News bulletin in Badaga language begins

Fulfilling the long-cherished dream of a majority of the population in the Nilgiris District, All India Radio, here began broadcasting the Badaga news bulletin from today.

The bulletin titled ‘Seemai Suddhi’ (Local news) would be available simultaneously from 7.25 AM daily on Ooty Main radio Channel, MW 1602 and FM 101.8, which would be for five minutes, Malathi Ravindranath, programme head, AIR, told PTI.

With the Badaga language, which has no script of its own, spoken by nearly four lakh people, the Badaga tribes are spread across about 400 villages in the district and constitute 52 per cent of the district population.

Five persons from the Badaga community have been chosen as newscasters, she said.

The news will have all local, state, country and world level happenings in the five or six minute capsule. It was also proposed to introduce Badaga news in a phased manner at 12.45 PM and 6.00 PM slot, after Tamils news daily, which would take some time, she said.

The district has large number of tribal population other than Badagas, like Irulas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Paniyar, Todas and Kattunaickers, and AIR plans to gradually introduce news bulletin in their languages also, which were now covered in a daily programme ‘Naatu Nadappu’, she said.

As for news gathering, Malathi said information given by village assistants, news from the district collectorate and departments would be included in the bulletin.

Who is a BADAGA?

Do not take this question lightly, for this affects our lives – now and in  future.

A Badaga  who marries a NON – Badaga,  is he/she STILL a Badaga??

Can a Badaga be put ‘down’ and ‘condemned’ for life, just because he/she is married to a non-Badaga???

By the way, WHO decides who is a Badaga???

What is the so called ‘Badaga Associations’ in the major cities which is filled up with almost 100% literate Badagas doing about  bringing SOCIAL AWARENESS and eliminating the stigma  attached to ‘married outside’ Badagas??

Are we so scarred that just because a handful of Badagas marry outside, our culture and customs are in a position of peril??

When we have no hesitation to acclaim the achievements of Badagas in all fields [even when a spouse is non Badaga] and seek donation for the hattis -for building temples and other social causes, why this ‘heads stuck in the sand’ mentality ???

We may have some restrictions imposed on certain and specific rites like in funeral, but should not deny or denigrate  the dignity to those who are very much our ‘blood and flesh’.

We are considered to be very forward looking by many ‘social’ indicators and should not squander that with narrow mindedness.

Think about it.

Are we still living in the stone age?

UPDATE ; 28-3-2013 29-3-2013

Usually, I am careful about publishing letters/incidents like the one sent to me by ARUN [given below in the post ‘Are we still living in the stone age?’]. He never mentioned his hatti and the country he is living in….

…………..Unfortunately, now I am told that there is a BIG TWIST to the story. ……….. I also understand that she would not participate in other functions of the hatti and during funerals, she would not take part but lock herself in……

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am a proud Hindu. And the customs followed by most of the hattis during the funerals, is based on Hinduism.

In my opinion, it is nice of Arun’s hatti elders to forgive the past mistakes and give a decent burial to his mother AS PER BADAGA RITES though there was considerable delay.

I stand corrected for my earlier opinion and am sure Dr.Rajkumar and Dr.Mahesh would share my sentiments. I have with-held some more comments.

Arun, I know that you live in NZ, and if you want to clarify please do so.

Wg Cdr JP

comments on Update on ‘Are we still living in the stone age?’

1. Dr Krishnan Rajkumar | 30/03/2013

   Dear All,
   My sincere apologies to Arun’s hatty people and other commentators and readers of this website. I think it would be very helpful if Arun came forward with the true version of events.
   For people who choose to marry non-badaga people, they must understand that they have to embrace the badaga way of life for any chance to be accepted in the community especially in relation to hatty matters.

2. kethorai Rajma | 29/03/2013

   Dear JP,
   The twist is really an unexpected one.. It is rather a surprise..! I appreciate you for the efforts you had taken to find out the real situation .(The naked truth ). How often do we jump to conclusions…!

3. Arunkumar | 29/03/2013

   Hatti people were so kind in giving a decent burial…Personally I would not like religious conversion. Converted Badagas are no more Badaga as they donot follow any of our traditions………its my opinion.. depends on individuals anyway.

   4.            Dr.S.Mahesh Babu | 29/03/2013
   Thanks for the info u have updated. It’s really good of you to have traced the truth and let us know. As you have discussed, let the hatti people of Arun compromise this issue. Let us not dig up further. It will be better to convene some useful meetings amongst us to discuss further on these issues for the betterment of our community. Let us work together.

[The post on ‘Are we still living in the stone age?’ based on ARUN’s letter is withdrawn – Wg Cdr JP]

Badaga Calendar -2013

Third Month – NALLAANI [Mar-Apr]

1) Koodalu, 2) Aalaani 3) Nallaani 4) Aani 5) Aadire 6) Aadi

7) Aavaani 8 ) Perattaadhi 9) Dhodda Devige 10) Kiru Devige 11) Thai 12) Hemmatti

Badaga Calander – created by Wg Cdr Bellie Jayaprakash

Badaga Calendar -2013

Third Month – NALLAANI [Mar-Apr]

First Month – KOODALU

Second Month – AALAANI

Like in any other calendar, there are 12 months and each month starts on the 10th of English Calendar month but for a few exceptions due to the fact that the month of Feb has 28/29 days [leap year].

I have attempted to make the Badaga Calendars for 2013 keeping in mind that a Badaga month should start on the 10^th of an English month as far as possible and also to ensure that the number of days in a month is either 30 or 31 days.

Since Badagas consider ‘Sovara’ (Monday) as the most auspicious and ‘holy’ day, they have attached a lot of importance to that day. Generally, no non-vegetarian food is taken on Mondays. This is also the weekly holiday and hence shown on top in red colour. No ‘Hola Gelcha’[field work] is usually done on ‘sovara’s in olden days.

The biggest festival of Badagas is day-specific and not date-specific. That is to say that this festival – HETHE HABBA – always falls on a Monday [after the first Monday of the thirteenth fullmoon]. By the way,full Moon (‘Pournami’ in Tamil) is ‘HUNNAVE’ and New Moon is ‘MUTTU’ in Badaga.

Badaga Months

1)Koodalu, 2)Aalaani 3)Nallaani  4)Aani 5)Aadire  6)Aadi 7)Aavaani  8)Perattaadhi 9)Dhodda Devige 10)Kiru Devige 11)Thai 12)Hemmatti

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Dear JP,

Kindly convey my hearty wishes to sisters of our community and others too of course, a very happy “WOMEN’S DAY”. Woman is an incarnations of Shakthi.She is God’s love in action. She looks with her heart and feels with her eyes. A woman is a bank where her family members deposit all their anger, hurt and worries.She is the cement that keeps her family together. HER LOVE LASTS A LIFE TIME.

Woman has Man in her..
Lady has Lad in her..
Madam has Adam in her..
Mrs has Mr in her..
Female has Male in her..
Princess has Prince in her..
Goddess has God in her..

ULTIMATELY MAN AND WOMAN ARE INTEGRAL PART OF EACH OTHER OF COURSE.

Woman symbolises dignity on Earth.She is the compendium of colossal endurance. She stands as an embodiment of virtue, repository of immaculate kindness and fountain head of gentility and generosity.

HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY TO THE GREAT WOMEN OF OUR NATION…!

  Kethorai Rajma

When you mention ‘Badaga’, the immediate thing that comes to mind, is a small but unique community of people, living in the Nilgiri Hills, popularly known as the Blue Mountains, in South India. Undoubtedly, they are one of the original hill tribes like the Todas, Kothas or Kurumas. But the shear development in many social [and  specially educational] fields by the Badagas in the last two hundred years or so, has made many researchers deny the tribal status. They, probably, are still stuck with the mind set that a tribe has to be shy, illiterate, undeveloped and living far away from the main stream population. Badagas do not fit into this groove.

Then, these ‘learned’ people, probably to get their doctorates, coined a new term – PRIMITIVE HILL TRIBES. It suited their purpose of not including Badagas in the PHT of the Nilgiris – Todas, Kothas, Kurumas and  Erulas.

But a few of the old and ‘original’ researchers found enough and more in Badagas, ‘in their origin, customs, rites, rituals. life style and language’ to write and record extensively about them. I would give the maximum ‘credit’ to Professor Paul Hockings in this respect. The very fact that he is still writing many books on and about Badagas [his latest book will be published in a few months] shows his interest. – Wg Cdr JP

Dr.R.K.Haldorai,M.A.,M.Ed,M.O.L.,PhD
[haldoraitamil@gmail.com]

“A tribe, as we find in India is a collection of families or group of families, bearing a common name, which, as a rule does not denote any specific occupation, generally claiming common descent from a mythical or historical ancestor and occasionally from an animal, but in some parts of the country held together rather by the obligations of blood-feud than by the tradition of kinship, usually speaking the same language, and occupying, or claiming to occupy, a definite tract of country. A tribe is not necessarily endogamous” (The Imperial Gazetteer of India vol-1: 308).“The use of the word ‘tribal’ follows South Asian usage, refers to a type of societal organization and does not imply a lack of sophistication or of economic well- being. It usually does imply a certain amount of isolation in the past, if not the present. In this context ‘tribal’ contrasts with ‘caste’ as one of the major organizing principles of South Asian society. The Nilgiri plateau of extreme Western Tamil Nadu was almost totally isolated until the nineteenth century. It developed unique cultural complex of its own with at least four Dravidian languages spoken there. They are Toda, Kota, Badaga and Irula”( McAlpin 1981 :19).1As the Nilgiri hill is the home land for Badagas for a long period, the hill tribe status for these people is obviously natural one. There is no doubt that their history goes back to very early period. Since then they are identified with the Nilgiri hills alone. Their origin is buried among the secrets of the past. Continue reading →

The lives of Badagas and  Kothas are intricately connected from time immemorial. This may be due to the fact that both are considered as original tribes of the Nilgiris along with Todas.

Kotha music is, thus, an integral part of Badaga festivities in olden days. The nearby Kotha musicians were invited to almost all functions in any hatti – Badaga village.

Their ‘Harakolu’ music was the start of any dance, since it is so beautiful and rhythmic. When the dancers, generally male, wear ‘Dhodda Kuppacha – Big Garments’ and dance in circles [and going around in ‘circles’] with these garments ballooning out, it is a shear joy to watch.

The following video uploaded in youtube is by GRSARAVANAN7