The Karnataka Government Would Contact Seers To End Untouchability

In an effort to end untouchability, which still exists in some areas of Karnataka, the state government of Bengaluru plans to enlist the help of religious leaders of all religions. The Social Welfare Department, Rural Development, and Panchayat Raj are all participating in this effort.

The government intends to provide more subsidies under this scheme as incentives to panchayats without untouchability practices. Vinaya Samarasya, an awareness campaign to remove untouchability in all gram panchayats in Karnataka, is anticipated to commence shortly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative is named for Vinay, a 2-year-old child whose family received a Rs. 25,000 fine when he entered a temple in Koppal, India, in 2021.

The government intends to eradicate untouchability in Karnataka, according to Social Welfare Minister Kota Shrinivas Poojari. They chose to start the campaign at the panchayat level in the villages because of this. In Karnataka, there are more than 6,000 gram panchayats. We want every panchayat to allow everyone access to all temples, allow all communities in the villages to share a graveyard and live as a family, as well as allow everyone to drink water from the same water source.

According to government authorities, they intend to contact seers from other groups to increase the effectiveness of the awareness campaign. The minister added that the seers have a stronger ability to sway their followers. Untouchability is a prevalent practice over much of the state. In some regions, members of specific castes are prohibited from attending fairs or even entering temples.

Even authorities and the police are powerless at times. A Dalit family was fined Rs 25,000 in September 2021 after their two-year-old child Vinay entered a shrine at Miyapur Village in Kushtagi Taluk in Koppal, North Karnataka.

People, political parties, and even organisations all criticised this in great detail. The State government therefore made the decision to start this initiative, which it named Vinaya Samarasya in honour of the young child. The government has already stated that Vinay's education will be covered. The minister promised to help him and provide him a free education.