Karnataka Ethnographic study on 6 nomadic, semi nomadic communities

The Backward Classes Welfare (BCW) Department has approved ethnographic studies into six nomadic and semi nomadic communities — Byragi, Darvesh, Dholi, Nathapanthi (Dauri Gosavi), Tirumali and Durga Murga (Bur Bur Cha) at a cost of Rs 60.77 lakh.

In Karnataka, nomadic communities come under three departments – Social Welfare, Scheduled Tribe Welfare and BCW. Forty-six nomadic communities are coming under the BCW.

While a government order (GO) on January 17 approved ethnographic studies about Dholi, Nathapanti, Tirumali and Durga Murga, a subsequent GO on February 10 gave the green signal to similar studies on the Byragi and Darvesh communities.

These studies will be helmed by L Srinivas of Kannada University, Hampi (Dholi, Nathapanti and Tirumali), T T Basavanagouda (Durga
Murga) and Sadananda B Sugandi (Byragi and Darvesh) from Karnatak University. All three are Anthropology faculty. 

These reports will be submitted to the D Devaraj Urs Research Institute, which comes under the BCW Department.

“I have collected information through secondary data but its veracity will be ascertained through the primary data we collect. They have given us a year. We will conduct the study and submit a report before that,” Sreenivas told DH.

The latest move is in continuation of a trend started last year, where the BCW department approved ethnographic studies into eight nomadic communities — Shikkaligar, Gopala, Baazigar, Nandiwaala – Joshi – Pulmaali, Geesadi, Haavadiga, Gaarudiga and Bailu Pattara — at a cost of Rs 1.46 crore.

A senior officer in the BCW Department told DH that the ethnographic studies would involve a comprehensive look into the lifestyle, food, cultural habits, socio-educational and economic status of the concerned nomadic communities.

“Once the concerned universities submit their report, the government will consider the specific recommendations made by the reports on each community.”

Earlier, certain communities had sought SC or ST status based on the study and recommendations of such ethnographic studies. For instance, the Parivara/Talavara community was in Category 1 of OBC list but was later shifted to the ST list based on an ethnographic study.

However, the officer quoted earlier clarified that these studies were not intended to see whether any of the communities could be shifted over to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe lists.

“If that was the intention, the studies would’ve been under the aegis of the Ambedkar Research Institute (for inclusion to SC list) or the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute (for inclusion to ST list) instead of D Devaraj Urs Institute.”