Community barbershop to eliminate caste discrimination at Kerala village

As Kesavan Koviloor had a haircut and shave at a newly opened barbershop at a village in Kerala's Idukki district on Sunday, it marked the end of caste discrimination prevailing in the locality for years.

Chakliya, a Scheduled Caste community at Vattavada, about 40 kilometres from Munnar town, had been facing discrimination at barbershops in the locality. In order to eradicate it, the local grama panchayat opened a community barbershop and closed the two barbershops that denied haircut to the Chakliya community members.

The 700 odd members of the Chakliya community have been facing discrimination at the barbershops over decades. Hence, the Chakliya community members used to either cut each other's hair or they would travel for 40 kilometres to Munnar town. School students even had to take a day off for a haircut.

Though the community members earlier faced discrimination at hotels in the locality, as they were served tea in coconut shells, it was eliminated by the early years of 2000. Still, there were allegations that some hotels used to serve tea to the community members in separate glasses.

Interestingly, the Chakliya community members have been facing discrimination mostly from members of other Scheduled Caste communities.

A section of youths from the community recently raised voice against the discrimination and submitted a petition to the Vattavada grama panchayat. As it gained support from various quarters, the Vattavada grama panchayat authorities issued closure notice to the two barbershops in the locality that were practising discrimination.

Rajya Sabha MP and member of Parliamentary Standing Committee for the welfare of SC/ST K Somaprasad, who intervened in the issue, told DH that if the barbershops allowed Chakliya community members, members of the other communities in the region would not use those shops and hence the discrimination.

The CPM ruled panchayat decided to open a community barbershop. The other two barbershops would be allowed to function only if they are willing to entertain the Chakliya community members, said panchayat president Ramaraj.

The new barbershop is set up by renovating a building. Bhagyaraj, a barber from the locality, joined the shop, said panchayat secretary Nandakumar.

Vattavada district is situated along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The major chunk of the people of the Vattavada is of Tamil origin.

Though the Chakliya community is believed to have its roots in Andhra Pradesh, its members at Vattavada hails from Tamil Nadu. They are mainly involved in agriculture and other daily wage jobs, said Nandakumar.

Meanwhile, Somaprasad said that certain allegations of similar discrimination at workplaces have also come up now and it would be looked into.