Karnataka opens government-run barber shop after Dalits denied haircuts
A government-run barber shop was opened in Gadag’s Singatalur village after local barbers repeatedly refused haircuts to Dalits, citing a religious tradition. In Karnataka’s Gadag district, officials on Thursday, February 26, inaugurated a barber shop for Dalit residents of Singatalur village after local barbers repeatedly denied them haircuts. The facility, opened by the Social Welfare Department, is believed to be the state’s first government-run barber shop. Local residents said tensions began a few weeks ago when a village barber refused to cut a Dalit youth’s hair. Officials said the barbers justified the discrimination on religious grounds. “Every year, the deity visits the homes of the Hadapada community, and the barbers claimed they could not serve Dalits during this period,” a Taluk official told Indian Express. As the situation escalated, local administration officials held peace meetings with barbers and community members. Despite repeated warnings and meetings with the tehsildar, the barbers continued to refuse service to Dalit residents, prompting the administration to issue a notice to the shop and order its closure. Following this, many barbers closed their shops. After barbers continued to refuse service, the administration worked with the Social Welfare Department, Taluk Administration, Taluk Panchayat, Police Department, Dalit Pro-Sangha Tane Kooka and Shivsharan Hadapada Appana Samaj to establish the new shop that Dalits and other residents can freely access. A barber from the Hadapada Appana Samaj agreed to operate it, with authorities arranging the equipment. Courtesy : TNM Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewsminute.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Man gets 20-years rigorous imprisonment for raping Dalit girl in UP’s Sonbhadra in 2018
Sonbhadra (UP), A court here on Friday sentenced a man to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment after he was convicted of raping a Dalit girl seven years ago, the prosecution said. Government Advocate Dinesh Prasad Agrahari said on October 25, 2018, a woman submitted a written complaint at Robertsganj police station stating that her 16-year-old daughter was lured by her former acquaintance, Raj Mishra, into a forest near Churk and raped. The plaintiff told the police that after the rape, the accused assaulted her daughter and abused her with casteist slurs. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the accused — Raj Mishra, a resident of Rajdhan under Chopan police station area — was arrested. Following investigation and collection of sufficient evidence against the accused, a chargesheet was filed in court. Agrahari said Additional District Judge (POCSO Act) Amit Veer Singh held Raj Mishra guilty on Friday and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, also imposing a fine of Rs 56,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two months’ imprisonment. The court ordered that Rs 40,000 from the fine amount be given to the survivor. PTI COR NAV ARB ARB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Courtesy : The Print Note: This news is originally published on https:/theprint.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Shops shut during soldier’s funeral; untouchability suspected
Pic: Hanamantappa Harijan, 55, an ex-serviceman Bagalkot: It seems the practice of untouchability affected the funeral of a soldier from Dalit community — who served the country for 20 years — at Chinnapur village of Ilkal taluk in Bagalkot district. The incident reportedly happened on Thursday. Sources in the Ilkal taluk administration told TOI that Hanamantappa Harijan, 55, died due to health issues. “Expecting that his relatives, belonging to the Dalit community, would attend his funeral, hotels and shops belonging to certain communities were shut down. As soon as the information was received, tahsildar Amaresh Pammar, officials from police, social welfare, and other departments visited the village and convened a peace meeting of all communities. Upper caste people said that they went to their fields and they normally shut their eateries in the afternoon. After officials’ warning, they opened their shops,” they added. Deceased Hanamantappa’s relatives, who had come from other villages, said that they observed all shops were shut and only one was open. “We drank some juice there but the shopkeeper insisted on paying via mobile apps saying they will not touch cash from Dalits as a Dalit man had died in the village. He also told us that all shops are shut just because of the death of Dalit. Forgetting that he was a soldier, villagers were practising untouchability. Hence we called the police on 112,” they added. Tahsildar Amaresh neither answered calls nor responded to messages. According to videos doing the rounds on social media, a group of ex-servicemen offered their last respects to the departed soul. Police sources said that another peace meeting will be held on March 2. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Karnataka Cabinet approves Rohith Vemula Bill draft, set to go for next round of approval
The draft law is a civil law, unlike the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act). If passed, it will be the first official acknowledgement that Rohith Vemula was a Dalit and that he died because of caste discrimination. The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday, February 26, approved the current version the draft Rohith Bill, a law to protect Dalit and Adivasi students from caste discrimination. During the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister G Parameshwara suggested that the draft bill should go to the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) for its suggestions. A minister present during the meeting told TNM that once the DCRE adds it suggestions, the draft will be presented in the next cabinet meeting, which is likely to be on March 5. Another minister said that the government hoped to table the draft Rohith Act during the budget session, which is to be held between March 6 and 27. Both ministers confirmed that everyone in the cabinet okayed the draft Rohith Bill. Named after Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad who died by suicide on January 17, 2016, the Rohith Act is aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination and harassment against Dalits and Adivasis in higher education institutions. TNM had reported that the draft law emerged through months of intense debates and discussions between the government and campaigners pushing for the anti-caste law in the state. Unlike the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Rohith Act is a civil law which aims to resolve cases of caste discrimination within the campus and, as far as possible, outside courts and police stations. Higher education institutions would have to set up internal committees against caste harassment, similar to the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH). TNM had previously reported that if passed, the law will be the first official acknowledgement that Rohith Vemula was a Dalit and that he died because of caste discrimination. A decade after Rohith’s death, the investigation into his death has gone nowhere. For most part of the last decade, during which the BRS was in power in Telangana, the state government and police took an openly hostile position against the campaigners seeking justice for Rohith, while the BJP has consistently denied that Rohith was a Dalit. But things did not improve even after the Congress came to power two years ago. The police cases against students haven’t been withdrawn by the state government yet. Courtesy : TNM Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewsminute.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
KTR kicks up a storm over lockup death of Dalit youth
BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday said that his party would corner the Congress government over the lockup death of Dalit youth Karla Rajesh. The BRS Working President visited the family of Dalit youth Karla Rajesh, who died in a police lockup death recently in Kodad, Suryapet district, and assured them of confronting the government. Speaking to the media, Rao alleged that Dalit youth Rajesh was tortured and unjustly murdered. He stated that Rajesh lost his life due to political pressure. He demanded an answer from the Congress leaders, local MLA and Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on this incident. KTR demanded that the DSP, SI and CI responsible for this lockup death be dismissed immediately. He reminded that when his government was in power, in the case of the death of a Dalit woman named Mariamma at Addagudur police station, they gave an ex-gratia of Rs 35 lakh, provided a job to the family and dismissed the responsible police officers. He criticised the current Congress government for protecting those responsible. He questioned how unfair it was to promote the DSP named Sridhar Reddy, who was responsible for this incident. KTR emotionally said that no one could alleviate the suffering of Rajesh’s mother. He said that he would raise this issue in the Assembly as well and challenge the government, and that if necessary, he would continue the struggle till Delhi. He announced that the BRS party would provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to Rajesh’s family. He assured the family that he would support them in every way and would continue the fight until complete justice was done. He commended MRPS leader Manda Krishna for his fight against this incident and thanked him. Courtesy : THI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehansindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Bhopal News: Transgender Feel Social Prejudice In Accessing Healthcare Services; Study
The study also emphasized that sensitivity, cultural understanding, and a respectful approach in the behavior of healthcare workers are extremely important. It further highlighted that policy-level reforms, training of healthcare professionals, and the creation of a safe environment are necessary to ensure equal and respectful healthcare services for the transgender community. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): AIIMS research revealed that transgender people feel social prejudice and discriminated in accessing health care services. Nursing student of AIIMS Komal Kathale presented research paper titled, A study to explore the expectations and experiences related to healthcare services among the transgender population in a tertiary care hospital: A qualitative study.” The study attempted to understand the real-life experiences of transgender individuals. The findings revealed that while accessing healthcare services, they face several challenges such as social prejudice, discrimination, communication gaps, and the lack of gender-sensitive services. The study also emphasized that sensitivity, cultural understanding, and a respectful approach in the behaviour of healthcare workers are extremely important. It further highlighted that policy-level reforms, training of healthcare professionals, and the creation of a safe environment are necessary to ensure equal and respectful healthcare services for the transgender community. Komal Kathale, a 2nd year MSc nursing student of the College of Nursing, AIIMS Bhopal, secured first position in the postgraduate category at National Scientific Paper Presentation 2026. The conference was organised by Symbiosis College of Nursing, Symbiosis International University, Pune, in which participants from across the country took part. Courtesy : TFPJ Note: This news is originally published on https:/thefreepressjournal.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
DMK MP Kanimozhi may meet Rahul Gandhi again to iron out differences over seat-sharing
Chennai: Seat-sharing talks between DMK and Congress have hit a roadblock, with Congress refusing to settle for the numbers offered by the principal ally. DMK MP Kanimozhi is likely to meet Congress leaders in Delhi on Friday as leaders of the two parties kept talking in different voices over the allocation of a Rajya Sabha seat, too. “Kanimozhi has sought an appointment with Rahul Gandhi after her parliamentary committee meeting on Friday morning. She will explain the reasons for DMK’s inability to fulfil the demands of Congress,” said a source. DMK has been citing the inclusion of more partners in the alliance as a reason for its inability to give more seats to allies. During her talks with AICC member Girish Chodankar on Feb 23, Kanimozhi had requested Congress to settle for 27 seats. Chodankar conveyed the message to the Congress leadership, and the Congress high command was not happy with the numbers, sources said. “We started with the offer of 25 seats and raised it by two, but they don’t seem to be happy with it,” said a DMK source. The stalemate triggered rumours that Congress has reopened channels of communication with TVK. Seeking to end speculations, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai said the Congress-DMK alliance remains strong. “A Congress candidate will file a nomination for a Rajya Sabha seat in a couple of days under the DMK alliance,” he said. However, DMK sources said Kanimozhi had communicated to Chodankar that Congress can be given a Rajya Sabha seat only in 2028. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Wayanad: Cong launches 100 homes for survivors
Kozhikode: Opposition leader in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi laid the foundation stone for homes Congress will build for the survivors of Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide. The project at Kunnambetta in Meppadi panchayat will see construction of 100 houses, each measuring 1,100 sq ft on eight cents. Addressing the gathering, Rahul said the people of Wayanad showed unmatched courage in the face of disaster. “You lost and lost, but you never lost your spirit. You never lost your courage and more importantly, you never lost the compassion for others,” he said. He added that launching the housing project sends a message to survivors that the party will stand with them throughout recovery and healing. “For us, it is not a one-day event that happened. Because you are our family, we are going to stand with you whenever you need us,” he said. Speaking at the event, Priyanka said she will stay with the disaster-affected people until they rebuild their lives fully. She said the tragedy’s scenes can never be forgotten. “What I saw that day will never leave me. You lost everything – your homes, your families, sops, businesses, everything. But what struck me most was your courage, your pride, the way every single person here did whatever they could to help you. And the way you stood together, helping each other irrespective of religion and different sections you belonged to. You gave each other courage and love when you needed it most,” she said. On the delay in starting project work, Priyanka said she was pained the process took so long. She added that the delay was due to required clearances and land issues. The party purchased 3.25 acres and is now in the process of buying another 2.18 acres. Negotiations are ongoing to acquire an additional five acres, she said. Priyanka handed over Rs 5 lakh to 40 traders, who had lost their shops in the disaster. KPCC chief Sunny Joseph presided over the event. AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal and Deepa Dasmushi, IUML general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, and several other party leaders also spoke at the function. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
PM ‘sacrificing farmers’ in trade pact: Rahul
Kozhikode: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of sacrificing India’s farmers through the proposed India–US trade deal, terming it a ‘criminal act’ to open the domestic agricultural market to American producers. Speaking at an interaction with farmers in Peravoor in Kannur, Rahul alleged that the Prime Minister was under pressure to agree to the deal due to two issues—the unreleased Epstein files and a case involving the Adani Group in the United States. “I can tell you with confidence that no Indian PM would do this. Allowing American farmers to sell soyabean, corn and fruits in India is going to destroy the foundation we have built so carefully. The whole Green Revolution and White Revolution happened because we believed that we needed a foundation built in agriculture,” Rahul said. He further alleged that US President Donald Trump was exerting pressure on the Prime Minister. Rahul also claimed that ruling party members in the Lok Sabha prevented him from speaking in Parliament as he intended to raise these matters. “The first concerns the 3.5 million Epstein files that have not been released. Please understand they are held secret by the US govt. These files have information about the PM of India,” Rahul alleged, adding that the second threat was the case involving the Adani Group in the US. “The threat to the PM is very clear- If you do not do what we want, we will release to everybody the entire financial architecture of you and BJP,” Rahul said, adding that those were the two reasons that made Modi agree to the Indo-US trade deal, which he said, amounts to destroying the agricultural foundation of India using a JCB. “Indian farmers are being sacrificed so that the PM can protect himself and can protect the financial foundation of BJP,” Rahul added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Ayodhya News: Raja Man Singh accused of grabbing Dalit land
Ayodhya. The troubles of Raja Man Singh, imprisoned in Sariawan, are steadily increasing. He has now been accused of grabbing a Dalit’s land in Sariawan and giving it to another Dalit. Based on the victim’s complaint, the police have filed a report against three people, including Man Singh. In the FIR, Dharampal, a resident of Pure Balla Mouza Sariawan in the Purakalandar area, stated that on August 30, 2014, the tehsil administration granted him a lease for agricultural purposes. At that time, he was cultivating his land. In May 2025, Pawan Kumar, a resident of Pure Mehrban, Raja Man Singh, and Govind Singh, a resident of Sidhir, began seizing his land with a JCB. When he protested, the accused threatened him and drove him away. When he went to the police, under Man Singh’s influence, the police issued a challan against him. Subsequently, both parties were summoned before the SDM, Sohawal. The accountant claimed to separate the land but refused to grant possession. Later, he surrounded his field with pillars and poles, but his opponents broke the poles. Later, Gunjan Yadav, a resident of Civil Lines, Arya Deepak, Arya Nivedan, and Arya Shakti, residents of Sariyawan Square, were given possession. Since then, he has been running around trying to free his land from occupation. He has filed a report against the accused and demanded security for him and his family. CO Ayodhya Ashutosh Tiwari said that a report has been filed against the accused and the matter is being investigated. Courtesy: Hindi News