Here, caste system fails to raise its ugly head

HUBBALLI: At a time when discourse around caste equality has reduced to hollow rhetoric, Talakwad, a tiny hamlet in Badami taluk, Bagalkot district, stands as a pillar of equality. There is no space for ill-treatment of dalits in this hamlet, where caste divisions do not prevent people from getting together, and partaking of one another's joy and grief.
Interestingly, the literacy level of the village stands at 66.91%, which is lesser than the state average of 75.36%. Shivappa Doddamani, 42, a physical education teacher-turned-farmer, told STOI that he has never experienced any discrimination from people belonging to the upper castes. "There are only two dalit households in the village, and upper caste people are frequently seen here. If somebody were to die in our house, those belonging to the upper castes join us in our grief, and take part in our rituals. They help dig a pit, make the coffin and even participate in the burial," he said.
Shivappa recalled an incident wherein the villagers had joined hands to conduct the last rites of his neighbour, Tippavva Doddamani. "When she passed away, her husband was about to carry her body to his village. But the elders of our village convinced her in-laws that they would perform Tippavva's last rites, since she was the daughter of the village. A few caste organizations have occasionally tried driving a wedge, but we have kept them away," he added.
Rahul Badiger, 29, a carpenter, said, "We never maintain any distance from dalits. I am proud that I have always practiced social equality since my childhood."
An upper caste member of the village, Megundaya Metimath is pleased that his village is as an exemplar of social harmony. "People are living in harmony in our village for a long time," he said.