. Now they are being denied the tent. This has hurt their feelings.

Sayyad Azam of Bhim Army wrote on Twitter on this issue that "The police should take action in the incident of  Pilibhit. Dalits are being refused haircuts; they are not given the Tent material. If the police does not take action, then Bhim army will hit the streets for the campaign." The issue gathered steam after this tweet.

When the matter gathered traction, it was reported to the Police. The police swung into action. The police investigated the matter. Later the issue was dismissed in the presence of the villagers.

The Pradhan Mohammad Akram told that some members of the Scheduled Castes went to the Hairdresser for getting a Haircut. They were refused the Haircut there when the villagers came to know about the event, two of the people were allowed the Haircut.

A compromise on the issue has been reached. All the Hairdressers have been asked to allow Haircuts. Zubair Ahmed, the village gram Pradhan of Majhliya told that some people from the Bara Danwa came to the village for getting the tent material from Chotalala at his house. His wife was there at the house, she refused to give them the material.

When her husband Chotelala returned to the house the material was provided to them. Now there is no issue. The matter has been conciliated upon. Station InCharge Mukesh Shukla told that people of the Dalit community were denied Haircuts and tent materials in the Bara Majhliya village. The matter was investigated upon reaching the village. Both parties have reached compromise and there is no issue now.

[Story Translated by Pratikshit Singh]

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