01-17-2005, 02:13 PM
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald...005/s1.asp
Living as outcastes among Dalits
The traditional Dakkaliga families earn livelihood by begging at Dalit-inhabited colonies and they live in tents outside Dalit colonies.
BY K N GIRISH
DH NEWS SERVICE, DAVANGERE:
While the terms like âcommunalismâ and âfascismâ are doing rounds in all the present-day discourses, everyone seem to have grown oblivious to the much tabooed term âuntouchabilityâ, the age-old social scourge which has continued to wield its evil influence in villages, if not in cities.
For some thirty families of Dakkaliga community settled in Chikkmegalageri village in Harapanahalli taluk, the word âuntouchableâ is still very much relevant as it offers the best definition for their destitute lives.
Dakkaligas are living as untouchables not only among the people in general, but also among the Dalits! Even to this day, they are prohibited from entering many of the Dalit-inhabited colonies nor do orthodox Dalits enter their houses. The members of this most oppressed community among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) who were treated as inferior among the Dalits have been tolerating all disgrace and social bias with stoic endurance, all these years.
Dakkaligas are a nomadic community living in some pockets of Davangere, Chitradurga, Bijapur, Bellary, Tumkur districts and also in some parts of Andhra Pradesh. According to the available statistics, the population of Dakkaligas was around 400 in 1972. Now, it is estimated to have crossed 2,000 mark.
The traditional Dakkaliga families earn their livelihood by begging alms and food at Dalit-inhabited colonies. Telugu is their mother tongue and they also know Kannada quite well.
Most time of the year, they keep travelling to familiar villages and live in make-shift tents outside Dalit colonies.
To convey the message of their arrival, they make a loud scream saying âNaavu bandevappa dakkaligaru, namage ustuvari maadiâ (We, the Dakkaligas have come, please make arrangements for us). Hearing their yell, the inhabitants of the colony collect bread, foodgrains and offer them to the Dakkaligas as âKaanikeâ (offering). The nomadic families move to other villages after staying there for three days. Interestingly, Dakkaligas beg things only from the Dalits. The system is more prevalent in parts of Bijapur district, said Bheemanna, seventy-year-old member of the community.
A splinter group of Dakkaliga families which was living in Chikkamegalageri village for over three decades, started cultivating some revenue land.
After enduring shame for all these years, these families now want to shun nomadic life to lead a normal life. But circumstances do not allow their dream to fulfil and they are finding it impossible to free themselves from the stigma of being Dakkaligas. Also, other dominant communities which are averse to their permanent settlement are trying to evict Dakkaligas from the village.
âLife seemed to be too cruel for us when we were travelling to places for begging. Now, we are eager to lead normal life. But our fellow human beings are not allowing it,â rued septuagenarian Durgajji. She does not know the place of her birth as she was born to nomadic parents.
Young members of the community like Lokappa (30), Shanthraj (25) are worried about their acceptability in the society and their future. âWe do not face any problems in cities. But people in villages keep away from us the moment they come to know that we are Dakkaligasâ, they said.
Living as outcastes among Dalits
The traditional Dakkaliga families earn livelihood by begging at Dalit-inhabited colonies and they live in tents outside Dalit colonies.
BY K N GIRISH
DH NEWS SERVICE, DAVANGERE:
While the terms like âcommunalismâ and âfascismâ are doing rounds in all the present-day discourses, everyone seem to have grown oblivious to the much tabooed term âuntouchabilityâ, the age-old social scourge which has continued to wield its evil influence in villages, if not in cities.
For some thirty families of Dakkaliga community settled in Chikkmegalageri village in Harapanahalli taluk, the word âuntouchableâ is still very much relevant as it offers the best definition for their destitute lives.
Dakkaligas are living as untouchables not only among the people in general, but also among the Dalits! Even to this day, they are prohibited from entering many of the Dalit-inhabited colonies nor do orthodox Dalits enter their houses. The members of this most oppressed community among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) who were treated as inferior among the Dalits have been tolerating all disgrace and social bias with stoic endurance, all these years.
Dakkaligas are a nomadic community living in some pockets of Davangere, Chitradurga, Bijapur, Bellary, Tumkur districts and also in some parts of Andhra Pradesh. According to the available statistics, the population of Dakkaligas was around 400 in 1972. Now, it is estimated to have crossed 2,000 mark.
The traditional Dakkaliga families earn their livelihood by begging alms and food at Dalit-inhabited colonies. Telugu is their mother tongue and they also know Kannada quite well.
Most time of the year, they keep travelling to familiar villages and live in make-shift tents outside Dalit colonies.
To convey the message of their arrival, they make a loud scream saying âNaavu bandevappa dakkaligaru, namage ustuvari maadiâ (We, the Dakkaligas have come, please make arrangements for us). Hearing their yell, the inhabitants of the colony collect bread, foodgrains and offer them to the Dakkaligas as âKaanikeâ (offering). The nomadic families move to other villages after staying there for three days. Interestingly, Dakkaligas beg things only from the Dalits. The system is more prevalent in parts of Bijapur district, said Bheemanna, seventy-year-old member of the community.
A splinter group of Dakkaliga families which was living in Chikkamegalageri village for over three decades, started cultivating some revenue land.
After enduring shame for all these years, these families now want to shun nomadic life to lead a normal life. But circumstances do not allow their dream to fulfil and they are finding it impossible to free themselves from the stigma of being Dakkaligas. Also, other dominant communities which are averse to their permanent settlement are trying to evict Dakkaligas from the village.
âLife seemed to be too cruel for us when we were travelling to places for begging. Now, we are eager to lead normal life. But our fellow human beings are not allowing it,â rued septuagenarian Durgajji. She does not know the place of her birth as she was born to nomadic parents.
Young members of the community like Lokappa (30), Shanthraj (25) are worried about their acceptability in the society and their future. âWe do not face any problems in cities. But people in villages keep away from us the moment they come to know that we are Dakkaligasâ, they said.