Vol. 11, Issue 4, Part E (2025)

An important social group that is mostly located in the Indian state of Karnataka is the Dakkaliga people. Traditionally linked to landholding and agriculture, they are important to the area's rural economy and social fabric. Many members of the Dakkaliga community have transitioned into a variety of occupations over time, such as business, politics, and education.

The nomadic Dakkaligas are considered the most untouchable group; even the Untouchables don't touch them, and they aren't allowed to enter their colonial lanes. The Madhiga believe that the Dakkaligas' arrival is unlucky, so before they enter the villages, the elders of the Madhiga community gather alms from the Madhiga community and give in to the Dakkaligas. Later, the Dakkaligas depart for another village, believing that they are the Madhigas' children, and the Madhigas treat them as their own children.