Karnataka bypolls: The shame of untouchability in the 21st century

Read how even in this day and age, Dalits are still being discriminated against in this region of Karnataka.

Government after governments have spoken about inclusiveness, education highlights the evils of untouchability and social reformers have exhausted their life fighting for social equality but talk to Dalits of Nanjangud and you will know how far we are from achieving social equality and plucking out untouchability from the society. The practice is a crying shame on the 21st century modern, technologically advanced India.

OneIndia visited Badanavalu village in Nanjangud that was witness to caste riots in 1993. The riot was the darkest incident in Karnataka's Dalit history. Today, a lot has changed in Badanavalu. The Dalit and Lingayats are the two major castes in the village, the same in most surrounding villages. After the 1993 incident, Dalits are not stopped from entering the temple in this village but the situation is not the same in neighbouring villages. A few kilometres from Badanavalu is Ummathur where Dalits are not allowed inside temples even to this day.

"The situation in our village is much better but in other villages, the Dalits themselves do not want to fight for their rights. Even to this day, they are made to stand outside the temple and pray. Entry is barred for them," said a young voter in Badanavalu.

"There are some villages nearby where even as Dalits are allowed entry into the temple, there are separate lines for them to eat. They can't sit along with people of upper castes during festivals and temple feasts. There are two rows and Dalits are made to sit on one row. Is that not untouchability?" asked another voter, he is a masters degree holder.

Villagers allege that Dalits who work as farmhands are served water in separate plastic glasses while workers from all other communities are given metal glasses. They study together -- the younger bunch is educated -- but the differences refuse to die down. We spoke to a village elder who witnessed the 1993 riots and he said that the situation was calm in Badanavalu village but political parties and media unnecessarily highlighted the Badanavalu incident time and again causing unrest.

"The riot and consecutive conviction of people responsible will have no effect on the poll. We live in harmony in the village today and request political parties and the media to not highlight a case that is done and dusted. It will only divide the people further. Things have changed here and we are happy," said M Mahadevappa who was 35 when the incident took place.

What was interesting, however, was a villager highlighting that no atrocity cases have been registered in Nanjangud in the last seven years. If Dalits are still discriminated against but no case of atrocity has been filed in the last seven years, does that mean that the Dalits there have made peace with their situation and refuse to fight? Or are the upper castes so influential that voices of protests are drowned? It is a shame that a constituency that is represented by an MP as well as MLA who are Dalits still witnesses untouchability.

OneIndia News