One of the prominent Badagas who is involved in many developmental activities associated with Badagas is Mr.T.Rangaiah from Kothiben. He is well known and deeply involved with Tea Board. He is a quiet and unassuming person. In one of my recent meetings with him he mentioned about the Badaga dance.
In olden days, Badaga dance was almost always performed by the artists wearing a typical dress called ‘Dodda Kuppacha’ – a two piece attire in white consisting of a top ‘waist coat’ like what the Rajasthani rural folks wear and a bottom skirt. Since the badaga dance is based on many steps in which the dancers go around [revolving] in circles, these skirts open up making a beautiful sight.
Badagas, in their DHODDA KUPPACHA (a flowing gown like attire) dancing to Kota music. Photo drawing from : ‘Counsel from the Ancients – A study of Badaga Proverbs, Prayers, Omens and Curses’ (Prof;Paul Hockings)
Whenever, any dignitary visited the Nilgiris in those days, it was always the Badagas who would present a dance – both for welcoming the guests and for entertainment – with the Kothas providing the music called ‘harakolu’.
But of late, the Kothas have adopted the Badaga dance. The Nilgiris district admin consisting of ‘babus’ who are reluctant to accept the fact the Badagas are one of the original inhabitants of the Nilgiris like the Todas and Kothas, have been presenting Kothas’ dance much more than the original Badaga Dance.
Mr.Rangaiah also mentioned about a ‘traditional door’ kept in the Tea Board/UPASI complex ‘museum’ in which the Badagas are NOT mentioned along with others as the tribes of the Nilgiris.
You guessed it, the door was presented by none other than some Badagas from Kotagiri.
Mookuthi 
Chinna 
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Badagas of the Blue Mountains 
Ms.Sudha Arjun sent the following as comments. But I feel that her strong feelings need to be put as a new post so that a much better and healthier debate can take place .
I was shocked and horrified to see the article in The Hindu, with reference to Jayalalitha’s letter to the PM requesting for ST status for the Badagas. It is a complete shame that we are being used by these politicians as the single largest vote bank in the Nilgiris.
I ask each Badaga to introspect and judge whether we really need this status, which is being given to us as an incentive, as a bribe so that we vote as per political requirements. Have any of us thought what qualifies for a scheduled tribe- have we broadened our horizon to look all over India to see the plight of millions of people living in abject poverty, with barely a single meal a day? The farmers in the plains, who have been sucked into a vicious cycle of debts draining their life blood, the caste-ridden hinterlands of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where people are not given any opportunity to progress, the hills of the north-east, where people barely know the meaning of economic progress the way we in the South have experienced it- these are the people who deserve a special economic status, who need reservation.
One the one hand, we Badagas are so proud of our own social and economic progress- we have people settled in 98 countries in the world, we have a hatti which has 75 cars, our youngsters have been able to reap the benefits of liberalisation to join good companies and lead good lives. I ask many of those youngsters who are still in their hattis without any jobs to re-look at themselves- are you incapable of doing any job or were you unable to find one? If you are unable to find a job, inspite of the required qualifications, we have the vast Badaga network which should be put to use for such good causes to help find jobs, support persons who cannot work, or to help our poor.
Why should we look to the government to dole out reservations like alms- do we not have our pride that we can look after our own? Let the reservation go to the oppressed and the really deserving- let us not snatch is away from those who need these government benefits. In the name of our ancestors who have achieved so much without “reservation” but all with their hard work and belief in themselves, I request you all to stand up and refuse this “special status”.