plea to save perishing Kinnera Jogulu tribe

Anantapur: Nomadic tribes, often overlooked and unrepresented, continue to face severe neglect in India. Kinnera Jogulu is one among them, a community of wandering beggars and lives in the hills of Kallur mandal of Anantapur district, struggling to survive through unorganised labour. Their lives are marked by hardship and deprivation, yet their plight remains invisible to the broader society and political system.

The recent tragedy in which two women dies – Lakshmi dies after falling into a pond while collecting firewood and Harini also dies while trying to save her – highlights the absence of political representation and social safety nets. And also, their lack of basic resources.

In Kallur, there are 32 Kinnera Jogulu families and two families of Dommarollu. More than 26 children from these families attend government schools and parents has to take loans to pay school fees.

Kinnera Jogulu is one of the several marginalised communities in the State. The State is home to numerous Scheduled Tribes and denotified nomadic tribes, including Jatapu,Konda Dora, Mooka Dora, Manne Dora, Savara, Gadaba, Chenchu, Koya, and Gondi. Denotified tribes such as Dasari, Erukala, Yanadi, Sugali, Korava, Koracha, and Kaidai Nakkala also face systemic neglect. Additionally, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes like Vaddera, Pamula, Nirshikari, Budabukkala, Madhla, Pusala, Gangi, Reddula, Boya and Dommara.

Among the Scheduled Castes, communities like Jangama Dewara, Dakkali, Kinnera Jogulu, and Beda Budaga Jangalu endure extreme social and economic backwardness due to traditional untouchability and systemic oppression. These groups, already on the brink of extinction, are disappearing without acknowledgment or support.

Jangamollu, also known as Jangam Devara, are devotees of Lord Shiva. They once roamed villages during Karthika masam, singing Shiva keertans. Today, their traditional profession has vanished, and those remaining few are forced to beg for survival. Their language, culture, and way of life are on the verge of extinction.

Despite India’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity, there has been little to no research on the languages of these denotified and nomadic communities. While other countries have models for protecting such languages, India lacks even official statistics to document their existence.

The Central and State governments are requested to take immediate and special measures to address the issues of these marginalised communities. Without targeted intervention, their stories, languages, and lives will continue to crumble, lost to the annals of history.

Dr M Suresh Babu and Prof G Venkata Siva Reddy from Poura Spandana Vedika made a study of these tribes and are planning to submit a report to the government on the precarious conditions of these nomadic tribes.