Kerala village sets up community barbershop to end caste discrimination

In a bid to end caste discrimination prevailing for ages, a village in Idukki district in Kerala is shutting down barbershops that were denying haircut to people from Chakliya community. The local panchayat will instead open a community barbershop.

The 700-odd members of the Chakliya Scheduled Caste community at Vattavada, about 40 kilometres from Munnar town in the hilly district, have been facing discrimination at the barbershops for decades. Though the community members earlier faced discrimination at hotels in the locality as they were served tea in coconut shells, it was eliminated by early 2000s. 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 only.

A section of youths from the community has now raised voice against the discrimination and submitted a petition to the Vattavada gram panchayat. As it gained support from various quarters, the Vattavada gram panchayat authorities issued closure notice to the two barbershops in the locality that were denying haircut to Chakliya community members.

Rajya Sabha MP and a member of Parliamentary Standing Committee for welfare of SC/ST, K Somaprasad, who intervened in the issue, told DH that if the barbershops allowed people from the Chakliya community, members of the other communities in the region would not use those barbershops and hence the barbers were denying entry to them.

The Chakliya community members used to either cut each other's hair or they would travel for 40 kilometres to Munnar town for a haircut. School students even had to take a day's leave to get a haircut.

The CPM-ruled panchayat has now decided to open a community barbershop for all community members. 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 being set up by the panchayat in a newly-renovated building with all facilities. Barbers have also come up to join the venture and it would start functioning in a few days time, said panchayat secretary Nandakumar.

In the Vattavada district, along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, majority of the people are of Tamil origins. Though the Chakliya community is believed to have its roots in Andhra Pradesh, the Chakliya community 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 workplace have also come up now and it would be looked into.