BJP MP from Chitradurga, Anekal Narayanaswamy, was stopped from entering the village on September 16 because he was a Dalit. Narayanaswamy belongs to the marginalized Madiga community, which was considered untouchable in the caste hierarchy. The existence of untouchables in Pemmanahalli, just 160 kilometers from Bengaluru, has sparked outrage across the state. Blatant caste discrimination and ostracism drew widespread condemnation, with many calling for the villagers' immediate arrest under the Atrocities Act. Some demanded a public apology. Last week's incident exposed the long saga of neglect and hopelessness of a pastoralist community steeped in superstition. The Gollarahatti have always had a reputation as a breeding ground for superstition and orthodoxy because they typically live far from other villages. The community is scattered across nine districts of Karnataka. It's a similar story for most of the 1,000 or so Gollarahattis in the Chitradurga constituency. For the older generation and women of the village, tradition comes first. "No Dalit [untouchable] politician has insisted until today on joining our hatti [village]. Why does this MP want to do that?" - Nagamani, a housewife, asks. Bommakkaa, an elderly woman, says that anyone who defies the norms will draw the wrath of the gods.