Sri Lankan gypsies (Telugu): Story of another forgotten unique community

[DarkSeid]

COLOMBO (News 1st) – This is the story of a forgotten community in the far east of the island, who had been battered by nature, poverty and other issues of life. Fortune telling, palm reading, snake charming and monkey performances are the main livelihoods of the people in Sri Vallipuram in Thirukkovil, Ampara.

Chinnasamy, who has been engaged in these fields since childhood is confined to his village due to the low turnout of tourists in the island. He is clueless on the future of his baby monkeys as he has nowhere to take them to perform soon as they grow up.

In this age of technology, the practice of fortune telling will soon be extinct along with the lives of the villagers who earn a handful by this ancient practice passed down from generation to generation.

A mother spoke out her difficulties, in the Telugu Language which is unique to their community. Joseph Raja’s family in Shreevallipuram is one of the 25 families who live in their single room houses. Today Joseph Raja is faced with a tremendous struggle to feed his 8, 10 and 17-year-old children after the breadwinner of the family, his 18-year son Raja Kumara was killed in a lightning strike. The unavailability of a national identity card is another major obstacle they all have as they are deprived of their son’s compensation.

A childhood fire accident rendered Joseph Raja’s body incapable of performing day to day activities and was forced to engage in fishing. But despite all the hardships he goes through daily, Joseph Raja has managed to pay off Rs. 40,000 out of the Rs. 120,000 that he spent on building his house.

The eldest daughter 17-year-old Raja Madushani’s education reached its peak in Grade 5 as she quit schooling due to poverty. Madhushani is now both a sister and a mother of her siblings as their mother is desperate and begs in towns to make a living while her father is a fisherman by day to make ends meet.

Joseph Raja’s only dream is to see his children’s future brighten to prosper in life.

https://www.newsfirst.lk/2019/06/19/sri-lankan-gypsies-story-of-another-forgotten-unique-community/

 

[Samlee]

Telugus in Sri Lanka???????

 

[B.K.N]

So they lie to survive and are professional liars

 

[DarkSeid]

Telugus in Sri Lanka???????

The origin is in India. Unfortunately, they have been neglected by SLn as well as Indian governments. Should have given the attention as same as to Indian Tamils.

So they lie to survive and are professional liars

We are Telugu…

The Sri Lankan gypsies -a branch of the Romani people- have entranced the public with the sinuous cobra dance and with their skill as

The villagers still practise their tradition as soothsayers

Story and pics by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa

soothsayers.
According to ‘Wikipedia’ genetic evidence connects the Romani people to the descendants of groups which emigrated from South Asia towards Central Asia during the medieval period.

Sadly these people have always struggled against racial prejudice in our country. They are emphatic that they do not appreciate being referred to as “gypsies”, ahikuntaka”, or “kuravar” – all of which are derogatory terms.

“We are Telugu, please refer to us by this term.”

Komarika-galayaya in Kala Wewa with a population of 300, is home

Changing times:The younger children now attend school

to the only Romany village in Sri Lanka.

The residents of this village have given up the nomadic lifestyle, but they still practise the old crafts like their wandering brethren.

There is still a leader in the coven, and traditions -down to the old system of laws- survive.

K.R. Anavatu is the leader of the village. The village also has a chairman and an advisor.

The Telugu people are said to have come to Sri Lanka from North India many centuries ago.

K.R. Anavatu leader of the village emphasized his people are Telugu

Coven leader K. R. Anavatu is a skilled snake charmer

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150517/news/we-are-telugu-149164.html

https://www.thehindu.com/news/citie...-this-tribe-speaks-telugu/article22810325.ece

Andhra Pradesh to send anthropologists, linguists to study indigenous community

The Telugu diaspora is a large and vibrant community found in almost every country where there are Indian-origin populations. But they are migrants. So when an indigenous, Telugu-speaking tribe believed to have been around for centuries outside India — in Sri Lanka, to be precise — was identified, it attracted the attention of researchers.

The CEO of Andhra Pradesh Creativity and Cultural Commission (APCCC), Vizai Bhaskar, said on Tuesday that a team of anthropologists and linguists will soon leave for the neighbouring country to gather more information on the tribe. Speaking to The Hindu, he said the Ahikuntaka (Telugu tribe) had been living on the island for many centuries but its population was on the decline. “As per our information, just a few hundred of them are left. They are not migrants from India but natives of Sri Lanka. They are believed to have lived there even before the Tamils,” he said. Both the APCCC and the Cultural Centre for Vijayawada and Amaravathi (CCVA) will take up the project and decide on the team members soon.

“Available information suggests that the members were snake-charmers, and faced untouchability,” Mr. Bhaskar said.

The last king of Sri Lanka before the British took over in 1817 was of Telugu origin, he said. “Our team will collect all the facts about the existence of Telugus in Sri Lanka. As a Telugu-speaking State, it is our responsibility to gather information about our legacy.”