THE SPECIALCHARACTERISTICS OF BADUGAS

Dress code:

The Baduga man generally used waist cloth (Mundu), upper cloth (Shelai) and turban (Mandarai). The Badugas man could be at once picked out from the other tribes of the Nilgiris by wearing his turban.[R.Sugumaran, 2014:V:42;Edgar Thruston , 1897:4].

The women wear white body cloth, tied round the chest, tightly wrapped square across the breast and reaching to the knees, and a white cloth worn like a cap (Pattu) on the head. [R.Sugumaran, 2014:V:42;B.S.Ward, 1821:LXXii]

Self sufficient people:

The primary occupation of the Baduga is agriculture, they are among their community, bricklayers, carpenters, tailors, sawyers, barbers, washerman, etc...,[Edgar Thruston, 1897:1]

The Badugas are not depend on other tribes of the hills. 

Tale Kuru [head share]:

                The Badugas followed their special type of property dividing system till date. The brothers are dividing  their properties among themselves, they gave a special share called Tale Kuru (head share) to their brothers eldest son provided   that he is older than every other brothers son.

Salajoli [pending work]:

Before independence most of the Badugas are illiterate. They follow a series of special rules for handling  from the dead condition to their living, he called his wife, children, and the relatives to follow all the important pending work. The relatives clearly cross few questions to follow his pending work. It is called Sale Joli (sala-due,joli-work). The Badugas follow this system till date.

KaruArusuvathu [Death rituals]:

The Badugas death ritual is different from other tribes. If a Baduga man or women died, a Funeral Ter (chariot) is constructed. It is severally decked with new cloth. This Ter is called Gudikottu. The Funeral Ter is built up with five to eleven Tiers.

The body is taken to the middle of the burning ground, they also have another important  ritual called “KaruArusuvathu”. The Badugas as let loose a buffalo calf at a funeral to bear the sins of the deceased. The sin is transferred through   the ritual.[W.Francis, 1908; Thruston 1909; Henry Harkness,1832; W.H.R.Rivers, 1906; R.Sugumaran, 2014:Vol.V:45].

BadugaCalender System:

The Badugas are having their own calendar system. They are followed by the months given below.

Kudalu -Dec to Jan

Halani -Jan to Feb

Nallani -Feb to Mar

Aani -Mar to April

Aathirai –April to May

Aadi –May to june

Aavani – June to July

Peratathe-July to Aug

DoddaDevigae-Aug to Sep

Kirudevigae-Sep to Oct

Thaie- Oct to Nov

Emmatty- Nov to Dec

The Badugas followed the days given below.

Aathivara- Sunday

Sovara- Monday

Mangavara- Tuesday

Bothavara-wednesday

Sekkuvara- Thursday

Belli- Friday

Sani- Saturday

The fullmoon (unnavai- pournami), the new moon day (muttu- amavasai) is called by the Badugas. The Badugas are following their rituals and festivals in muttu and unnavai. [R.Sugumaran, MalaiNattuManninMinthargal, 2014:Vol.5:44-45].

"Badugu language, customs, education, worship, dress code, occupation are different from others."

The Badugar Village:                                                                                                                                       

The Badugar lived only in the Nilgiri district. Their house were built with mud and stone. The houses were constructed in lines and not in separate. Their villages are generally neat and clean. The Baduga hamlet of early houses    entrance or door ways generally face to the east and situated on the slope. Before British period every Baduga hamlet had two or three rows. In the front of Baduga houses having Uchakerai, Kerie, Manthakallu and kumbai.[R.Sugumaran, 2011:Vol.lV:84;2014:Vol.V:36].

The kerie purpose is performing marriage and death rituals, thrashing and winnowing  grain to dry. Every Baduga houses having kaerie is minimum 16 X 50 feets. 

Ref :

1)       Edgar Thruston, Castes and Tribes of Southern India, 1909.

2)       H.B.Grigg,The Manual of The Niligiri District, 1880.

3)       Pharoah, Gazetteer of Southern India, 1855.

4)       R.Sugumaran, MalainattuManninMaithargal 2011, 2014.

Badugas lost their Constitutional benefits

The Badugas are important tribal people of the Niligiris in previous records. Few officers done few mistakes. So the Badugas lost their tribal status (ST).

The Baduga could lost the benefits of 5^th and 6^th scheduled under the constitution of Article 244(1), 244(2),275(1).

5^th scheduled-244(1) provided for the administration and control of scheduled Area.

6^th scheduled-244(2) and 275(1) provided for the administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Magalaya, Mezoram and Nagaland.

1  The Badugas claimed them as scheduled Tribes status based on relevant material such as historical, anthropological, sociological, economics evidence, Govt documents and Pre-Independence British authors evidence, under constitutional basis

    The Badugas has been constantly knocking the doors of the Central Government and State Government to include them in the Tribal (Scheduled tribe) list.

    The Badugas are presently treated as Backward Class. But before Independence all the British records or documents are mentioned that the Badugas are one of the main tribes of the Nilgiris.

) Before Independence period all the census reports are clearly mentioned that the Badugas as a tribe in the Nilgiris. 1812;1821;1856;1866;1871;1891;1901;1911;1931; and1951 census.

      We submit historical evidence to show that the fact of the Nilgiri Badugas. The Badugas were Neolithic people. The Pre-historic evidence are cairns, barrows, Kistavaens or Mauryamane, Dolmens or Cromlech and Azaram. There are commonly burial places.

    The Badugas are living only in the Nilgiris. They are very small community. Today their population is  below two lakhs. The census records of 1812 mentioned that the Badugas population was 1647 only.

      

    In 1828, 1855, 1886, 1887, 1896, 1908 and 1973 (reprint) Gazetteers, Imperial Gazetteers, Gazetteer of Indian Union are clearly mentioned that the Badugas as tribe in the Nilgiris.

In 1880 the Nilgiris District Manual clearly mentioned the Badugas as a tribe in Nilgiris.

In 1897 the Madras Government Museum Bulletin or records are clearly mentioned the Badugas as a tribe. 

In 1906-1907, the Administration of the Madras Presidency is mentioned that the Badugas as a tribe.

In 1819,the edition of the Govt Gazette published that the country is inhabited by three classes of people vizTodevies, Koties and Bergies.

    The first BackwardClasses commission was appointed in 1953 under the chairmanship of Kaka kalelkar who was acting under the article 340(1) of the constitution. It’s reports was submitted in March 1955. The Commission had prepared a list of tribes recommended for consideration as Scheduled Tribes. The Badugas were included in this list. This commission is taken an account of the definition in 1931 censes.

    The second Backward Classes Commission was appointed by Central Government in 1978. ShriB.P.Mandal was the Chairman of this commission under article 340. The Commission submitted its reports in Dec 1980. Up to 52% population of “Other Backward Classes” 22.5% of SC\ST was added, 74.5% of the Indian population came under the category of backward classes. This commission made inclusion of Badugas in the OBC list. Mandal commission recommended to follow in 1993. In Tamilnadu State, there are one hundred and eighty one communities including Badugas in this list.

    We claimed the restoration of previous original status of the Badugas as (tribe). It is restitution of the rights of Badugas. The previous records clearly mentioned under the constitution of India Article 342 and 366(25) the Badugas are clearly eligible to include to Scheduled Tribe list.

    Under the constitution of sixth scheduled has clearly mentioned in the administration of Tribe Areas or Tribalautonomous. At present Assam, Megalaya, Mezoram and Nagaland.

In 1950 out of the entire Nilgirs district population more than 50% of Tribal people, including the Badugas lived here. Hence we required the Tribal Status. The most of the people in this district are the Badugas, Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Kattunayakans, Paniyas. According to 2001 censes, the total population of the Nilgiris is 7 lakhs 62 thousand.

    Pre-Independence British Authors mentioned that the Badugas are important tribe in the Nilgiris.

    The Badugu language is an independent. Badugar is their common name. Badugu language is one of the Dravidian language. Badugu language is more ancient than Kanada language. Badugu and Canaries are different languages.

    The Badugas, Kotas and Todas of the hills are classified by the educational authorities among those “Backward classes” for whose benefits special educational effort is required.[W.Francis,1908:265]  In 1907, one of the Badugas had passed the Matriculation of the Madras University. [Thurston, 1909:14].
  
    On 5-9-2003, The Chief Minister of TamilNadu recommended through a letter to the Central government about the inclusion of Badugas in the Tribal list. The Honourable Chief Minister of TamilNadu had clearly stated that the issue has been long pending for more than 50 years. Besides, the same issue was recommended and sent the letter on 2011 by the Honourable Chief Minister of TamilNadu.

                                

    Pre-Independence Indian Records are accurate to legally supportive to call them as Scheduled Tribe. It is need to know that what type of special qualities required by the Central government to include Badugas in the Scheduled Tribe list.

The Baduga lived in the rural areas. Before Britishers in Nilgiris bricks were unknown. After 1840 the tiles were introduced in the Nilgiris in the Baduga villages. They lived in small struggling huts. Their houses are thatched.

The houses are constructed as lines and not separate (unity).

In 1823, Mettupalayam to Kotagiri bridle paths is started. Before British in Nilgiris there was no roads and vehicles. The Nilgiri people have not communicated with plains. We went to walk at all places.

The ancient worship of Badugas is Sun, Agni, Tree, Water etc...and it is continued today. Baduga’s another ancestral worship is Hettee and Herodaiya, Badugas followed the ancestral greetings (blessing –kumbadasothu, Arakaimadothu).

The witch or sources change  their shape into wolves, pig, horse or black cat...etc..The same mysterious force operated to kill and cure. Then most of the Badugas still believed that the Kurumba is the most effective of all South Indian force.

Before 1860, the Badugas followedthe shifting cultivation or food gathering habits. Their hunting weapons were known as primitive (knife, arrow, axe,..etc). The Baduga songs spreaded entire area (Christ Pasayat 1998:26).

The Baduga man generally used the waist cloth(dothi) upper cloth and turban. The wearing turban habit is picked out from the other tribes by the Badugas.

The Baduga people used cotton produced from local plants known as Ullathi and thurutche and weaving technique is known by them.

The marriageable age of the Baduga women is tattooed on the forehead and the upper arms. The types of tattooing on forehead are lines, circles, crescents, double row of dots on each upper arms and double row of dots on right forearms.

The Badugas occupation arecattles and engage in agriculture is common. Every Baduga family had few buffalo’s. Every Baduga village has one Emmehatty. There were more than three hundred BadugaEmmehatties were practised. The Badugas are pastoralist group in the Niligiris. The region Talemale to Sathyamangalam was the ancient pastoral circuit of the  Badugas (Nicholson,1892:426;Metz, 1864:47-48;Hockings, 1980:30;Dr.J.Halan 2012: R.Sugumaran,2014:39)

Agriculture is one of the ancient occupation of the people in the World. Beginning of the agriculture is 8000 years ago. In the Southern hills track this is the smallest where shifting cultivation is practised as patches in the boarding districts of Palaghat, Kottayam, and Quilon of Kerala and the South Canara district of Karnataka and Nilgirisregion of TamilNadu. (N.S.Mishra , 1993:Vol.3:150;R.Sugumaran, 2014:V;38).

During 1860-1870 the shifting cultivation in the district came to an end (H.B.Grigg,1880:321).