Telaga

Telaga is a community of agriculturists (Kapus) in the Coastal Andhra Pradesh, concentrated in the West and East Godavari districts. They are also found in smaller numbers in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts.[1][2][3][4] Telaga is regarded as a subcaste of Kapu.[5]

Telaga
LanguagesTelugu
Populated statesAndhra Pradesh

In 2017, all Kapus including Telagas were categorised among backward classes by the Government of Andhra Pradesh,[6][7][8] In 2018, the Central department of personnel and training raised objections to such a classification.[9]

History

The Telagas are believed to be descendants of Telugu Chodas.[10]

Categorisation

In 2002, K. Srinivasulu describes Telaga as a "backward peasant caste".[11]

In a September 2015 order, the Chief Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh government[lower-alpha 1] noted: "It has been felt that Kapu, Balija, Telaga and Ontari Communities in the state are socially, educationally and economically in the backward condition than the other forward castes though it is being treated as a forward caste."[13] In the said order, the government proposed the setting up of The Andhra Pradesh State Kapu Welfare and Development Corporation Limited for the social development of various groups including the Telaga community.[13]

In the 2014 election, the Kapu community supported the Telugu Desam Party, which won and formed the government.[9] In 2015, the community petitioned the government to classify them as Other Backward Class for improving youth education and employment.[14] The government appointed a three-member commission led by K. L. Manjunath.[9] But even before the commission submitted a report, the government passed a bill in December 2017 categorising the community as an Other Backward Class and reserving 5% of the places in educational institutions and government jobs.[6][7][8]

Since the state's reservations exceeded 50%, an approval from the Central Government became necessary. The Central department of personnel and training objected to the inclusion of Kapus as it was not supported by facts.[9] The government subsequently allocated 5% reservation out of the 10% allocated to Economically Weaker Sections. This too was found to be legally untenable, and the new government led by YSR Congress reversed the decision.[15]

Political participation

Selig S. Harrison noted that, in the 1955 legislature of what was then Andhra State, the Telagas had 16 legislators, next only to the Reddis and Kammas. He states that they formed a "newly active political force". However, despite their strength, the Telagas did not hold any ministerial posts.[16]

In 1982, Telagas joined the other Kapu castes to form the Kapunadu movement, launched in Vijayawada. The movement held annual/biannual meetings since then.[17]

For the 1983 election for the united Andhra Pradesh, the Kapus in general supported the newly formed Telugu Desam Party. Among the elected, the Telagas made up 6 legislators, compared to 9 legislators belonging to other Kapu castes from the coastal districts.[18] However, the Kapus found that this did not lead to any increase in their political power. They renewed their movement within a couple of years.[19]

According to scholar Balagopal, "The Munnuru Kapus, Balijas, Telagas, Tenugus and Mutarasis are collectively referred to as 'Kapus'". They attempted to consolidate into a single community, but "it has remained un-consummated".[20][21]

Notes
  1. Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated on linguistic grounds in 2014, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.[12]
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References
  1. Singh, Kumar Suresh (2003). People of India, Volume 26, Part 3. Anthropological Survey of India. pp. 1427 ff. ISBN 978-81-85938-98-1.
  2. Kantha Rao, A study of the socio political mobility of the kapu caste (1999), Chapter 2, p. 67: "The Kapus are found all over Andhra Pradesh and they are sub-divided into the Turpu Kapus and Telagas. The Kapus of the East and west Godavari call themselves Telagas or Pedda (Big) Kapus and claims to be superior to the Turpu (East) Kapus. The Turpu Kapus are those belonging to the districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam."
  3. Singh, Kumar Suresh (1996), Occupation and population of India, Anthropological Survey of India, p. 40, ISBN 978-81-85579-40-5: "Telaga – (regions) Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Srikakulam"
  4. Murty, K. Ramachandra (2001), Parties Elections And Mobilisation, Anmol Publications Pvt. Limited, p. 158, ISBN 978-81-261-0979-1: "Srikakulam district: ... The Brahmins, Rajus (Kshatriya), Komati and Telaga communities are considered to be forward communities and these castes constitute around 8 per cent of the district."
  5. All you need to know about the Kapu stir, Business Standard, 1 February 2016.
  6. "Andhra assembly passes bill to provide 5% reservation to Kapu community". Business Standard. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  7. "Andhra Assembly passes bill to grant 5 per cent reservation to Kapu community". Deccan Chronicle. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  8. The Andhra Pradesh Gazette, Government of Andhra Pradesh, 2 December 2017.
  9. Pavan Korada, Andhra House of Cards: The political triangle between TDP, BJP and Kapu Padmanabham, The News Minute, 24 February 2018.
  10. Lakshmanna, Chintamani (1973), Caste dynamics in village India, Nachiketa Publications, p. 28: "...Velanadu (Krishna and Penna Doab) was ruled by Velanati Chodas and other areas were ruledby Telugu Chodas. In course of time, these were called Telagas, one of the important non-Brahman castes."
  11. Srinivasulu, K. (September 2002). Caste & Class Articulation of Andhra Pradesh (PDF). London: Overseas Development Institute. pp. Glossary of castes, 4. ISBN 0-85003-612-7. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  12. "Andhra Pradesh split, India's 29th state Telangana is born". News18.com. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  13. Chief Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Government (2 September 2015). "Government of Andhra Pradesh Order" (PDF). Kapucorp.ap.gov.in. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  14. "Telaga community to bat for BC status". The Hindu. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  15. Andhra Pradesh: Jagan scraps Kapu quota, says not legally tenable, India Today, 30 July 2019.
  16. Harrison, Selig S. (June 1956), "Caste and the Andhra Communists", The American Political Science Review, 50 (2): 378–404, JSTOR 1951675
  17. Kantha Rao, A study of the socio political mobility of the kapu caste 1999, Chapter 5, p. 220.
  18. Srinivas, G.; Shatrugna, M.; Narayana, G. (1984), "Social Background of Telugu Desam Legislators", in George Mathew (ed.), Shift in Indian Politics: 1983 Elections in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Concept Publishing Company, pp. 115–116, GGKEY:XCJKCFX6PAJ
  19. Parthasarathy, The Ambiguity of Categories 2001, p. 104, 108.
  20. Balagopal, K. (1986), Probings in the Political Economy of Agrarian Classes and Conflicts, Perspectives Publishers, Page 183
  21. Kantha Rao, A study of the socio political mobility of the kapu caste (1999), Chapter 5, p. 235

Bibliography
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