Dheevara

Dheevara is a grouping of fishing castes from the Kerala state of South India.

The word "Dheevara" is of Sanskrit origin, and has been used to describe fishermen in Gautama Dharmasutra and Mahabharata.[1] The Dheevara community was formed by Arayan, Valan and other castes to lobby for the fishers' rights, and to seek caste-based reservations in government jobs.[2] The members of the community formed the Dheevara Mahasabha ("Dheevara Great Assembly"), which is a politically powerful organization.[3]

The following castes are categorized as "Dheevara" in the Government's list of Other Backward Classes:[4][5]

  • Arayan or Araya
  • Bovi or Bovis Mogayar
  • Arayavathi
  • Mogaveera
  • Mukaya, Mokaya or Mukayar
  • Mukkuvan
  • Nulayan
  • Paniakkal
  • Valan
  • Valinijiar, Valinjiar or Valanchiyar

The Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha ("All Kerala Dheevara Association") has demanded inclusion of Dheevaras in the Scheduled Castes list.[6]

See also

References

  1. Singh 2003, p. 292.
  2. Sathyapalan 2015, p. 90.
  3. Sathyapalan 2015, p. 95.
  4. "Central List of OBCs for the state of Kerala" (PDF). National Commission for Backward Classes. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  5. "List of Other Backward Classes in Kerala State". Kerala Public Service Commission,. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  6. "Dheevara Sabha's demand". The Hindu. 23 April 2012.

Bibliography

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