KOLAGALLU/BALLARI : A caste conflict has sharply fractured social cohesion at Kolagallu village of Ballari taluk, with its ripple effects disrupting everyday life and pushing small livelihoods to the brink. For the past few weeks, all eight barber shops in the village have remained shut, following the friction between Kuruba, Valmiki and Madiga communities.
What began as a localised dispute has now evolved into a deep social divide, with residents unwilling to engage with one another. Barbers, who serve all sections of society, “we are stuck in between. If we attend to customers from one community, it invites objections from the other”. Barbers said they decided to shut their businesses to avoid backlash from either side, and will reopen only after normalcy returns.
With no income from their regular trade, some barbers have temporarily shifted to agricultural labour to sustain their families. A barber said, “we never saw people through the lens of caste. Yet, we are the ones bearing the brunt of a conflict that is not ours.”
Many residents are forced to travel to Ballari city even for basic grooming services. The situation is particularly sensitive as the annual fair and chariot festival of Erritata draws near. While one faction has opposed holding the event, another insists on continuing the tradition, further intensifying the divide. Kolagallu has long been regarded as a caste-sensitive village. Incidents involving community clashes have earlier been reported, especially between Kuruba and Madiga groups.
Police said, the current flare-up traces back to an altercation at a bar, in March first week, reportedly involving caste-based abuse. A case has since been registered at the Ballari Rural Police Station.