Dalits threaten to convert to Islam after upper castes deny them haircuts

The Valmikis of Sambhal in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh warn they'll embrace Islam if discrimination doesn't stop

Dalits in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh are threatening to convert to Islam if upper-caste Hindus will not treat them with dignity.

Irked by the rules set by upper-caste Hindus, the Valmikis in Sambhal have announced that they would embrace Islam if the discrimination they have faced for years did not stop.

The Dalit community’s right to have their hair cut by the barbers in the village is the latest fiasco that has boiled matters.



Since independence, the Valmikis of Sambhal have to travel up to 20 kilometres to get a shave or hair cut but recently a Muslim barber who is new to the village agreed to provide his services to one man from the community and all hell broke loose after the fact became public.

Once the barber learnt about the customs of the village, he refused to serve another Valmiki client, leading to a police complaint and a brawl between the two.

However, the police claims interpersonal tensions between Valmikis and Muslim barbers triggered this incident.



Reports stated that the barber in the village has gone missing to avoid further trouble.

Earlier this month, an installation of a statue of BR Ambedkar in Ravidas temple triggered tensions between Dalits and Thakurs and a group of Dalit youth attacked the upper castes.

Later, around 50 Dalit families in Moradabad immersed statues of Hindu deities in the river there and started greeting one another with the salutation "Salaamwalekum" instead of the usual "Ram Ram", following an increase in incidents of attacks on Dalits in Uttar Pradesh ever since the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government came to power.

This article originally appeared on Huffington Post.