Madiga

Madiga is a Dalit caste of India. They are also known as Chamar in northern India.[1] They are also called, Maadiga, Maatangi, Makkalu and Mahadiga. They mainly live in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.[2][3]

"Mahadiga" redirects here. For the 2004 film, see Mahadiga (film).
Madiga
Madiga community at a political rally
Regions with significant populations
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra.
Languages
Telugu, Kannada, Hindi
Religion
Hinduism • Christianity, Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
Telugu people, Kannada people, Hindi people

Madigas are historically associated with the work of leather skinning, tanning, leather products, drummers,carpenters,bags, gunsmith,rope-making, basket making etc.[4]They are categorised as a Scheduled Caste by the Government of India.

History

Madigas have their own classes, the priestly class is known as Madiga Dasari. The Sangaris, Thothis, etc have different works for their community.[5] They are also village drummers who use Dandora or Dappu in festivals, death and marriage ceremony and announcements.[6]

Madigas have also played an important role in Indian independence movement and some were involved with the Telangana movement.[7]

Although most Madigas follow folk traditions of their villages in Rayasaleema and Telangana, the vast majority in the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh follow Christianity, although officially Hindu.[8] This is to ensure the poor and needy among their community still obtain SC reservation.[9]

Madiga Dandora Movement

In 1994, Manda Krishna Madiga and Dandu Veeraiah Madiga formed the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti to demand the categorisation of the SC reservation quota to ensure equitable distribution of state allocations for all the constituent castes.[10]

The activists Lelle Suresh and Sabrina Francis made a documentary film on the condition and culture of the community, titled Mahadiga, which was released in 2004.[3]

Notable people

References
  1. Ilaiah, Kancha (2009). Post-Hindu India: A Discourse in Dalit-Bahujan, Socio-Spiritual and Scientific Revolution. SAGE Publishing India. p. 51. ISBN 978-93-5280-197-8.
  2. "Social ostracising of Scheduled Castes still rampant in society". The Hindu. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  3. Madhav, K. V. S. (9 September 2004). "Starring Madiga and dappu..." The Hindu. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  4. Gundimeda, Sambaiah (14 October 2015). Dalit Politics in Contemporary India. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-38104-4.
  5. Teltumbde, Anand; Yengde, Suraj (2 November 2018). The Radical in Ambedkar: Critical Reflections. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-313-0.
  6. "The undying beat of the Dappu: How a traditional drum signifies dignity, revolution for the Madiga community". Firstpost. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  7. Teltumbde, Anand (31 January 2020). Hindutva and Dalits: Perspectives for Understanding Communal Praxis. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN 978-93-81345-51-1.
  8. Senftleben, Martin. (1992). Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh. OCLC 634626847.
  9. M., Ashok Kumar; Robinson, Rowena (2010), "Legally Hindu: Dalit Lutheran Christians of Coastal Andhra Pradesh", Margins of Faith: Dalit and Tribal Christianity in India, New Delhi: SAGE Publications India, pp. 149–168, doi:10.4135/9788132106043.n7, ISBN 978-81-321-0467-4
  10. Still, Clarinda (6 July 2017). Dalit Women: Honour and Patriarchy in South India. Taylor & Francis. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-351-58819-5.
  11. DelhiMarch 1, India Today Online New; March 1, 2014UPDATED:; Ist, 2014 18:42. "Who was Bangaru Laxman?". India Today. Retrieved 20 May 2020.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. Bhuvaneshwari, S. (18 September 2019). "Report sought on denial of entry of Dalit MP into Gollarahatti". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 May 2020.

Further reading
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