CHARACTERSTICS OF YANADI TRIBES :

Origin of Yanadis and their traditional culture: 

There are many Pre-Dravidian Tribals in Southern India among whom the Yanadis, whose origins are very vague, and they found living in utter poverty. With the invasion of the Dravidians lost their identity, their language and got mixed with the people who subdued them, to such and extent that they forgot their special traits. Not having any script, earlier they were leading nomadic life style. Yanadis inhibit the Telugu region.

Yanadis have been divided into 4 sub-castes namely Reddy-Yanadi, Challa Yanadi, KappalaYanadis and AdaviYanadis. The Reddy Yanadis are called because when the Reddy kings ruled over parts of Andhra, they employed these tribals as their trackers and bearers of arms when they went for hunting. The name ChallaYanadis was given becausethey were doing menial jobs and working as scavengers were give Challa (buttermilk) as payment. The “KappalaYanadis are mostly inland fisher men who hunt in ponds, streams and sell their catches near by villages. At one point of time they were catching frogs, which were being exported to foreign countries. The AdaviYanadis are those who even now live in forests far away from human habitation. This classification varies district to district.

In Nellore district ChallaYanadis and Reddy-Yanadi are found. Among them ChallaYanadis are most vulnerable. The present proposal is to work with both ChallaYanadis and Reddy Yanadis.

Dress:

The Yanadi men used to wear only a strip of cloth called “gochipatha”. Women wore sari from the waist to knee and covering the breast, usually they buy old clothes from the market, men never use any oil for hair, look like matted hair. Women maintain their hair; they love to have flowers all the time.

Habitation and housing :

Earlier Yanadis did not live in regular villages. They build portable and conical huts with small opening near streams and canals. The habitation reflects their nomadic nature. Since last 4-5 years they started settling in habitations, located out of the main villages. The home stead land was given by the government.

Housing:

Earlier they use to live in round and cone shaped hut made of palm leaves and local bushes. In 1984 after a cyclone 2-5% Yanadis were given 1 room 1 kitchen pucca house. Latter in 2006 housing scheme was introduced by government in which first the community need to complete the basement with their own contribution to get further support from government. The families not having food to eat faced problem to get government benefit. Then reddies and panchayat leaders took the contract and constructed bad quality houses not feasible to stay by the Yanadi community. There is a problem of water leakage during rainy season. Thus 50-60 per cent of Yanadi families are still living in huts. The construction of huts also becomes difficult due to lack of availability palm trees.

Occupation and Food Habits:

After the forest cover got over and came down to plain areas the only hunting available to them now, is the hunting of rats and snakes. They wait until the harvesting of paddy, locate different rat burrows, catch the rodents and also dig up the paddy stored by the rodents in these burrows. In this way they manage to collect paddy for their livelihood.

Later Yanadis were also used as agriculral wage labour work by the ‘reddy’ community (large farmers) and were also engaged to kill the rats from their agriculture field to protect crops. Yanadis also eat rat meat.

Another occupation for Yanadis is fishing; it is confined mostly to ponds and field channels but those living along side the Pulicatlake, fishing in the brakish water lake. Of late some of the Yanadis are even venturing out to sea fishing but this mostly as workers on the boats of fishermen.

Matrimonial and other practices:

The matrimonial relationships among the Yanadis are not binding they can break at any moment. A man can marry any number of women, and a woman can also leave her husband. In this process their children get affected. Children are some time left to their fate. There are cases such children were brought out by grand parents if they have. Widow re-marriages are common. Another problem is that there are many single women without any support (widow or not) whose husbands left them and settled with some other woman. This is slowly changing the number of family separation has come down.

Traditional medicinal knowledge:

Their knowledge of trees and herbs is phenomenal. They still use plants and herbs as medicine for snake bite, headaches and other disease.

Achievements

Livelihood & Entitlements

  • 113 Catamarans were distributed to 225 families including 61 Yanadi families, 28 old catamarans were repaired for 28 families.

  • 1078 families  were provided 5kg of net per family. In these 236 families belongs to yanadi community.

  • 438 single women were supported for fish vending purpose including 254 Yanadi families.

  • 246 houses were sanctioned

  • 257 families were given house site pattas from 5 villages.

  • ITDA included programmes worth Rs.78.9 lakhs for fishnets, catamarans, cycles and other livelihood programmes.

  • Tribal community in Andhra Pradesh, could get the rights over 55 tanks spread in 15000 acres of land, in Nellore district. More than 1200 families could enjoy the rich resource of fish in tanks, which were under the occupation of non tribals so far, by getting organised under 33 cooperatives, with the support of ARD. On 9th June, 22 registration certificates were distributed in the presence of the District Collector, Joint Director, Fisheries Department, and the Sub Collector, Gudur

  • Formed Task Force Groups in 23 villages representating Youth, Women and physically challenged persons. Early warning committee, Evaluation committee, Shelter management committee, Protection committee and Sanitation committee Mock drill practice given to Task Force Group members

  • Got Captive nursery units in 2 villages’ vinduru&potupalem (Gudur) comprising 50members with worth Rs.18, 00,000/- with fisheries department support (Each costs Rs.9, 00,000/-) also applied for NREGS Works.

  • Sanctioned Autos to 4 Members to Vakadu Fishermen society Worth Rs.4, 00,000/-with Fisheries department support.

  • Pendal culture works were in progress 41 acres of land in yellasiri (Chittamur), posted 708 poles in 3.70 cents of lands. 15 members applied for 4 pump sets and motors for water facilities worth Rs.30, 000/- (each paid Rs.2100/-) with ITDA Support, got electrification& water facilities with ITDA& Horticulture Department support.· 7 crore rupees proposed with 90% subsidy for 212 acres and Sanctioned Rs.88,93,500/- for pendal culture for 42 acres by 41 families (each acre costs Rs.2,11,750/-), 16 bore wells installed in 34.09 acres for 30 families. Sanctioned 45 Solar pump sets for 190 acres of lands with amount of Rs. 2,20,00,000/-(each set costs Rs.4,90,000/-) sanctioned subsidy loans for 13 families for material ,tools implementation with ITDA Support, posted 61 Electric poles, approved bills for purchase of material Worth Rs. Rs.6,87,500/- in Yellasiri, Chittamur Mandal.

  • 2 Members got Power Weeders worth Rs.1, 70,000/- (Each Rs.85000/-) with 90% subsidy in Yallasiri (Chittamur)

  • 15 farmers applied for agriculture tools and paid challansRs. 16500/- for 9 Taiwan spares Rs. 30, 000/- for Oil engine in Aravapalem&Gunapadu (chittamuru), Sanctioned

  • 2 power weedersworth Rs.88000/- in Yellasiri (Chittamuru) through Government& ITDA Support with 90% Subsidy.

  • Toilets are sanctioned for 748 families in 49 villages of 8 Mandals, Those of which amount of Rs.15, 000/- spent for each of the toilet, thus with worth of Rs.1, 12, 20,000/-

  • 310 families were cultivated paddy in 318 acres in 15 villages. They got yield of 30 bags from 1 acre, they have earned a profit of Rs.75,24,000/-

  • 30 cooperative societies were formed in 8 mandals with membership of 293 women, Through this 17 Societies got registered with 540 women and running effectively, they stood across with net savings of amount Rs.1,72,795/-, with interest amount of Rs.40,257/- ,with recovering debt loan amount 4,09,028/-,finally maintaining the bank balance amount of Rs.1,90,880/-, through these cooperatives, the amount generated were utilized for purpose of Housing requirements, Petty shops, cattle& Animal Husbandry and culturing, Agriculture, Household requirements Etc.,

Bonded Labour

  • We have identified 1272 bonded labour in 10 Mandals of Nellore District In Andhra Pradesh

  • 429 bonded labour rescued and released during the year2012.above 25 lakh rupees credit cancelled

  • Brick kiln (Venkatareddy palem village of ojili Mandal)Odisha migrant brick kiln labourers: a total of 85 labourers released and govt issued 53 certificates; remaining 22 were children

  • Brick kiln(chouta palem village venkata chalam mandal)community from Nagambotlavari Kandriga Venkatachalam Mandal– Yanadi tribal: : a total of 15 labourers released and govt issued 10 certificates; remaining 5 were – 4 children and 1 Old women(90)

  • Brick kiln (Marlapalli village of Nayudu peta Mandal) - Yanadi tribal: a total of 14 labourers released and govt issued 10 certificates; remaining 4 were children

  • Community from Ramapuram village of Chittamuru Mandal (2men,2women,3children) and chiguru padu village of Nayudupeta Mandal (3men,3 women 1 child)

  • Pambali village 94 Yanadi tribal people strategically came out from Bondage as – a complaint was given to the concerned Vakadu Tahasildar saying all the Yanadi tribal in the village have been taken total 5 lacks 45 thousand loans from the rich peasants and landlords and doing work in their fields at low wages.

  • Gudur Railway station 169 Orissa migrant labours was rescued and released given 132 release certificates.6lakh 80 thousand collected penalty from brick kiln owners and distributed to the released labourers. this is the first time model rescue in India.

  • Livelihood support to Bonded labour families for the Rehabiliation:- cycles and nets given to 58 families, One family chicken shop, One family got tiffin center, NREGS work crafts given for 8 families, 42 families got 75 acres of wet land(above 5 cr. Property)