Plight of tribes, untouched by development, never touches hearts of powers that be

Here’s a stinging revelation: there are at least 120 tribes that have not benefited either from reservation or government schemes over the last seven decades.

These are nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes who go by the names of Sudugadu Siddaru, Dombidasa, Dakkaliga, Handijogi, Kolebasava, Hakki-Pikki, Karadi Kalandhar, Pinjara, Nadaf, Soliga, Jenu Kuruba, Beda Gampanna, Gejjegara, Budga Jangama, Kadugolla and Halal Khor.

The Karnataka Nomadic Tribes Mahasabha (KNTM) president C S Dwarakanath, a former Backward Classes Commission chairperson, has launched a movement to unite all these miniscule communities.

Also Read: A cry in wilderness for tribes as they don't help parties laugh their way to votebank

Recently, the KNTM asked the government to set up a separate commission to uplift these communities.

“Some years ago, I decided to celebrate Independence Day in a colony of Dakkaligas in Chikkanayakanahalli (Tumakuru). To my dismay, they didn’t even know that they were living in a ‘free country’ and that they, too, have rights. Their ignorance moved me like never before. There are several such small communities across the state who don’t know their rights,” Dwarakanath says.

There is one tribe named Kapali in Kodagu, whose population is just 290 households, Dwarakanath says.

“They live in interior forest areas. They don’t know that they can be educated and that they’re entitled to reservation.”

Apparently, there are 51 tribes among SCs, 23 among STs and 46 among OBCs and minorities, especially Muslims - adding up to 120.

According to retired High Court Justice H N Nagamohan Das, who headed a commission on hiking SC/ST quota, these are communities that were notified as criminal during the colonial rule and then denotified after Independence.

“They continue to live a life of stigma, poverty and marginalisation. The government needs to come out with a policy to address these communities’ needs,” he says. The population of only seven of the denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities was projected as 25 lakh, according to a 2008 report.

“This easily translates to around 5 per cent of the state’s population in the 2001 census. Now, if we add 120+ nomadic tribes, it might even cross 10 per cent,” Dwarakanath argues. Bhiku Ramji Idate, chairperson of the National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, in his 2015 report, argued for the need to prepare a state-wise list of such communities.

For this, Karnataka needs a commission exclusively to monitor the needs of these communities, Dwarakanath says.

Also Read: BJP plans to reach 75 lakh tribal families as part of outreach campaign

A commission may not suffice because some of these communities need a dedicated development board, Dr R V Chandrashekhar of the Centre for the Study of Marginalised Communities at the National Law School of India University says, citing the example of Dakkaligas whose population is not more than 10,000 in the state. They haven’t reaped the benefits of reservation or any government programme.

“The main profession of this miniscule community is begging, that too in colonies of Madigas. These families neither have education nor are they aware of their rights. Therefore, I argue that such communities also need a development board,” Chandrashekhar says.

No address, woes addressed

It is said that more than 65 per cent of these tribes still live in hutments in various parts of the state - government schemes on housing, electricity and ration cards haven’t reached them.

“Most of these communities do not even have an address proof as they do not have permanent houses,” Chandrashekhar noted.