Kudligi (Karnataka), Aug. 12 -- In a landmark move against entrenched caste discrimination, a Dalit was allowed entry into Kallahalli Gullarahatti hamlet in Karnataka's Kudligi taluk for the first time since Independence. The development came after Kudligi MLA NT Srinivas and the taluk administration intervened when villagers recently barred a Dalit official from entering the settlement to conduct a survey. For decades, residents, believing that Dalit presence would bring misfortune, had denied them access. Kudligi tahasildar VK Netravati, upon learning of the incident, visited the hamlet with officials and warned residents against following unconstitutional and superstitious practices. The settlement, located on the border and dominated by...