In the wake of haircutting salons in Koliwad village in Hubli taluk being closed down since a month reportedly due to the reluctance of members of Savita community (barber community) to give haircut to Dalits, a team of revenue officials visited the village on Saturday.
The closure of the salons is allegedly due to the fear that upper caste people would not allow the Savitas give haircut to Dalits in their shops.
Nearly 100 Dalit families live in Ambedkar Nagar in the village and the problem reportedly arose after a few of Dalit youths sought haircut in the salons there.
Contention
The contention of the Dalits is that only upper caste people were given haircut in the village salons and when a few Dalits sought the service, the shops were closed.
It is said that members of the Savita community reportedly closed the shops as a preventive measure to avoid any clash in the village.
When the officials visited the village on Saturday, the Savita community members said that instead of giving scope to a possible clash, they would rather take up farming activities.
Hubli Tahsildar H.D. Nagavi told The Hindu that he received a report from the visiting officials on Saturday and that he would go to the village on Monday.
Mr.Nagavi said that the Savita community members in the village had not given haircut to anyone in the village since a month and efforts would be made to help them resume work as usual at a reconciliation meeting.
‘Ensure justice’
Meanwhile, Jai Bhim Sangharsh Samiti has urged the taluk administration to take steps to ensure justice to Dalits in the matter.
