Karnataka - Bangalore

When even dogs and cattle were `upper caste'

Special Correspondent

`I was prevented from even touching the dog of the village elder'

Alkod Hanumanthappa

BANGALORE: Such was the deep-rooted practice of untouchability as recently as three decades ago that Dalits were not even allowed to touch the dogs of "upper caste" people.

sThis was experienced by none other than Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Alkod Hanumanthappa during his schooldays.

Recalling his experience at a programme organised by the SC/ST Employees' Welfare Association of the Employment and Training Department in Bangalore on Friday, the Dalit leader said as a school-going kid, he was prevented from even touching the dog of the village elder whenever he passed near his house.

"I was not even allowed to touch the stone wall of the village elder's house. Whenever I passed in front of his house, my mother would be scared that I might touch his building, the dog and the bullock. I was being constantly cautioned not to touch any of the structures and animals whenever I took that route," the Minister said.

Referring to the present situation, Mr. Hanumanthappa observed that it was wrong to think that Dalits were being discriminated only in villages.

Menace

Actually, the menace was more in Bangalore, he maintained.

"In villages, the discrimination is very crude and visible. It would be mostly beating the Dalits and using abusive words against them. But in Bangalore, the discrimination is more insidious. I have felt humiliated when people have given dirty looks at me in Bangalore."

Priority

The Minister called upon the Dalits to be united and give priority to education to expedite their development.

Of late, the Minister said, the unity among Dalits was disappearing.

They were divided into various sub-castes and often there were arguments and quarrels among these groups. This is coming in the way of development of Dalits, he observed.

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