Badagas

The Badagas (Kannada:ಬಡಗ ಜನರು) are an indigenous people inhabiting the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, southern India. The term 'Badagu' in old Kannada means 'North', so 'Badaga' should mean 'Northerner'. They form the largest indigenous community in the Nilgiri region, with a population of approximately 150,000 encompassing some 370-odd villages and smaller settlements. [1999 estimate by anthropologist Paul Hockings, see [http://cmartinl.bol.ucla.edu/badagas.html UCLA study] ] Under the Indian government's Scheduled Castes and Tribes system, they are not as yet formally recognized as a Scheduled Tribe ("Adivasi"), although the people themselves have agitated for this recognition. They are registered as a Backward Caste, (now referred to as other backward caste(OBC) caste).

Their aspirations to be recognized as a tribe, rather than a caste, is complicated by their historical and contemporary social relations with other Nilgiri peoples, from whom they have asserted some differences and even a social precedence. For example, the Badagas have traditionally hired musicians from other Nilgiri groups (such as the Kota and Irula) to play at their social functions, which is symbolic of submission and control in that region. ["Ibid."] However, they are also known to have paid tribute in grain to other groups, such as the Todas. In general, neither stereotype of caste or tribe can be readily applied. They are most likely Dravidian by descent and they are by religion Hindus of the Saiva sect. Research has indicated they migrated to the Nilgiris from the Mysore region, sometime around 1600 after the break-up of the kingdom of Vijayanagara. ["Ibid."] [ [http://www.jstor.org/view/00978507/ap020282/02a00320/0 Emeneau notes when Badaga diverged from Kanada] ]

They are an agricultural people and far the most numerous and wealthy of the hill tribes. Many have relocated to towns and cities of the region, and earn income from urban-style employment.

Their language is Badaga, a dialect of Kannada.

Origin of the Badagas

:The badagas have been considered to be of Dravidian origin even though the language spoken is close to Dravidian but it is also disputed that their customs, cultural aspects are distinct and not closely related to other Ethnic Groups hence their origins are in debate.

Natives of the Nilgiris

: Of late the theory put forth by leading scholars have strongly criticised the migration theory and have said that the badagas are natives of the Nilgiris. Philology states that in the beginning languages existed without scripts and only later scripts were developed. Hence this seems to be a justification that the badagas were completely an indegenous people to due to the absence in their script, but an ancient indegenous group would have a higher population or would have been completely extinct which questions the validity of this theory.With regard to religion, prior to converting to Hinduism the badagas were nature worshippers, even today worship stones with nature being a central theme can be found in the Nilgiris, Nature worship suggests that the badagas like the ancient Greeks and the Egyptians were an ancient ethnic group.

R1a1 haplogroup

:Others state that the badagas have migrated from Central/East Europe. It is justified that the Badaga ethnic group from Central/East Europe for survival had to accept the local language after migration to southern India and then to the Nilgiri Hills (the nilgiris then belonged to the Vijayanagara Empire), hence the dialect of Kannada. The badagas hence adopted the language for verbal communication and did not accept the Script as it was Foreign to them. The date of the second migration from present Karnataka is probably said to be around 1500 AD - 1600 AD. The population vs time graph indicates that the original badagas were just a handful of about 15 - 30 persons. However, the European migration theory has no credible evidence but still under debate. ::Genomic Studies "i.e." a Y-chromosome DNA marker test on the badagas have resulted in the badagas belonging to the broader R1a and specifically R1a1 Haplogroup. A good percentage of people in Central Europe,East Europe,Scandinavia and the people of Punjab also belong to this R1a1 Haplogroup. Hence this has been suggestive of the fact that the badagas are of an Eurasian origin. There are critics which go on to say a lot of people in Central Europe, East Europe etc are migrants from India (INDUS VALLEY) years ago, as Indian civilisation was one of the oldest say 5000 yrs but escavated temple Dwaraka reveal that it could be as old as 30,000 years. In the Hindu methodology, the temple was immersed, which marks the end of an Avathar(Krishnan) and marks the beginning of a new Avathar (*this is also know as ice age to the rest of the world, where water level rose through out the world due to melting of ice).

The above statement of "origin" is further diluted based on the examination of R1a1 in South Indian tribals and Dravidian population groups Saha et al. (2005) questioned the concept of its Indo-Iranian origin. Sengupta et al. (2005) claim R1a's diverse presence including even Indian tribal and lower castes (the so-called untouchables) and populations not part of the caste system. From the diversity and distinctiveness of microsatellite Y-STR variation they conclude that there must have been an independent R1a1 population in India dating back to a much earlier expansion than the Indo-Aryan migration.

::Though R1a1 haplogroup is found in mostly all the communities throughout India (South/East/West and North), the only other ethnic group from southern India which belongs to the R1a1 haplogroup is the Kodava whose customs and cultural aspects for centuries have been said to be related to the Badagas. The Badagas are very much a part of the large Kannadiga Gowdas. It remained as a dialect because of the isolation in the hills. The language is also believed to be the older form of Kannada (Proto-Kannada). Though the practices may be unique, the culture is very much the same as the Kannadigas. This uniqueness is by shedding out old practices and adopting new ones to keep the bond among members of the community and the other tribes like Todas, Kurumbas etc.

Unique Aspects

:There are many aspects about the Badagas that are unique and distinct from other communities.

Traditional Attire

:The Badagas wear distinctive dresses. The traditional Badaga man wears a "dhoti" and a "dupatti", which is a long piece of thick special weave of cotton, and a turban. The Badaga woman's attire consists of the "thundu", "mundu" and "pattu". The "thundu" is a piece of white rectangular cloth wrapped around the body and reaching the knee. The "mundu" is a piece of finer cotton cloth worn like a shawl over the shoulders. The "pattu" is a scarf-like piece of white cotton cloth, worn square across the forehead, and tucked in at the back of the head.

Music and Dance

:Music and dance are an integral part of Badaga culture. Badagas sing and dance at weddings, births, funerals and nearly all other occasions. "Kola-Aata", "Mettu-"Aata", Hara koolu etc. are some of the different forms of Badaga dance.

Personalities

* Rao Bahadur Bellie Gowder-Recipient of the PRINCELY title by the Government.

* Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder-Recipient of the PRINCELY title by the Government.

* Rao Bahadur Mudha Gowder- Recipient of the PRINCELY title by the Government.

* Matha Gowder - former MP of Nilgiris.

* H.M.Raju-Member of Legistative Assembly

* T.Gundan-Member of Legistative Assembly

* M.Devaraj(IAS) - Secretary (of State) to Chief Minister Mr.Karunanidhi.

* Sirangi Gowder (Late) - Teacher - Spent most of his life in Social Welfare, and a well known person from Kinnakorai Village

* Akkamma Devi-Member of Parliament- One among the first few Ladies to be a Member of the Parliament.

* H. Devaraj is a pioneer in stem cell research in the country.

* Dr.K.R.Mani. BVSc,MVPH,DIM,PGDEE,CAW,MS,PhD-scientist, Director, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh

* N.Anand-Winner of "BHARATIYA VIKAS RATAN AWARD" given for individual achievements in their own respective field.

* Hariharan Joghee Chandran - Former Chairman of Bishop Heber Hall - Madras Christian College.

ACHIEVEMENTS

* Col. B. Ramachandran - Colonel(Ret) - Indian Army.
* Dr. Haliah- Dean [Karnataka]

* Justice EJ Bellie- High Court (Madras) Judge

* Mrs. Indu K Mallah-Writer/Novelist in English published [Articles published/ aired in National News papers, Magazines and BBC etc] - First Woman Member of Nilgiri District Consumer Court

* T. Gopal-- Engineer who established a heavy industry (manufacturing heavy industrial boilers, GM of India Meters) & now a software company for SMEs known throughout the world.

* Bellie - [engineer] Wing Commander in Air Force- Associated with Asian Games (1982) as Joint Director, Asian Games Village & Dy. Director (Protocol)

* Dr. N.Sundaradevan - IAS Officer. Current post - Secretary, Environment and Forest Department [ Doctorate in APPLIED DEMOGRAPHY ]

* Dharmalingam-Editor- THE HINDU

* Ramachandran -Cabinet Minister of Tamil Nadu State

* KN Ravi-Flight Lieutenant- died in a tragic air accident] - Helicopter Pilot in IAF

* Gokul- IFS officer - presently DFO Gadag & Haveri Karnataka

* K. Premkumar- (engineer) columnist- technical analysis on shares - stock market, in ‘Business Line’ - The Hindu Group- passed CMT (Chartered Market Technician, A USA based degree) and came first in the World ranking.
* Saravanan-Wing Commander-Fighter Pilot in IAF

* Urmila Bheeman-Squadron Leader- Woman commissioned Officer in IAF

References

Further reading

* J. W. Breeks (1873), "An Account of the Primitive Tribes of the Nilgiris"; Nilgiri Manual, vol. i. pp. 218-228; Madras Journ. of Sci. and Lit. vol. viii. pp. 103-105; Madras Museum Bulletin, vol. ii., no. i, pp. 1-7.
* Hockings, P. (1988). Counsel from the ancients, a study of Badaga proverbs, prayers, omens and curses. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
* Hockings, P. (1989). The cultural ecology of the Nilgiris District. In P. Hockings (Ed.), Blue Mountains: The ethnography and biogeography of a South Indian region (pp. 360–376). New Delhi and New York: Oxford University Press.
* Hockings, P. (1999). Kindreds of the earth: Badaga household structure and demography. New Delhi and Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
* Hockings, P. (2001). Mortuary ritual of the Badagas of Southern India. (Fieldiana, Anthropology, n.s., 32.) Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History.