PVTG, SNO:17. GUTOB GADABA - ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM ON A PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TRIBE. PROF. T.S. NAIDU

PVTG, SNO: 17. GUTOB GADABA - AN ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM ON A PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TRIBE.
BY. PROF. T. SUBRAMANYAM NAIDU
tsnaidu1952@gmail.com

The Gadabas are one of the primitive and colorful tribes of Andhra Pradesh In Viskhapatanam district are found largely in the village of Chinthapalli mandal of Paderu agency. The Gadabas are divided into as many as five divisions.
They are Bodo Gadaba, Parenga Gadaba, Sano Gadaba, Ollar Gadaba, Hutob Gadaba, Kapu Gadaba. Adult marriage is in vogue among the Gadabas although there is no incidence of child marriage. Marriage with in the clan is prohibited hence clan exogamous. The boys and girls of a single clan are regarded as brother and sisters Monogamy is the rule although in the exceptional cases polygyny is practiced.
The Tribe owes its name to the fact that its ancestors emigrated from the banks of the Godabari (Godavari) river, and settled at nandapur, the former capital of the Rajas of Jey pore.The Gadaba are traditionally Palanquin bearers. Forty year ago the Gadaba of this village were palanquin bearers to the Raja of Kurupam. In recognition of their services the Raja of Kurupam has granted them Inamlands which were exampled from all the taxes. Introduction of modern communication system has dismissed the palanquin. As a result the Inam lands have been converted into Zirayati lands and regular taxes are levied. To these tribal who were not in the habit of paying the land tax, since centuries? This is quite a strange phenomenon. From the beginning they were in the habit of drinking Liquor. Next to food they give importance to the drink due to this habit of excessive drinking the return from the land are hardly sufficient they could not even pay the nominal land taxes. They naturally approached the local money lenders who were waiting for the opportunity and readily agreed to pay money for the payment of taxes as well as for meeting their domestic’s requirements they have mortgaged their lands and taken money, naturally the money Lender gave money at a very abnormal rate of interest against their lands. The showkurs (money lenders) of near by villages have rightly exploited the situation. All the Gadabas who were once agriculturalist have now become agricultural labors with the exception of one or two.
Gadabas have got their own dialect but many of them speak Telugu, the dominant language of the area and to a certain extent Oriya is also spoken. The Gadaba speak among themselves in their own dialect but they invariably talk Telugu while conversing with other people. Thurston (1909) wrote that the Gadaba Language is the speaking tool for the Gadabas. This language is included by G.A.Grievson in the Munda linguistic family. The numerical system of Gadabas as followed by them in the village in recorded below to have an idea of their Language.
The Legend (about site) is fully be lived by the Gadabas and hence their religious adherence to their particular cloth at the time of marriage it is absolute that the Gadaba maiden should wear this fiber-made cloth or else misfortune will ruin the family. A bundle of twinges is brought and the stems freed of Leaves are then dried for two or three days after which the hauberk is ripped out and beaten down smooth with heavy sticks, to separate the bark from the fiber. The fiber is then collected and combed down smooth and Spun into a tolerable fine twist. It is this twist that the Gadaba maiden weaves in her crude Loom and prepares from it her marriage sari. According to a good custom among these people a Gadaba maiden must learn to weave her clothes before she becomes eligible for marriage. And no Gadaba even thinks of marrying a wife who cannot prepare her own clothes men can use cotton and other clothes. Where as women cannot do so for they are under the curse of Sita. But this passion for fineries in women is one taking the liberty of putting cotton thread for the woof and an kudu fiber for the warp and thus is able to turn out a more comfortable and finer cloth.

GADABA TRIBEGUTOB TRIBETRIBES OF ANDHRA PRADESH