Mysore/Mysuru: “There are many illiterates in nomadic and semi-nomadic communities. Hence, the two community leaders must dissuade their people from converting to any other religion. Converting to other religion is of no use to these communities,” opined Hampi University Tribal Studies Department Professor Dr. K.M. Maitri.

He was speaking at the ‘State-Level Nomadics and Semi-Nomadics Literary, Cultural and Art Festival,’ organised by Karnataka State Nomadics and Semi-Nomadics (Backward Classes Category-1) Communities Federation at the Town Hall in the city, on Sunday.

“All communities have good literary classics. But in India, Veda and Upanishads are considered the best. If that is the case, what should be done to the language, culture and practices of these communities?” he questioned.

“To provide justice to these communities, population census was done for the first time in 1871 under British rule. The caste census was supposed to be done during World War 2. But it was postponed for technical reasons. Again, this was postponed in 2021 because of COVID reason,” Dr. Maitri added.

Stating that in 1936 during the British rule, reservations were announced and implemented for uneducated and exploited youth after preparing a list of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the Professor said that they had excluded nomadic community while preparing the SC/ST list.

Continuing, Dr. Maitri said that small communities like Dombidasa, Shillekyata, Kindara Jogi, Handijogi, Jenu Kuruba and others have now been included after years of struggle. Nomadics and Adivasis are among the 46 communities which have been included in SC, ST and Backward list.

“It is good that a separate Ministry has been opened for the development of these communities. But no political party is trying to bring them to the mainstream of society,” he regretted.

The Professor advised the nomadic and semi-nomadic communities not to convert to any other religion.

State President of Federation of Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities M. Prakash, B.K.Narayan, K. Ravindra Shetty, Ulidottu, Pratap Kumar and others were present at the function.