Arise Bharat

On June 10, left-leaning portal The News Minute carried a motivated article titled “Dalits in Telangana village defy years of untouchability, reject segregated barbershops.”

Another left-leaning portal, The Wire carried the same article written by E. Bhavani to amplify the issue at national level, without even checking facts on the ground.

The News Minute’s report alleged that Dalit men in Timmapur village of Jadvevpur mandal of Siddiept district in Telangana were denied entry into the local salon.

“In a bid to subvert the status quo, five Dalit men demanded that their local barber cut their hair in the same salon as others in the village. When he denied impartial treatment, they filed an FIR against him and other members of the locally dominant caste for discriminatory behaviour,” according to the report.

However, a ground report by VSK Telangana revealed that The News Minute’s report is entirely based on inaccurate information and is misleading.

Instead, it emerged that the controversy was orchestrated by left-wing student organisation SFI and Communist party workers to derive political benefits by creating wedge between SC and OBC communities in the village.

The report alleged incidents of caste-based discrimination, denial of communal dining, and denial of entry into temples.

Taking into cognisance reports published by left leaning portals and VSK Telangana, Arise Bharat reached out to people of both communities to ascertain facts.

Here is our report based on what our sources from both communities told us.

Allegation 1: Caste Discrimination

The News Minute’s article started with allegation that Shyamsunder, a barber who belongs to Naayee Brahmin community, refused to cut their hair in the salon instead forced them to “comply with the barber’s practice of cutting their hair under a tamarind tree on the outskirts of the village.”

Fact :

Shyamsunder was occupied at his salon when a group of five villagers approached him, demanding immediate haircuts. Despite his repeated request to wait for their turn, they insisted on being served straightaway. The barber explained his difficulty in accommodating their demand and again urged them to wait for their turn.

Consequently, Shyamsunder suggested that they visit their usual location on Friday, which is approximately 500 meters away from his salon and adjacent to a neighbourhood predominantly inhabited by SC community.

Taking this refusal as an offence, these young men went to the local police station and lodged a First Information Report (FIR) alleging caste-based discrimination and unequal treatment in comparison to members of other castes. They also alleged in their complaint that Shyamsunder mistreated them in collaboration with another individual belonging to the Mudiraj (BC Caste) community, and cases must be filed against them as per the SC ST Act.

Allegation 2: Denial of common dining

On June 8, Timmapur marked a ‘festival of lakes’ as part of the state government’s decennial celebrations of Telangana’s formation. The report says as the Dalit residents were about to participate in a community cooking event, members of the dominant Mudiraj community and other BC communities objected to their participation.

“They humiliated us by saying they wouldn’t eat food cooked by us. They only wanted us to clean up after them by picking up the leaves (used as plates),” Narsimlu, a Dalit resident told the publication.

Fact :

While everyone was having a common meal at village centre state government’s decennial celebrations of Telangana’s formation, a group of approximately 20 to 25 individuals from the SC community abruptly entered the dining area and insisted on serving people of Backward Caste (BC) community, who were eating at that time. Already, the food was being served by young individuals representing a mix of castes.

Observing all these uncalled arguments, an 80-year-old woman questioned why they are insisting on serving lunch when it’s they who supply food for all. However, the men from the SC community took the elderly woman’s word offensively.

As a customary practice, the process of meal preparation and serving is inclusive and unbiased, where people from all castes engage in preparing food while others partake in eating in the village at different functions and programs.

Allegation 3: Denial to temple entry

The report read: “Two decades after his childhood incident, Raju entered the Hanuman temple once again on July 1 along with Narsimlu and others. He alleged that after their entry, the power supply to the temple was discontinued.

“The BC communities do not want to enter the temple anymore. They’re saying they’ll build a new Hanuman temple for themselves,” Raju said.

Fact:

The visual from the village temple unequivocally demonstrates that there are no restrictions on temple entry.

However, The News Minute gave space to such malicious comments without verifying if the entry to the temple is indeed denied for people from SC community. It came into light that these young men are part of the political group which wants issues like these to keep burning to achieve political mileage.

Political conspiracy by SFI:

Timmapur village is known for its peaceful and harmonious social life. People from various castes such as Rajaka, Yadava, Mudiraj, Padmashali (BC), and Madiga (SC) have been maintaining positive communication and fostering healthy relationships with one another.

However, recently a villager named Raju got attracted and influenced by the Student Federations of India (SFI), a left-wing student organisation. The Kula Vivaksha Porata Samiti (KVPS), an organization affiliated with the CPM, is also actively luring youth from the SC community in Timmapur.

Our sources told us that over the past few months, Raju has been inciting and encouraging members of the SC community to harass individuals from non-SC backgrounds in Timmapur.

Once the case was filed at the police station, Raju exerted pressure on the elders of the SC community to pass a resolution affirming the truth of the aforementioned allegations. According to this resolution, anyone who speaks against these allegations or attempts to establish harmonious relationships and dine with people from BC communities will have to be fined Rs15,000.

The caste centric organizations focusing on SC issues such as MRPS and BSP have been actively inciting youth to foster their own political agendas in the village.

While the society at large is putting efforts to address the issue like caste-based discrimination, communal dining, and the temple entry for all through comprehensive awareness campaigns,  the divisive forces under the garb of NGOs, rights activists, left-leaning journalists and Communists are in constant searching of even a minor issue to flare up the issue and widen the gap between the different communities. They garnish incidents like these with historical elements to further their narrative of caste discrimination.

During private discussions, the local villagers and community leaders from both sides vehemently denied all the allegations mentioned in the report.

However, they remain cautious and reluctant to come out openly fearing the potential repercussions from both SC and BC factions. The looming threat of facing a fine of Rs 15,000 and potential legal action under the SC/ST Act further adds to their silence.

Ramesh, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, and Vijayender Reddy, the Revenue Division Officer, visited the villagers on June 13 and offered guidance, urging them to refrain from being manipulated by divisive elements. They emphasized the importance of avoiding a politically biased perspective when assessing situations.