The Livelihood Patterns of Vadderas of Telangana State with Special Reference to Yadadri District: An Ethnographic Study

From historical times, India has been known for its trade. The fine goods produced on this land were exported to many countries for which the credit goes to the skilled communities who lived here. It was their livelihood and also an indicator of their social identity. Unfortunately, the British invasion ruined it all. Many communities with no other choice left, changed their livelihood and many other communities developed new livelihoods for their sustenance. The spread of education, modernization, and mechanization is once again playing its role in influencing the livelihood patterns of the communities present in the post-modern era. The change in livelihood has its consequences as it can be viewed differently by different social scientists.

Vadderas, a de-notified tribe spread across the Telugu-speaking states were earlier believed to be forest-dwellers and were thrown out of the forests due to the forest laws implemented by the British leading to Vadderas becoming a nomadic tribe. Given their physical structure and strength, they opted for stone-making and soil-digging. They survived for many generations by offering their services to other communities. However, the percentage of people depending on this livelihood has drastically reduced at present. They now depend on different livelihoods such as drivers, plumbers, MGNREGA labourers, etc. Earlier they would use their physical strength and now technological advancement allowed them to adopt modern equipment for their livelihood. They are a downtrodden community and not much research is carried out on them. The authors attempted an ethnographic study on Vadderas and explored their livelihoods. The study was carried out in the Yadadri district of Telangana state, using semi-structured interview schedules, Focused Group Discussions (FGD) and observation. The narratives were collected and examined. Through this paper, the authors suggest focused policy interventions that may lead to better livelihood opportunities for the Vadderas.